How I spent my summer vacation

I have nothing to complain about, but my poor husband might. I led cheer as he laid tiles. I did get my chance to participate, scrubbing cement and grout for two days, and I have the bruised knees to prove it.

Have you ever gone to major expense just to hate something for years? We still maintain a US address in the form of an apartment in Washington state. 17 years ago it needed updating on a shoestring and we covered the floor with a pinkish/grayish industrial carpet found on clearance. Made from recycled plastic bottles it was so sturdy that you supposedly could use bleach to clean it. So practical, we thought, since we'd be using it as a vacation rental mortgage helper.

That carpet was a disaster from day one. How to describe the feeling on your bare feet? Dirty, sticky like velcro, and soapy come to mind. Anything, including water, and we have plenty of that being tracked in from our Pac NW cloud cover, left a dark grey stain. How short pile carpet could mat to such an extent is beyond me.

After visiting one of those four million dollars parade of homes houses in Florida, I had a scathingly brilliant idea (always loved that term from the Parent Trap). A quest was born to find indestructible Italian porcelain tiles for the kitchen and hallways, that looked like hardwood, at an affordable price. Sacrificing ideal colour for price we found them on sale for $1.97 a square ft at Seattle's Tiles for Less. Although we're experienced tile setters, we didn't figure into the cost, a full week of 12 hour days of sweat equity in 90 degree weather, all due to a crumbling sub-floor. Once again, thank goodness for the support of good friends.

This is getting to be the kind of woe is me long story that I'm not fond of. Here are some before and after shots, baseboard moulding still to come:

And here are the project mascots, banished to the outside. Blogless Marsha's Riley the Airedale and our Gracee:

Comments

[Kristen]

Nice! What a difference.

[Dorothy]

Wow - that looks great! And just think - you will never ever have to do it again. It will last forever. Hubby did the tile in our sunroom and said he understands why tile setters charge so much. And to do it in this heat!! Cool and rainy this morning - so nice!

[Ellen]

What a difference! I'm anxious to see it in person.

[sandy]

Honestly? That is tile? Wow. It is gorgeous! Good for you 2 worker bees!
:)
xoxo

[Marina]

It looks wonderful!

[Erika]

The tile looks incredible! I'm very impressed. I think I'm going to be putting that down in my next house.

[Awesome Mom]

That looks very nice!!

[Rosie]

Li and Chuck that floor looks gorgeous. You definitely have added value to your condo. You guys are a great team. I went kayaking by myself today in some good size waves. I brought of the Sunday NY News and chilled out on the Fish Island in Darien, CT. The weather was terrific.

[Carole]

The difference is remarkable!

[Angie]

It looks great: beautiful and practical (sounds like you).

[Suzanne V. (Yarnhog)]

Wow, wow, wow!

It looks fantastic. And it will last practically forever. Something I remind myself of every time I lay tile, especially when I hit that "can't get up or my back will splinter, holy heck, are those my knees?!" stage.

[Michele]

Gorgeous! LOL, just imagining the 'in-between' stories.....

[Allison]

The floor looks lovely, and your Gracee has to be the most photogenic pup on earth.

[Karen]

It looks fabulous! I don't think I have ever seen tiles that looked like hardwood. I think this is the first summer we haven't done a major renovation project in the heat. I almost forgot how much fun it is. ;)

[Valeria]

Great floor. Gracie's nose looks nice and dark too!

[Lene]

Congratulations! It looks fantastic and I'm looking foreward to see it in the real! Love you, Lene

[Lynne]

That is tile? We just got some interesting vinyl tile things for our half bath that look like wood. Tiles, that is so interesting.

[Jo]

That looks fantastic - so much nicer!