FUNCTIONAL SHOWER! AND OTHER PROGRESS

September 19-27, 2006
We have finished applying all the silicone around the tub area and now have a functional shower! The plumber comes to install the drains in the bathroom sinks.

We salvage the old door casing with a new coat of paint. It adds character to the bathroom and has a nice "old vs new" effect.

The end is in sight with the bathrooms, but we still have to install the baseboards, quarter round, window casing and light fixtures.

We decide to paint the main floor stairs white. We remove the current hideous runner, and paint every other step to allow us to get up and down the stairs. We Lilu-proof the stairs but she sneaks by and only manages to get a drop of paint on her paws (luckily the paint drys fast).

We finally decide on a kitchen counter colour and have New Canadian Lumber come in for measurements. It will take a few weeks before the counter arrives and we will have it installed shortly thereafter.

Following the counter installation, the final plumbing for the dishwasher and kitchen sink will be installed, and David (our electrician) will secure the downdraft vent for the stove.

Over the weekend we ordered our baseboards, window casing and quarter round and begin to paint each piece. It is primed so painting is fairly easy.

We took back the kitchen faucet and ordered a shorter, similar model to ensure clearance between the counter and cabinets.

HARDWOOD IN!

September 18, 2006

The hardwood installation begins and they work fast as they will be finished tomorrow. It's looking marvelous! We install the mirror cabinets above the bathroom sinks and finish the trim around the bathtub area.







September 15-17, 2006

Deb paints the trim around the living room window to avoid paint dripping on the hardwood floors when they are installed. We pick up the slab of granite for the breakfast bar. I looks great but is very heavy, even for a small piece.

We get started on assembling the mirror cabinets over the bathroom sinks.

UPDATES

September 14, 2006

It's been a busy few weeks since our last entry.

Kitchen:
The kitchen cabinets are all installed and our next step is to order the counter. We will have someone come in and take measurements to ensure a good fit. Once the counter is installed, we can hook up the dishwasher and stove and we'll be functional.

Fred (Andrew's Dad) discovers that one of his patients owns a granite company. We get in touch with him and order a piece of black granite for the breakfast bar area, which is half the cost of what we'd pay at Home Depot.

Living Room:
The plywood and hardwood flooring is delivered and waits patiently to be installed. We anticipate installation to start in the next few days, and should be done in 2-3 days.

Bathrooms:
We install the bathroom sinks and vanities into place. They are now ready for the drain and faucet installation.

We purchase the tub tiles and install them. Instead of mortar, we used acrylic tile adhesive as it has a stronger hold and sets faster. It's tricky to set the first row to ensure it is level. We purchase an inexpensive tile scorer/cutter for small straight cuts so Andrew isn't constantly using the wet saw.

After letting the tiles set, they are grouted. The tub has taken a beating, encountering everything from plaster, to paint and grout. With a little elbow grease and TLC it comes sparkling clean (gotta love acrylic!). We start to silicone the gaps between the tub and tiles, and still need to finish off the edges with water resistant trim before the tub shower is functional.

James comes by to install the toilets and the remaining bath faucet fixtures. We are excited about having a functional toilet on the second floor, even though we still have to wash our hands in the bath tub. He will be back next week to install the sink drains.

Andrew does a fantastic job installing the washing machine and gas dryer. We love the front loaders!