# Tornado Recovery



## Gary

I've been absent from the site for a good while and a lot has happened since. 
Most notable as I've mentioned in another thread was an EF3 tornado that hit 1  1/2 years ago. Nearly all of our neighbors had significant damage, many lost their homes completely. Some are pretty much back to normal, some left, never to return and happily there are a lot of new homes going up.
I also posted that I got dinged by the table saw yesterday (got an appointment tomorrow with a specialist to see how that will go).
So, I am probably going to have some free time on my hands (no pun intended), and thought I'd post how our house repairs are going post-tornado. Might take awhile doing this one handed, but it will keep me occupied while the fingers heal. I'll post before and after photos. Show what we've done so far & what's still on the to-do-list. Here's one for now, before and after the storm. We were very fortunate, we didn't have to leave our home.
More later.


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## nealtw

Sorry to hear about your fingers, hope that goes well. Where are you at with the house repairs?


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## oldognewtrick

Gary, sounds like you've had enough excitement in your life to last a long while.


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## Gary

nealtw said:


> Sorry to hear about your fingers, hope that goes well. Where are you at with the house repairs?



Thanks Neal. At this point the outside is pretty much done. We've got a new roof and siding that we contracted. I built it myself the first time but that was 19 years ago. I've replaced doors windows, some minor structural repairs, etc. The deck has to be rebuilt and the driveway needs a little work yet. The rest is all inside. We had a punch list of things to do before the storm.You know those projects you plan top get to someday? We decided do a repair/remodel one room at a time and get it all done. I'm self employed working at home (sign business). This is my slow time, by Spring the house has to take a back seat to keeping the work schedule going. So, this is when I have time for the house. The hand injury will slow me down some, but I still hope to get some work done before Spring. We'll see how it goes.


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## Gary

oldognewtrick said:


> Gary, sounds like you've had enough excitement in your life to last a long while.



Yea, I did't even mention 2 sprained wrists and a hamstring tear earlier this year. They say things happen in 3's so I hope I'm done with that now.


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## nealtw

Hanging wall paper does get tricky with one hand.:thbup:


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## Gary

It's amazing just how many things get tricky when your one handed. First thing this morning I put on a t shirt. Buttons one handed was worth the trouble. 

Here's a shot of the house before the storm and a couple after.


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## nealtw

Looks like you were lucky to have structure left to work with.


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## Gary

Couple more side by side before/after


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## Gary

nealtw said:


> Looks like you were lucky to have structure left to work with.



Yes very. I screwed the Frame together and used storm brackets on the studs & rafters. Nothing will stop a tornado if it wants to take something, but I like to think it didn't hurt to use the screws & brackets. They weren't required at the time, just suggested. I'm sure the brackets are code now.


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## kok328

Consider investing in those saws that won't cut fingers. 
Hope you recover without complications.


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## Gary

Here's a few before and after repair shots of the exterior. There's been a few projects completed since these photos, but these show the extent of the damage and how blessed we were to still have a house standing.


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## Gary

One of  the projects was to clean up the area north of the gazebo. It was a neglected space, with abandon landscaping timbers, an out of control lilac bush, etc. There was a split rail fence that didn't survive the tornado.  I replaced that with this vinyl picket fence. You can also see a bit of the damage to the gazebo/deck, that will be a project for next spring or summer. My wife wanted a place to plant a garden, so I used scraps from the residing to wrap this raised garden. Gravel came from the driveway (story about that later). Behind this area is where we store firewood, so that's why the backside of the vinyl fence is protected by the treated 2''x6''s.


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## HandyOne

Your home is very nice.  So, sorry to hear and see a tornado did a massive customization on it that was unauthorized.  After being around tornados, espacially the April 27th 2011 ones, I totally feel for you.
Where was your safe area during this destruction?

And very sorry to hear about your fingers being messed up and slowing you down.  I hope the doctor can fix you up so you can have full use again.


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## Gary

We have gravel driveways front & rear of the house. After the tornado the gravel was full of broken glass, the worst being long shards of mirror glass. I tried grading the top off, but at night under the lights you could still see glistening glass. So, I found someone in need of fill to fill in a ravine and dug about 4-5" out. Then brought back asphalt road grindings. It still needs another load, but I'm very happy with it now. It packs down nice and doesn't track into the garage nearly as bad as the gravel did. I put tile in along side the sidewalk. That took care of a chronic problem with standing water on the sidewalk & driveway. It turned cold,  so this project will have to wait for warmer temps.


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## Gary

Angie said:


> Your home is very nice.  So, sorry to hear and see a tornado did a massive customization on it that was unauthorized.  After being around tornados, espacially the April 27th 2011 ones, I totally feel for you.
> Where was your safe area during this destruction?
> 
> And very sorry to hear about your fingers being messed up and slowing you down.  I hope the doctor can fix you up so you can have full use again.



Thanks Angie. We were in the basement at the time. It's under the older part of the house, so we were safe. I was surprised though how many houses had no basement or crawl, just on a slab. Fortunately there were no serious injuries.


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## Gary

As the roofer was repairing the roofs, I was busy repairing and or replacing doors, windows and anything else that needed attention before the siding guys got here.
Here I restored the Lattice porch supports. The ovals are solid redwood, designed and machined on my CNC over 28 years ago. Redwood was more plentiful around here back then. A little opaque stain and they're good as new.


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## Gary

This project I did in December a year ago. The seals in the window leaked into the wall. Then after the tornado the vinyl frame had quarter sized holes in it from flying debris. I built a shack to work in and to keep at least some of the heat in the house. As it turned out it wasn't all that cold during the project, however it rained A LOT. 
I built an a frame off the cat walk and anchored it to the wall. Then I used the winch off the trailer and the battery out of the lawn mower to lower the old window and raise the new one.
The outside trim is high density foam from Fypon. Since I had to built the trim out around the brick I had to fabricate some of the parts. I used High Density foam from a 4' x8' sheet. I use this material to make architectural letters in my sign business. I designed the custom parts on the sign software & cut the parts on the CNC.
The day I tore the shack down we got a snowstorm.


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## Gary

The entry door right below the window also had water damage and damage from flying debris. We replaced it with this raised panel Fiberglass unit. 
I gave it the same Fypon & CNC trim as the window. Also fabricated lit house numbers built into the header. I mounted 2 small LED bulbs inside the header and connected them to a dusk to dawn electric eye. (the pizza guy thanked me lol).


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## havasu

Great pics. Thanks for this!


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## Gary

Thanks havasu. Gives me something to do while my hand heals.


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## Gary

That brings me to the current project. This is a punch list project rather than storm repair. I had always planned to do a frame & panel wall at the entry way to somewhat match the wall  I did around the living room window. This is as far as I got before filleting my fingers on the table saw. I hope I can get back at it soon.


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## havasu

Please tell us more about your CNC wood cutter.


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## Gary

It's a 4'x8' ShopBot. I use it to cut architectural letters in my sign business. I also have files on much of the trim & cabinets in the house that I've cut on the CNC. 
Aside from that I've cut a lot of suspension & other parts for a pro street camaro I'm was building, that project has been collecting dust the last few years. Too many projects, too little time.
It's a handy tool.


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## havasu

I'd love to have access to something like that but I'm afraid that it would cost more than a new car I need.


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## HandyOne

Wow Gary.  Just Wow.


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## Gary

Thanks havasu and Angie. I've had a CNC (this is my second) for nearly 20 years, so over the years I've found many uses for it. It's so easy to just design a project on the computer and have the CNC cut it out. Everything fits perfectly and it's on file if a part ever has to be duplicated sometime down the road or I want to make another one.


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## Gary

It's been just a few days and I'm already going stir crazy, so I thought I'd post this little one day project I did late last summer. There were shrubs here that were damaged by the tornado, so I dug them out & replaced them with this privacy fence. I have a couple recycled plastic parking blocks that go on the concrete, a job I'll do when it gets a little warmer.


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## Gary

and this was just for fun. I used scrap PVC boards, shingles from the house & printed images of the house to wrap this bird house. Gave it a fictional house number & cut the top flat on what was once a nice shade tree.  
We figured if the tree lives it lives. If not, at least we have a bird house post.


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## havasu

Ok, that tops the "very cool" projects for you!


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## oldognewtrick

I like the address on the bird house, I think there _may_ be a hidden meaning there...


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## Gary

I think you may be right ...:trophy:


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## Gary

havasu said:


> Ok, that tops the "very cool" projects for you!



Thanks havasu. It gets a few chuckles around here. When bad things happen, sometimes the best medicine is laughter.


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## nealtw

Every DIYer needs one of these:thbup:


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## Gary

You're right Neal. I've come to depend on it for any number of projects, even some work related stuff, lol. 
I had the header all but done & couldn't resist installing it. 3 black headed Trim screws hold it on the posts. I buried them in amongst the foliage where they will never be spotted from the floor looking up.

By the time I finish trimming it out, the white vinyl frame will be pretty well covered up.


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## nealtw

Can you buy the program for that or do you have write your own.


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## Gary

You can go either way. I stacked pre-written elements together to come up with something that fit the space. But, I've drawn them from scratch also. I just used stock files to save time for this job. 3D designs can get labor intensive. And, it took about 10 hours to cut this once it was in the machine. Imagine the 3/16" ball nose cutter going back & fourth over this area, with a 12% step over. That's a LOT of G code. All I had to do was go over it with a scotchbrite pad a little and it was ready for stain. You can go faster, but then you give up detail & finish.


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## nealtw

It must have a substantial framework to hold it in place.  I looked a little at one about 40 years ago, but you needed some very expensive computer at the time, so it was more of a walk by.


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## Gary

It's built on 2''x6'' C channel and thick wall 2''x2'' tubing. I got a second mortgage on the house at the time I bought my first 4'x4' CNC table. It more than paid for itself since it was a sign business purchase. It was a leap of faith at the time. Had it not been for that I wouldn't have one. But, when it's not making things for the business, it is fun to make stuff like this.


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## nealtw

So if you calculated the time and effort, what would that header be worth?


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## Gary

More than I'd be willing to pay if I bought one off the shelf. But then I guess it's not really an off the shelf item. Start to finish, I probably have somewhere between 15 to 20 hours in it. Not being on the clock when I do my own stuff, I tend to take my time & spend time on little details most people probably wouldn't want to pay for. It's therapeutic.


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## Gary

It's been about 3 months since I ran my fingers through the saw working on the front wall of the foyer. I had a little time this weekend and decided to get back at the job that would probably have been done and forgotten by now. I'm in my busy time at work, so the project will progress in spurts now. I got rid of the white vinyl 1/4 round around the side panels, replaced with oak and covered the white door jams with oak, so now it looks a little more finished. Next, the wall.


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## havasu

Simply beautiful!


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## zannej

wow. I had not noticed this thread before today. Amazing repair work and the stuff your CNC can do is amazing as well. But then, you came up with some awesome designs.
Love the little birdhouse, and the job you did on that door trim is spectacular.

How are your fingers doing?

I'm so glad you were able to get your house fixed back up after the tornado.


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## Gary

havasu said:


> Simply beautiful!



Thanks havasu




zannej said:


> wow. I had not noticed this thread before today. Amazing repair work and the stuff your CNC can do is amazing as well. But then, you came up with some awesome designs.
> Love the little birdhouse, and the job you did on that door trim is spectacular.
> 
> How are your fingers doing?
> 
> I'm so glad you were able to get your house fixed back up after the tornado.



Thanks zannej. Outside is pretty much done except for the deck still needs to be rebuilt. Inside will take some time because that work thing gets in the way, but we're trying to go a room at a time, fixing tornado stuff and just plain old honey-do stuff. 

Fingers are doing good, they just feel like a bad sprain at this point, but they work and continue to improve. I won't be doing any hand modeling going forward. Unless maybe for an OSHA safety brochure or something. :hide:


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## Gary

Got a little tornado rehab done today. We had a lot of glass in the gravel driveways. I tried scraping a couple inches off the top, but you could still see glass glittering in the lights at night. Last fall I dug a bunch out and donated it to the local boy scout campgrounds. I built a walking path  across a ditch. 
I got 1 load of road grinding laid down last fall,  but the summer got away from us. A couple days ago they brought the second load so I leveled it off today. I finished it with an 8' wide square tubing frame I used to make a bench in the garage. Took the bench down to make room for the laser engraver, so the bench was repurposed as a drag. Pulled it behind the lawn tractor, made the grindings nice & flat. Nice job to be done with.


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## Chris

How did you like the bobcat walk behind? I almost bought one a few years back


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## Gary

It's like my hired man. I've made attachments for it for the sign business. Sure makes install jobs go easier.


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## zannej

Looks very nice!!


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## Gary

Thanks zannej. Slowly getting things back to normal.


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## Gary

Hello. It's been awhile since I've had time to do any post tornado repair. I've had a couple back accidents over the years that haunt me and acid reflux, so my wife & I decied to replace our 2 decade old bed with an adjustable base bed. Well, one thing lead to another and we ended up tearing out the carpet, that was showered with glass & replaced it with a laminate floor. My wife has alergies so replacing carpet with more carpet didn't seem like a good idea. I boxed in the hot water heat runs in the crawl space under the master bath & bedroom and insulated the floor joists, so the hard surface flooring isn't cold. We re-painted the lite green walls with sort of a light tan/gray color. I finished it off with a digital print of Pikes Peak in CO for an accent wall. I took that shot during our 39th anniversary trip. Of all the places we've gone so far the mountains are our favorite. Got a few details to finish yet and have to move stuff back in, but we now have one more room checked off the tornado renovation list. I suppose I should change those outlets to ground fault now that they're in the water. :rofl:


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## zannej

Oh wow! That is an awesome photo and it looks beautiful on the wall! How difficult was that to put up?

That picture could be marketed as a background/screensaver for people's computers. I love it!

The flooring looks very nice and I like the wood door. I also like your ceiling fan. It looks like a classier version of the one we have in our living room with the multiple flower-type shades for the bulbs.

I like how the smoke alarm (is that a smoke alarm) is yellow like a sun.

I hope that you will enjoy your new adjustable bed!

Great job!


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## Gary

Thanks zannej. Little by little it's looking less and less like a tornado came through.  All but 1 or 2 lots in our nieghborhood now have been rebuilt, some not occupied yet. We'll be back to normal soon, less the large trees we won't see in our lifetime.


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## zannej

I'm very glad that you've been able to fix it up and that people are recovering from the tornado. It always makes me sad when people lose their homes.


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## Gary

Knocked out another post-tornado project today. I've had the patio door replaced for a long time, but never got around to finishing the inside. We bought a vinyl clad door with a golden oak wood finish on the inside. The problem was the golden oak in the kitchen has 30+ years of age on it and is 2-3 shades darker than the door. So, I bought a 1/2 pint of Mission Oak that's designed to be used over the existing finish. One coat darkened it enough to match the old finish. I then re-installed the trim that I made originally. Small job, but it feels good to make at least a little progress.
Still have that deck outside starring me in the face. 18.5°f today, so that's my excuse for now for putting it off.


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## zannej

Gary said:


> Knocked out another post-tornado project today. I've had the patio door replaced for a long time, but never got around to finishing the inside. We bought a vinyl clad door with a golden oak wood finish on the inside. The problem was the golden oak in the kitchen has 30+ years of age on it and is 2-3 shades darker than the door. So, I bought a 1/2 pint of Mission Oak that's designed to be used over the existing finish. One coat darkened it enough to match the old finish. I then re-installed the trim that I made originally. Small job, but it feels good to make at least a little progress.
> Still have that deck outside starring me in the face. 18.5°f today, so that's my excuse for now for putting it off.


That looks beautiful!
I don't blame you for waiting on the deck. That temp is no good for working outside.


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## bud16415

:thbup: Looks great!

I was planning on refinishing my deck all summer and never got to it.We will see how 2018 looks at getting it done.

Holly's grandad helped me remodel the house. He's and old retired guy that did a lot of building in his day. His favorite saying after each of these little projects 
got done was, "Every little bit helps."


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## Gary

Thanks zannej and Bud. We're plugging away on the very long list, 1 item at a time.


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## Gary

Making slow progress on the entry wall. I finished the first floor crown moulding tonight and hope to get the frame part of the frame and panel around the door done this weekend, barring any deversions.


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## Gary

Got the first floor done today. Just have the switch & outlet covers left to do. 
They should be here Wednesday. Then we can cross another job off the list.
Second floor may depend on the work schedule, but I sure would like to get that project done too.


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## zannej

Oh wow! That is gorgeous! I love the color and the design. I also like the furniture in the hallway. The little desk is very pretty. 

Great job! Are you making wood outlet and switch plates? or will it be in antique brass or oil rubbed bronze or something?


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## Gary

Thanks zannej. They'll be oil rubbed bronze to match the door hardware.


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## zannej

That's what I was thinking you'd go with (given the color of the door hardware). I bet it will look fantastic when you're done.


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## Gary

Nine switches all together. I have a couple files set up for the laser engraver, to mark the switch plates to keep them straight.


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## Gary

Got the switch covers engraved. I burned the letters in just enough to make them readable. Didn't want it to stand out too much, just enough to read. Actually the closeup shots with flash makes the lettering stand out more than it really does. Now I don't have to flip switches until I find the one I want. :hide:


Next project is the second floor of the same wall. The work schedule is picking up, so this might be done on an extended time frame. I've been putting this wall off for a long time though, so I would sure like to put this project in the rear view mirror sooner rather than later.


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## zannej

Oh wow! I didn't realize the wall was that high. Looks beautiful though. I love the labeling. Looks great!


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## Gary

Yes, it's around 25' to the peak.


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## bud16415

Gary said:


> Yes, it's around 25' to the peak.



Are you the window washer? 

Beautiful home by the way.


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## Gary

bud16415 said:


> Are you the window washer?
> 
> Beautiful home by the way.




Yea, I am, but I have 2''x12''s cut to lay across the crown mouding to the catwall, so I can reach the window from upstairs. I'll be using those to finish the frame & panel wall upstairs too. 

Thanks Bud. We've been at it for a good many years. Slow & steady.:trophy:


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## slownsteady

Gary said:


> ............Slow & steady.:trophy:



Ahem. just glad you didn't spell it with an 'N':rofl:


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## Gary

slownsteady said:


> Ahem. just glad you didn't spell it with an 'N':rofl:



I thought you'd want to come help. :


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## slownsteady

Thanks for asking, but I am slowly and steadily doing stuff around my own house. I wish I had more time for projects.


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## Gary

Got the oak panel installed on the second floor. Work is getting busy, so this phase may take some time. Lot of CNC work planned for the window.


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## zannej

Gary said:


> Got the oak panel installed on the second floor. Work is getting busy, so this phase may take some time. Lot of CNC work planned for the window.


Ooh, I really like the oak paneling! Looks beautiful!


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## Gary

Thanks zannej. I got about as far as I could today with the framing. Next is the window sill shelf. Spent the rest of the day designing the parts for shelf to be cut on the CNC. Got it all set up, got the oak glued up, then ran out of gas. 

I needed corbels for the shelf. I found these on Amazon for $32.00 ea. I thought about the material cost & time it would take to make my own and decided to take this expedient short cut. These come pretty close to matching the oak leaf design I used on the entry door header.


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## Gary

Got a good start on the window shelf. Still have to glue up the top rail, a little more trim and wire the outlet.


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## zannej

I love the shelf! The corbels went along very nicely!

I also love the bullseye rosette plinth blocks on the door off to the side. The blue wall color is very nice too. That's a color I was thinking of painting the walls in my mother's bathroom (right now they are wood panels with fugly green stripes printed on them).

Nice little chandelier too. I like the bulbs that look sort of like candle flames.


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## Gary

Thanks zannej. I'm hoping to make some progress tomorrow.


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## Gary

Got a little more done today.


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## zannej

Wow! That looks beautiful! I never would have thought of adding those accents to the front of the shelf, but I love it!


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## Gary

Thanks zannej


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## Gary

Got a little more done, nights this week.


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## Gary

Got a lot done yestersday (Saturday). Couple more hours and the woodwork will be done. Then fill nail holes & put a finish on it, call it done.


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## nealtw

Okay already. you are just making the rest us look bad..:thbup:


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## zannej

Oh wow!! That is absolutely gorgeous! I love it. I hope you don't mind, I'm pinning it to my doors & windows board on Pinterest.


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## Gary

nealtw said:


> Okay already. you are just making the rest us look bad..:thbup:



Thanks Neal it's a long time coming. We've been in the house addition since 2002. This is a procrastinated punch list project.:trophy:



zannej said:


> Oh wow!! That is absolutely gorgeous! I love it. I hope you don't mind, I'm pinning it to my doors & windows board on Pinterest.



Thanks Zanne. I'm so close to the end I can almost taste it.


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## Gary

Got the last pieces installed today, nail holes filled, top coat is drying. Tomorrow I'll wire the outlet and hopefully get the half wall caps done. Then pull the scaffolding boards out and finish the half wall baseboards. Got some flower pots and artificial flowers coming from amazon tomorrow, that will be the final touch for this project. Oh, and clean up, can't forget clean up. There's a coat of dust on just about everything in the house.


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## zannej

I know how the procrastination goes. I've been procrastinating on my bathroom reno since 2008 and I think I started the idea of redoing the laundry room and guest bath in 2012.

I'm so glad that you finally got this far and that it's almost finished. It looks fantastic!


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## Gary

Thanks zannej.   Got er done, complete with genuine plastic flowers. :trophy:


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## nealtw

Where is the chapel?


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## oldognewtrick

nealtw said:


> Where is the chapel?


Services are Sunday at 10:00. Casual and I hear there's breakfast if you get there early. I like my eggs sunny side up and bacon crisp please...[emoji6]


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## Gary

nealtw said:


> Where is the chapel?



That's the next project. :


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## Gary

oldognewtrick said:


> Services are Sunday at 10:00. Casual and I hear there's breakfast if you get there early. I like my eggs sunny side up and bacon crisp please...[emoji6]



Sorry, Mickey D's sausage and hot cakes is all we have.


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## oldognewtrick

Well, guess its better than a sharp stick in the eye....


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## zannej

Oh wow! That looks beautiful! Plastic flowers are actually a nice touch. No worrying about dirt falling from real ones.
If you've ever used Houzz, you should post the pictures there to show your progress and the finished design. It would probably be popular there.


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## Gary

zannej said:


> Oh wow! That looks beautiful! Plastic flowers are actually a nice touch. No worrying about dirt falling from real ones.
> If you've ever used Houzz, you should post the pictures there to show your progress and the finished design. It would probably be popular there.



Thanks zannej.


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## Gary

Thought I'd drop this in here, since it's sort of a combination of tornado recovery/cleanup and a little upgrading. Replaced the sink & faucet, added some cabinets for extra storage and a few other odds & ends. Shop washroom.


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## zannej

Nice! I wish I was being more productive these days. Although, I'm not productive most days. LOL. But my thyroid meds seem to be working a bit better so I'm staying awake longer. I look forward to more pictures from you. Keep up the good work!


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## Gary

We got the necessary repairs taken care of after the tornado and then sort of fell into a procrastination mode ourselves. But this winter I got a second wind and have been knocking out a few projects. Gotta' see how long I can keep it up, before the procrastination bug bites again. It's hard to get back at it once I stop.


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## zannej

So, you're hoping to procrastinate on procrastination?


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## tuffy

beautiful just beautiful I agree with zannej about the houzz  thing.


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## Gary

Thanks Tuffy. I'm still figuring out this new site format. LQQKs like it will be nice once we make a few laps.


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## adam_howard

Nice pictures.


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## Gary

Thanks Adam. In an effort to organize the garage today, I started building some shelves to store stuff so I can easily get at it without digging through an unorganized pile. Shelves on the end by the door will hold signs I store in inventory for a customer that rotates these in and out of his truck parking lot. I'll have room for lawn chairs and other stuff we use on the bottom, and less needed stuff higher up.


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## Gary

Got the shelves finished. I had a little plywood left over, so I built shelves to organize the power hand tools. Another project crossed off the to-do list. Nothing fancy, but they do the job.


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## tuffy

Those are some nice looking shelves.


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## Gary

Thanks tuffy. Could have used those years ago, but there's always customer stuff to do first.


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## zannej

Lovely garage, Gary! I really like the shelves.
On a side note, you know how you got the white rocker switches for your hallway and they stand out? They sell some in brown: https://www.kyleswitchplates.com/decorator-3-way-rocker-switches-lutron-claro-ca-3ps/
and oil rubbed bronze (pretty expensive though): https://www.kyleswitchplates.com/dark-bronze-stacked-rocker-switch-single-pole-or-3-way/
There are cheaper options at the bottom of the page I think.
One at Home Depot https://www.homedepot.com/p/Eaton-S...tch-in-Oil-Rubbed-Bronze-7501RB-K-L/300494509
They have single, 3-way and 4-way. I don't actually know what that means (maybe they operate multiple lights?), but they have them. LOL.

Editing to add that they sell them in black as well. I'm not sure what color would go with the cover plates.


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## Gary

Thanks zannej. I opted for the white since that's what was originally in the boxes. I may change them someday, but the to-do list will have to get shorter first.


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## zannej

Gary said:


> Thanks zannej. I opted for the white since that's what was originally in the boxes. I may change them someday, but the to-do list will have to get shorter first.


I hear you on that. I have a huge to do list as well.


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## Gary

My plan today was to get the garage and the shop cleaned today. Apparently my goal was a little lofty, I got this 1 wall done. I bought  stack of' 2"x4"s to do the job, but once I cleaned out the mess, I had enough lumber from the pile to do the job.


----------



## Gary

This morning was a tornado repair job. I still have to replace the door lockset, probably get that done yet this afternoon. I'm going to bend a scrap piece of .080 aluminum to repair the door and install a new lockset. I really don't want to replace the door. Other than a small crack in the door core by the lockset, it's like new. In fact it was just a few months old when the tornado came through. The wall above the door had a couple cracked studs where something attempted to enter. It did the damage and then left the premises, apparently headed for someplace in Kansas.  Couple more coats of mud and a little paint and I'll have another project crossed off the to do list.


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## zannej

Nice job on the internal repair. Looks like some of that siding needs to be replaced, but if you can find some matching siding pieces I hear it shouldn't be too hard. Reminds me I need to retrieve the extra leftover siding from my barn loft and use it to repair the spot where my idiot brother almost melted the siding (warped it) by using the barbecue without pulling it away from the house. We since gave the barbecue away so he can't do it again.
What kind of lockset are you getting? I've heard schlage is one of the best ones available.


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## Gary

I replaced all the siding. Well, not me personally, I contracted it out. I built the house originally, but that was in the younger days. Decided to let the kids do it. lol.
We had the same issue with one of the sheds in the back. My son was splitting firewood with the splitter and had the exhaust side facing the building. Luckily that was before the tornado, so that siding is gone now too. Yes, I bought a schlage several months ago. It's been sitting on the shelf waiting for today.


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## Gary

Got the lockset installed. Fabricated a cover out of some .080 aluminum scrap to reinforce the split in the door core. Closes nice and solid now.


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## zannej

House looks beautiful! I love the garage doors. 
Nice job fixing up the door too! It looks nice and sturdy.


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## Gary

Thanks zannej. Things are getting busy with work, so the tornado repair may take a back seat for awhile.


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## tuffy

NICE job looks great house looks beautiful too . is that an intercom system to the left of the door? Must be nice having all those tools at your beck and call. I can only dream. When I worked at the scrap yard I had snap on tools ,drill press  and a hydraulic press but we got broke in to every thing  stolen never have recovered. Now I have mostly dualast,harbor freight. and Milwaukee.


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## Gary

Thanks Tuffy. Yes, that's an intercom system we installed when we built the addition. It's kind of antiquated now, but it still works. It's handy when I'm out in the back shed and dinners ready. lol.


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## Gary

I thought I'd revive this thread to keep all the tornado stuff in one place. The Master Bath window broke out during the tornado so debris flew around in there, cracking a few tiles and just generally messing the room up. This is the last room with storm damage.  I'm hoping to get it done before Spring sign work kicks in. Although, technically I'm  retiring "sort of" in Feb., so I may not be putting in as many work hours going forward. There's cracked tiles, and we recently discovered there's been a very small leak behind the toilet, water supply line. Not enough of a leak to be noticeable, but enough to slowly seep into the grout. The last few weeks, floor tile has been popping up as the moisture finds it's way under the tile. So, we took that as a sign that we better get the bathroom done. I have a good share of the material on site, so about all that's left  is the labor and some misc stuff. I removed most of the tile last Saturday. This morning I disconnected the water to the shower & got that removed.

Joke of the day.
I got up this morning, decided to take a shower, so I took this one.


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## oldognewtrick

Well, looks like you'be reached the point of no return...


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## Gary

Yes, yes I have. No more procrastinating.


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## Gary

Still in demo mode. This isn't as much fun as it was 30 years ago.


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## zannej

I'm glad no one was in that bathroom when the tornado did the damage. 
As for the leaking water supply line, I think they have better supply hoses that are supposed to be leak-proof. 
Looks like a lot of work.
I love the door trim with bullseye plinth blocks. The vanity is awesome! I also like the wooden shelves. It's a shame wood is not a good option next to tubs because I've seen photos where instead of tile, they had wood paneling that looked nice (but probably had issues in the long run). Although, I suppose it could be marine sealed and the wood could allow hidden access panels to the tub.

Some examples pulled from the 'net (but imagine it with the wood tone to match your vanity)




I wish I could find the photo again of the one someone posted on another forum (not related to this one) when they were asking for help on planning a bathroom. It looked good.

One nice thing about the wood paneling is the storage capacity. You could have a hidden storage compartment for cleaning supplies.

Do you plan to use the same color & size tiles? Or would you want to go with maybe some larger porcelain tiles which would have fewer grout lines? I'm not big on tiles, but I think larger tiles look better. The ones in the top photo look nice- I like how they are laid out as sort of diamond instead of square, but that would probably be a pain to do.

What do you think of something like this? (to keep sort of the green color but have a less slippery surface-- not sure how it would be to clean) . Or have you considered LVT that looks like real tile?


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## Gary

Those look pretty nice Zannej. We plan to keep the vanity. Just replacing the fiberglass shower w/a curbless tile shower and new tile on the walls & floor. We have  1'x2' rectified porcelain tile. I got most of the old stuff torn out today. I was happy to find the subfloor was still O.K. when I removed the underlayment.  There's a little water damage in the shower, but I have to take that out anyway for the curbless shower. So, no bad surprises. Got a couple little things to finish up and then it'll be time to start putting it back together.


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## zannej

I am glad you are keeping the vanity. It looks great!
What is "rectified" porcelain tile?
I'm also glad to hear the subfloor is OK. One less thing to worry about is always good.
I know I mentioned wood on a tub could lead to water damage of the wood, but I do wonder if it would be cheaper & look better to do marine sealed wood panels in a color that would match the vanity. Less prep for tile on the side, less tile needed, plus they could disguise the access panel & allow you to mess with the plumbing and jet controls underneath. You could probably do it so it looks like multiple panels but have one long piece that can detach so you could get in there to work on stuff. Or just multiple panels that can open or be detached. Maybe have some sort of lip or overhang that would prevent water from dripping directly on to the wood. I hope that makes sense. If you do tile on top around the tub, you could have it overhang slightly & create a bullnose so it won't be a sharp edge when getting in and out.
Color isn't quite right, but imagine something like this just on the side for access.



Have you ever been to John Bridge's forum? Rather than link the photos, there's a thread where someone did what I'm talking about https://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=80004
The wood panels on side with tile on top. There's another picture of a job someone did that is similar, but I think a bullnose would be more comfortable on the legs when getting in and out. 


(I'm bored & can't sleep bc a skunk sprayed outside & the smell is keeping me awake).


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## Gary

The wood panels would be a lot more work, especially since the tub cabinet is built for tile. I have a wood insert that sets in the existing opening as an access panel to get to the plumbing. I was planning to make a removable tile-in panel, but I'm not sure about that yet. It would be easier to just put the wood insert back in. 
 "Rectified" is tile that has had the edges ground to make the tiles uniform in size. Makes it a little easier to get a narrower grout line.


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## zannej

Ah, now I see. The wood panel looks nice. I wonder if you can find tiles similar in color to the wood so it blends in a little more. I actually like how the existing tile was done, but the white obviously makes the wood panel stand out more.


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## Gary

The tile is a medium tan/brown, sort of a stone look. We've been slowly collecting parts N' pieces. We've had the shower door and shower head stored upstairs for nearly 2 years. The project has been on and off the priority list a few times, but we're past the procrastination stage now. We have most of the finishing material on site, just have the odds & ends left to pick up as the project moves along. The main thing we need now is time. This is typically my slow time at work, so hopefully we can get it back together sooner rather than later.
This type of work isn't as fun as it was 30 or so years ago.


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## zannej

My aunt Sandy once told me that when she was younger & didn't have the income she had all of these plans for renovating her house but when she finally had the income to easily afford it, she no longer cared about renovating. LOL.

But, obviously this is about repairs. Btw, HomeDepot is having a big sale on their bathroom products right now. They have whole faucet sets complete with valves & other stuff. So if there's anything you are missing, you might want to check it out. https://www.homedepot.com/b/Bath/Special-Values/N-5yc1vZbzb3Z6

I really need to stop procrastinating on getting things fixed. It's now been over 10 years since I started working on my bathroom.


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## Gary

I'm making a little progress on the bathroom project. Demolition is done and most of the small things that make for slow progress are done, like re-routing water lines, vent pipe, electrical, etc. Last night I planed down a couple studs to get the walls flat, started installing Durock® and then ran out of gas for the day. We're supposed to get a few sub 0°f for high days this week, so I may be able to hibernate from work and make some progress.


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## zannej

Looking good, Gary! More progress than I've made on my renos. LOL. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.


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## Gary

Making a little more progress. With the hot tub and a curbless shower, I decided to waterproof the whole room.  I have a couple little things to do, then it's time to figure the tile layout and start putting them down.


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## zannej

I know that is just the waterproofing, but I like that shade of blue.
It's looking good!
I'm still trying to get the motivation to get under the house and look for shutoffs for the shower I'm going to remove. I hope there are shutoffs under there. But I have to get under on the opposite side of the house and crawl all the way over.


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## Gary

Got a start on the tile back in the corner. Back to the real job for awhile now though. Might get a little done at night here and there.


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## zannej

Looks good! I like the huge tiles.I bet they were heavy though.


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## Gary

Thanks Zannej. Got a bit more done today, fitting it in around the work schedule when I can.


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## zannej

I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out & trying to take inspiration from it to get stuff done in my own house.


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## Gary

Got a little further yesterday. Slowly but surely, one tile at a time. This tile is a little thicker than what I took out, so I used the multi tool to trim the hot tub by about 1/8". Little nerve racking, no room for an "ooops cut" but it worked and they slid right in place, I really like that handy little tool.


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## Gary

I have to go back to work on signs for a little while. Good time to do the hydro test. The curbless shower holds around 8 gal. Tomorrow I'll go down in the crawl space and look for wet spots. It would be nice if that turned out to be a dry experience . Then just before I tile the floor and bottom row on the walls, I'll give it one last coat of Hydro Seal.


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## zannej

Ooh, that looks good! I like the new tiles much better than the old ones. I also really like the color of the Hydro Seal.
I'm looking forward to seeing more progress once you have the time. I would also love to see pictures of the signs you are working on (if you get the time to take pictures).


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## Gary

Thanks Zannej.  Sloooow progress, but the regular work needs to be kept up.
I'll see if I can scare up some sign shots when I get some time.


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## zannej

At least you're making progress. It looks great so far.


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## slownsteady

Are you using thinset on the walls for these large tiles? Any particular brand? Or tricks that you have learned from the experience?


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## Gary

Thanks Zannej.

slownsteady, Yes, this is the stuff I'm using.


The main trick I've learned so far is to take my time. Especially with the prep work. Getting the walls/floor straight plumb and flat is a must. If they aren't right, the large tile won't match up so good. The larger the tile, the larger the problem becomes.  I got everything pretty flat, but for a couple places. I used thinset to flatten out those low spots, before I started laying tile. The pros can lay tile and make those corrections on the fly, but I'm not a pro, so I do it the time consuming but safe way.
I usually don't get more than 6 or 10 tiles set at any one time. Then it's usually time to get back to the day job. I got a call today to letter an excavator that had to go out A.S.A. P. I had just mixed a batch of thinset. I got the tiles installed, so I didn't loose the batch,  got the lettering job done, but that's how it goes juggling time. It's looking like I may have all day Saturday free, so I hope to make some good progress then. I've never worked with rectified tile before. In the past I used low to mid priced ceramic tile, that weren't always the same size. These tile are very flat and all the exact same size. Makes installing so much easier.


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## zannej

It's better that you're taking more time to get it done right than rushing & not being happy with the results. The tiles look great. Although, I'm sure you'll be happy when the project is done & you can enjoy the space.


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## Gary

Yes, I'm looking forward to the day that it's done & I can move on to something else. Got a little further. The south wall is done (less the bottom row).  Got the bottom of the shelf tiled last night and the top this afternoon. Ready for the mosaic face.


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## zannej

Looks good! Is something going to be mounted on the left wall where those round plastic things are?


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## Gary

Thanks zannej. Those are leveling clips to align the tiles. There will be soap dispensers on the wall, but they just get glued on later.


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## slownsteady

The white circular things are the tile spacers. The larger red clips are to keep the tiles level to one another.


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## David Murry

Working on a water damage repair job in Milwaukee. The basement flooded late last fall and we are doing the build back for another company that left it like this.


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## Gary

You right slownsteady.  I didn't pay close enough attention to Zannje's Question. 

Dave, looks like a bad situation, but I'm sure you'll have it fixed right in no time.

I'm still pluggin' away. Worked on the tile this morning, but back to the day job this afternoon.


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## Gary

Got a little further today. Hopefully I can get a couple hours in tonight also.


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## oldognewtrick

Gary said:


> Got a little further today. Hopefully I can get a couple hours in tonight also.View attachment 21711


Get off the internet and get to work...just say in...


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## Gary

I'm getting too old for continuous use. I have to take a break from time to time.


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## oldognewtrick

Gary said:


> I'm getting too old for continuous use. I have to take a break from time to time.


Preaching to the choir.


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## zannej

Thanks for the explanations about the spacers & alignment aids!

Wow! It looks beautiful! I really like how you did the border at the edge of the wall with half-height tiles.

I am curious about the ceiling fan, how high above the tub is it? It meets the electrical codes for placement height, right? It's not within reach while standing inside the tub? I suck at determining distances & I vaguely recall something in some sort or building code about not having light fixtures dangling above tubs unless they were of a certain height above or designed specifically for placement over water.

We have a fan similar to that in the kitchen (with the 4 little lampshades & bulbs) but it has a wood grain for the blades.

Anyway, I'll be interested to see what the window trim will look like.


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## Gary

The fan is about 9' or so & to the ceiling peak is about 15' or a little over. The paddles on this one are woodgrain too, I just put the woodgrain side up. To be honest, the hot tub was one of those "gotta have one" deals when we built the addition about 20 years ago now. It's been used maybe 10 times in that time period. If I was building from scratch I would just build a bigger shower today. I put the Jacuzzi in through the wall under the window during construction, so the only way it's coming out now is in pieces. As much as we "don't" use it, I still can't bring myself to cut up a nearly new tub. (new by usage anyway) This is the window trim. I have a few leftover pieces of HDU (High Density Urethane) that I've used in the sign business. It will probably sit on the shelf for years before I find a place for it, so I decided to design the window trim on the CNC and use it for the bathroom window. It will be similar in design to the window treatment in the foyer, with faux paint to somewhat match the chair rail tile around the hot tub access panel . When I work on that I'll know I'm almost done because it's the last item on the remodeling list.


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## zannej

I've never heard of HDU before.
What was the blue stuff you used for the hydro seal btw? I thought it said somewhere in the thread but I couldn't seem to find it.


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## Gary

I use the HDU for signs. Easy to work with, doesn't rot and bugs don't like it. It can be damaged by hail though, so there are trade offs. I've had HDU signs out in the weather for 20+ years, still going strong.
They look like the attachment when they come off the CNC and then I just paint them like I would paint a wooden sign.

Hydro Barrier®.
I may have referred to it as Hydro Ban at some point, but that's a different product by the same company. They both basically do the same thing. They say you don't need joint tape with Hydro Ban, but I used an anti fracture cloth on the joints & floor, so I went with Hydro Barrier. It's about the consistency of  chocolate pudding and can be applied with a brush, roller or flat knife. I did the flat knife first to push the product into the pores of the durock, then brush & roller for the other coats.


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## Gary

Got all the full size floor tile laid today and a start on the cut tiles.


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## zannej

Those signs look awesome!
Thanks for the info in the hydrobarrier. I'm thinking of using something like that in my bathroom projects. Both the shower & tub kits (for different bathrooms) are direct-to-stud so I want to make sure moisture won't rot the wood if there are ever any leaks. I'll probably still have to do a plastic sheet moisture barrier over the insulation for the exterior walls. I wonder if sheet vinyl can be put over that stuff, or is it mostly for going under tile?

Bathroom is looking great! Very clean cuts on those angles. This has inspired me to try to get moving on my own bathroom. Which reminds me, I need to get a face shield for using the grinder.


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## Gary

Thanks Zannej. I bought this tile saw for the project. It's not really big enough for large tile, but it works, and the price was right. It'll probably collect dust on the shelf once this job is done. I cut with the fence when it fits, but it will cut free hand pretty straight too. Just have to dress the cut edge a little after the cut.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C21VL9J/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## Gary

Got home from Church this afternoon & decided to cut a tile or 2 rather than sit around watching TV. One tile led to another and before I knew it, I had all but the 4 tile around the toilet and 2 tile behind the door, cut. I'll glue them down during the week. Got a busy sign week, so we'll see how long that takes.


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## slownsteady

Similar to Redgard?


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## zannej

Looks great! I'm sure it must be satisfying to see how much progress you've made. Looks like you're very near completion.


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## Gary

Thanks Zannej, yes the completion date can't come soon enough. I'm looking forward to things getting back to normal soon.



slownsteady said:


> Similar to Redgard?




Yes, very similar to Redgard. I don't have any experience with Redgard, but reviews said Hydro Barrier had less odor. So since we're using the adjoining bedroom during construction I opted for The Hydro Barrier. It is nearly odorless.
Still all stuffed up from the thinset however, leaving dust everywhere. I mix the thinset out in the shop, wear a dust mask, we don't have forced air heat, but we still have a layer of dust everyhere in the house. Hopefully another week and we can start a thorough cleanup. They're talking possible 60's near the end of the week, so that's my goal, so we can get rid of the dust. My nose will appreciate it.


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## zannej

Hopefully the dust won't be hard to clean up, and I'm sure it will be great when you have use of the bathroom again.


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## Gary

I hope so too Zannej. All I had time for today was the mosaic tile on the floor. With the door being at a 45° angle to the slope, this seemed like the easiest way to transition to the shower slope, without chopping up the tile. I really wanted to avoid cutting up the tile, especially with the white grout. The whole bathroom floor has a slight slope to the shower. There's a 1/4" drop to the drain in the shower with an extra 1/4" drop in the mosaic stripe.


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## zannej

That looks neat! I was wondering why there was a gap there, I didn't realize you were going to use a different type of tile. What kind of drain will you be using for the shower?


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## Gary

It's a linear drain at the far end. Eventually there will be a tile-in cover so it will drain through the grout line.

I have a typo. The floor of the shower is a 1/4" (per foot) slope not 1/4" overall.


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## Gary

You can see the linear drain a little better in this shot. Hope to finish it up tomorrow. Then I'll start on the vanity and cabinet. Refinish, add doors, different crown moulding & new hardware.


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## zannej

Excellent! Looks awesome so far. I'm trying to remember the name of the linear drains I saw before-- they had some really cool ones, but they were pricey.


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## Gary

Got the tile done, finally. Still have the seems to caulk.


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## oldognewtrick

Gary said:


> Got the tile done, finally. Still have the seems to caulk.  View attachment 21818
> View attachment 21819
> View attachment 21820


Nicely done sir, so...whats up next?


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## zannej

Beautiful!
Is there going to be glass wall/door for the edge of the shower to protect the electrical switches from getting wet or is it just an open shower?


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## Gary

Updates to the vanity & storage cabinet. Refinish, install new doors, never got around to building doors the first time around, new hardware and change out the spindle moulding around the top for something a little more modern.

Is there going to be glass wall/door for the edge of the shower to protect the electrical switches from getting wet or is it just an open shower?

Yes, it's a frameless glass door for a corner shower, less one panel. It'll follow the mosaic tile.
  We've had it for a couple years. bought the parts, but the project got  moved down the list a couple times.


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## zannej

I actually like the current spindle & molding the way it is, but it's not my bathroom. LOL.


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## Gary

Yea, the spindles were o.k., but it's been 20 years, so time for a change. Got the carcasses cleaned up & stained. There was a little water damage to the finish around the sinks, re-staining cleaned it up pretty good. Tomorrow I'll give it a coat of spar urethane. Supposed to hold up to rain and exterior weather, so it should hold up on the vanity. If it holds up another 20+ years it will most likely outlast me.


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## zannej

Looks great! I like the little cubby next to the sink on the upper side cabinet. Are you going to keep that light fixture or change it out? It seems to produce a good amount of light but that's a lot of bulbs. LOL.


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## Gary

I got roll top cloth from our next door neighbor when I built the cubby's 20+ years ago. He had some left over from a job he'd done, and let me have enough to make these. I cut bottom slat/handle on the CNC. Each cubby has an outlet, so stuff can be put away without unplugging.

Got the last coat on the drawers and doors today.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Gary said:


> I got roll top cloth from our next door neighbor when I built the cubby's 20+ years ago. He had some left over from a job he'd done, and let me have enough to make these. I cut bottom slat/handle on the CNC. Each cubby has an outlet, so stuff can be put away without unplugging.
> 
> Got the last coat on the drawers and doors today. View attachment 21823
> View attachment 21824


Well, looks like you're getting serious about finishing this project up.


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## zannej

Oh wow! I love the rolltop cubbies & the wavy pull for it. What does rolltop cloth look like? I don't think I've ever seen it. I do love rolltop stuff.

Cabinet doors look beautiful!

I really need to get working on my bathroom.


----------



## Gary

> Well, looks like you're getting serious about finishing this project up.


Yea, I think I may just see the end of this project pretty soon.



> What does rolltop cloth look like?



I'm not sure what the cloth is made of. But it's designed specifically for roll tops I guess. It's been 20+ years and still works, although I admit we just leave them open most of the time.


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## Gary

I have one more coat to put on the threshold before I install it, window casing to make and a short punch list and then I can call the project done.


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## tuffy

Wow! Really nice.


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## zannej

It looks awesome, Gary!
I like how the toilet has some privacy in the little space. I hadn't been paying attention to the toilet's location before. Shower looks fantastic.
I like how there is a raised shelf area on the vanity. I don't know why, but with the wood trim & green & shape it reminds me of a pool table (not a bad thing IMO).


----------



## Gary

Thanks Tuffy.

Thanks Zannej. yea, our guest bathroom, originally the only bathroom, is set up the same way.

The vanity is actually 2 single vanity cabinets put together (had to change the door swing on one) and 2 lower kitchen cabinets as bookends to get the difference in height. The counter tops and upper cabinets I cut on the CNC, so it's sort of a modified off the shelf set up.

I had a small leak in the shower panel. Turns out (pun intended) that 1 fitting needed an extra turn. Got the soap dispensers up, thermostat installed and the door threshold installed. All that's left now is a good clean up, there's a little grout haze that needs to be wiped off. Tub needs cleaning and all the bathroom stuff has to be moved back into the cabinets.

The upright cabinet is a storage cabinet on the top, middle door is a clothes chute to the washing machine in the basement and the 2 bottom drawers are just fake to cover the chute. That's another deal the guest bath has from way back when it was the only one.

Pretty much down to just the window trim now. But, that might be a later project as the sign business is getting very busy, as it usually does in the Spring.

Found some clear bumpers for the wall the shower door stops against. They pretty much disappear, so they look a lot better than the weatherstripping door seal I was originally planning to use.

Oh, and I still have to put the tile-in drain cover in, but I seem to have misplaced it. I'm hoping it'll show up when I clean the shop.


----------



## zannej

I'm glad you found the leak before it could become a problem. I love how you made other types of cabinets in to one big piece & it looks great.

The laundry chute thing is so cool! We don't even have basements out here. Can't dig deep enough without hitting the water level to make one-- unless it's on a hill (natural or artificial). I miss having one. Loved it as a kid. We used to play a game where we would talk to one another from the floor above & the basement through the vents/registers. My aunt had a laundry chute in the floor in her house, but she had to secure it closed bc her cat kept falling through it.

Clear bumpers sound good. That's something I might keep in mind in case anything like that is needed in my house.

The signs should be interesting, but I know they are a lot of work. I love seeing the ones you make (when you have time to take pics). I hope you find that drain cover soon.

I like the wall clock. Is it Sunbeam brand? I have a somewhat similar one that has the clear stuff in between the edge & the clock face. It makes it look like the face is sort of floating. I liked it so much I made a 3D model of it for Sims2. I think it was my most popular download on the modthesims site. LOL.

I hadn't even thought about putting a clock in a bathroom.


----------



## Gary

Yea, the clock keeps us on time in the morning.


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## zannej

Well, more efficient than my method of shouting "Mom, what time is it?" when I'm in the bathroom.


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## Gary

Got a start on the window trim. I have some scrap HDU sign material, that I probably will never use, so rather than buying trim, I thought I'd use up the scrap. I had to do some repair work on the CNC wiring harness, so I thought I'd run the pockets tonight to make sure everything is back in working order, so far so good. I hope to run the 3d file for the detail work tomorrow.  Gotta' keep at it as the sign season is upon me. If I stop before I get it done, I have a bad habit of not getting it done at all.


----------



## zannej

Oh, I hear you on the stopping & not getting around to things. My bathroom has been in the works for 10 years. But this thread really inspired me to get off my keester & actually get stuff done on it & I hope I'll have the floor done by Friday.


----------



## Gary

Got a couple more parts to cut out tonight & then I can start putting things together.


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## zannej

That is so cool! Can that material be stained? Or are you going to paint it?


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## Gary

I.m going to try my hand at a faux finish. We'll see how that goes.


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## zannej

I probably don't have to tell you to practice on some spare scrap. LOL. What kind of look are you going for?


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## Gary

Got a couple parts assembled and a coat of water putty applied. I mixed the putty about the consistency of pancake batter and applied it with a paint brush. Once coated I dabbed it with the brush to hide the brush marks & give the part texture. It fills nail holes, small gaps in seems & joints, and makes the assembly look less like assorted HDU parts glued together and more like  one solid piece. Once I get all the parts to this stage, it'll be time for paint.


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## zannej

I've never even heard of "water putty" before. The trim pieces look awesome though!


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## Gary

I've used Water Putty for a few projects. It's wood putty in a powder form so you can mix it thin like I did or thick like regular putty. Works pretty good.
I painted the parts with a white base coat. Then yellowish tan with a sponge to get a texture. Then drizzled gold metallic over it to get the veining. Gave all that a clear coat to seal it. Then painted over that with dark brown and used a rag to wipe it back off a little at a time, until I got the patina I wanted. Let that dry and gave it a final clear coat with a little pearl mixed in to give it a iridescent look and blend all the layers together a little. Got a little more pearl in the clear coat than I intended, but it's not getting redone now. It's just the master bathroom, so my Wife and I are about the only people that have to look at it.

It's all done with HDU foam board, except for the window sill, which is PVC.

Now if I can find that tile-in drain cover, I'll be done with this project.


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## zannej

That is absolutely beautiful! It really goes well with the overall look of the room.


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## Gary

Thanks Zannej. I'm glad it's done.


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