They're BAAAACK!

We're back in action! Dave and Mike from DHI Home Improvements returned in mid-May and now our downstairs bathroom is ALMOST DONE! (After this, the only project left is the upstairs bathroom...PHEW!)

They installed our new light/fan and vent, and completed framing and tiling the new shower for us -- and we're very glad we left that to the professionals! We're fine with tiling floors, but walls and corners -- no way! Needless to say, they did a fantastic job! We're so pleased with the tile we picked -- even The Guys commented on how nice it looks, and Dave might use it for his own home's bathroom renovation. It's called "Cayman Dolphin" and you can get it at Lowes, since it's a regularly stocked item -- no special order required. They installed the shower door, and it was done!

Once the shower was done, Cath painted the walls a lovely, cool blue -- not the original one we picked, since it wasn't quite right. We ended up with a color called (I think) "Journal Book" if I'm remembering correctly... Once we finish painting the trim a crisp, glossy white, it'll look even better!

THEN, we tackled the FLOOR! I came home from work earlier this past week, and we put down all the full tiles (after a careful dry fitting, of course). Then, the next night when I came home, Cath had already completed the cuts with our new tile saw! Since, we're going to need one for the upstairs bathroom, too, it was cheaper to buy a mid-range model than it would have been to rent one. So, we put those last tiles down in no time! Then, we grouted the floor and let that dry for a couple days before sealing it yesterday and today. It's so clean and white... Let's hope it stays that way!

Once we got that final coat of sealer on, we went to breakfast at the Latham 76, our favorite diner, before coming home to start installing the baseboards. I cut those, alternating with the coping saw and miter box, while Cath cleaned up the floor and made sure the sealer hadn't left a residue on the tile. She nailed them in place with our handy nail gun, and PRESTO!

Then came the REALLY fun part -- our first-ever TOILET INSTALL! And, I must say, it went SWIMMINGLY! We got the bolts and wax ring in place, set the base down, and bolted that to floor. Then, we set and bolted the tank, before reconnecting the water supply. I hooked up the flapper chain, held my breath, and FLUSHED! And, lo and behold, it worked perfectly! Just a little tightening of the float level screw and a slight easing of the water pressure and that baby filled up in 47 seconds flat -- the instructions said it should take around 50 seconds if everything was set correctly. Just a couple bolts to secure the seat in place, and we were done!

So, we moved on to the vanity. Here's where we realized that plumbing can be REALLY frustrating... After numerous snafus and mis-fittings of the sundry pipes and what not, we finally obtained the right sized hoses and connectors -- and it only took about 3 trips to Lowes! Ugh... But, we located the stud, set the vanity in place, shimmed it level, and screwed it securely to the wall. Then we hooked up the faucet to the sink, installed the drain and stopper, and set it in place on top of the vanity. LUCKILY, before we applied the adhesive, we decided to check the pipe locations to make sure everything was aligned. And, of course, it wasn't. The PVC J-trap pipe was too wide -- we would have to shift the sink too far forward to connect the drain pipe to the inlet pipe from the wall... THANKFULLY, we had a similar problem in the kitchen and we knew that Home Depot carries rubber J-traps, so we trekked out one last time, picked up the final piece, got home, and collapsed. It was about 6:30 by then, and we'd been up since about 5:30, so we ordered a pizza and called it quits. Our quest to finish all the plumbing in one day was nearly fulfilled...

Meantime, during all this fun and frivolity, The Guys had moved outside to finish our deck! They installed the new lower deck last summer -- our first project with them -- and this year they're re-surfacing the upper deck that was already in place. They started on it early this past week and have made AMAZING progress in just these few days... All the handrails were removed and floor boards were pulled up in about two days -- no small feat, considering each board had 3 nails into every joist and Dave was working on it alone! (Mike has a day job with the State...) Plus, it was raining off and on all week, so he didn't even get to put in full days!

Yesterday, though, Mike returned and they put down most of the new composite floor boards. Then, today -- in between more sudden downpours and none-too-few plumbing questions from us -- they put in the posts and most of the handrails. Doesn't it look fantastic?! Don't worry, that's just a spare board lying there in the middle... We're thrilled with it, and it's not even done! Dave says he's coming back tomorrow, so it'll probably be complete by the time we get home. WOO HOOOOO!

So, there you have it! We're finally in the home stretch -- once we finish installing the sink, hang the mirror and storage cabinet, and install the light fixture, the downstairs bathroom will be ready to use! That means, we can finally begin demolition upstairs. Cath and I will take out that toilet, vanity, light, fixtures, etc. Then, The Guys will remove the old/install the new tub, install the window in the shower (at the correct height to preserve our decency, of course), and tile the shower. At that point, Cath and I will tile the floor, The Guys will install the wall-mounted vanity and the recessed-mount medicine cabinet, and Cath and I will finish the painting and detail work.

WE CAN'T WAIT!