Why didn't you tell me that before we bought

[Ken Fitzgerald]

a bathtub, toilet, and the good expensive hardware to go with it?


Or a better title might be.....

How to spend over $2,000 doing a $100 tile job and not get a Father's Day gift!

It all started with a worn wooden counter top on our main floor bathroom vanity. The LOML loves those oak cabinets but Dummy (that's me) had not realized the lacquer over the years had worn though in a couple of places. One day I noticed cracks in the wood and mildew growing in others and it looked terrible!

The kids were coming from Houston to visit and I wanted that fixed or covered up. We'd looked at getting a solid surface counter top some months ago and HD wanted over $1000 to special order same. So, I told the LOML "I'll tile it". We made a trip to HD and got 4 different tiles and brought them home for a trial. In the end she told me "Get the one you like" and I did.

I removed the Kohler porcelain over cast iron drop-in sink and tiled the counter top. It turned out great! Then I grouted it with some 20 year old grout so it would match the grout in the tile on the shower surround of the existing bathtub.

When I dropped the sink back in...it wouldn't fit. The 1/4" thick tile and the adhesive added to the backspash was just enough that it would not allow the sink to drop in. Then I looked at enlarging the hole. Couldn't as it was already up against the front face frame.

Back at HD I found an porcelain sink (minus the cast iron) in "Bone' that went really well with the tile. I brought it home..put my diamond blade wet saw/tile saw to it and trimmed off 3/8". I slid it right in and it looked great!

Everybody like the new counter top and sink but.....the sink ...the tub and toilet don't match.....

This morning I offered to remove the tile around the tub......replace the tub and toilet and retile with matching tile and grout.

After I agreed to this the LOML told me "I was going to tell you to order that PM701 Mortiser you wanted but now we don't have the cash.

Why didn't you tell me that before I volunteered to gut and remodel the bathroom?

Why was I so easily swayed into remodeling the bathroom?:o

[glenn bradley]

Why was I so easily swayed into remodeling the bathroom?:o

Because she is the LOYL, of course. There will be another chance at the mortiser and this bathroom effort has got to carry some heavy brownie points :cool:. Well done.

[Mark Norman]

You got off easy.

A bathroom remodel can easily run five grand. Good thing you can DIY.

Where's the pics?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

1st off guys....let me tell you who we are talking about.

The LOML and I have been married working on the 41st year.

She's older than I...working and drawing social security. She could have retired but continued working to pay for my shop.

What's a mortiser compared to making her happy?

Besides it gives me something to whine about! :rolleyes:

Mark,

We had to special order the bath tub and toilet. The tile I need to tile around the new tub is currently out of stock but due in about the same time as the tub and toilet.

No photos yet but will follow up with after the job is done.

[Rick Fisher]

Good for you Ken.. if you have a relationship where both want the other to be happy.. well.. 41 years sum's it up.

[Mike Heidrick]

"Thats OK honey, I have been looking at the PM719T anyway!"

See, no problem.

[Mark Versprille]

I feel your pain , Ken. Been there. Done that. Threw away the receipts to hide the evidence.:rolleyes:

[Jim O'Dell]

Yeah, but my luck would be that the new tile won't match, and all of that would have to be pulled off and started over. :rolleyes: Jim.

[David Keller NC]

"It all started with a worn wooden counter top on our main floor bathroom vanity. The LOML loves those oak cabinets but Dummy (that's me) had not realized the lacquer over the years had worn though in a couple of places. One day I noticed cracks in the wood and mildew growing in others and it looked terrible!"

Hmmm - so do you really want to know that you could've pulled the wooden countertop off, stripped off the finish, bleached it with oxalic acid, re-colored it with a dye, and re-finished it with conversion varnish for about $150?

[Jim Becker]

Sometimes you bite the bear...sometimes the bear bites you. Be sure to clean that "wound" carefully! LOL

[Bill Huber]

I don't see the big deal, this is the way all my remodel project go. There is never a $100 project, well that looks really good but the carpet doesn't look good now. With the new carpet that chair really doesn't go with it that good.

I guess the worst was when she wanted to redo the kitchen and went to look for some ideas, that only cost me $75000 and the cost to move.

But its all worth it, she as put up with me for 43 years....

[Don Bullock]

Ken,

Like me, it sounds like you're married to a great gal! BUT, I feel your pain.:)

Stuff like this happens to me all the time. I was thinking I'd sneak out to my new shop Friday to set up my table saw. SHMBO aka LOML said that we (meaning me) needed to excavate for the new brick patio so that when when we move at the end of the month the movers will have a place to put our outside dining table and benches (1000 pounds of concrete:eek:). So, I spent the better part of two days digging, shoveling, and hauling dirt. I still have at least three more hours more of that before I can start shoveling, hauling, dumping and spreading base material and sand from the driveway where it will be dumped to the patio site. It looks like the table saw and the rest of my tools will have to wait until she has a project for me that requires one of them. That may happen when she wants me to cut the lattice that we bought Saturday to go under the new deck.;):D

[Byron Trantham]

These stories remind me of the frog and the water. Put a frog into cold water and then turn up the heat and he won't jump out. Put a frog in hot water and he will jump out. About 25 years ago I was the frog in cold water! LOML says she doesn't like the kitchen flooring. Don't remember how much but it was changed. Then she says the carpet doesn't match the new kitchen flooring. New carpet. Of course the living room furniture "was out of date". New furniture. Hey the drapes don't go with the new furniture. New drapes. etc, etc, etc $45,000 and wa la new kitchen floor, dinning room and living room!:confused: This all took about one year. Now I pay attention to "I think we need to ....":D 36 years and counting and I still wouldn't trade her for gold, well maybe gold. [Anyone know which movie "well maybe gold" came from?]

[Jim Rimmer]

Two weeks ago all i was asked to do is paint the dining room walls. LOML picked out the paint and I went to work. What was supposed to be a muted gold turned out to be canary yellow. Two coats later, it looked a liek she wanted it but now the ceiling looks tacky so it gets painted. I told her that I couldn't stop without repainting the woodwork which had the original oil-based enamel on it. So sand all the baseboards, chair rail, and door trim, tehn back over it with liquid sandpaper to clean it up and then a special primer over oil-base so you paint with latex and then the latex enamel.

Today I am in the last steps of the bamboo flooring.

But, we, too, have been together 41 years and I wouldn't change a thing. For those of you who listen to C&W music, think about Kenny Chseney's "I Wouldn't Change Things, Even if I could" may not be the correct title but maybe you can find it.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Scope Creep!!!

[Bruce Wrenn]

Moral of the story : Your funds for a new mortiser, have truely gone down the toilet. Ain't love wonderful?

[Bill Wyko]

Ken...........YOU GOT ROBBED:D this should give you the go ahead later for more goodies though.

[Jacob Mac]

I feel your pain. Two years ago, I was told we needed to change the ceiling fan in the living room for a new light fixture. Somehow that turned into new flooring, new paint, knocking down a wall between the litchen and dining area, a new bannister, new furniture, and now I am redoing the stairway leading up to the living room.

Then the LOML told me that crown moulding sure would look nice in the upstairs. But there is no way I am screwing around with that madness. I helped my dad install crown moulding in his new house, and I am done with it. Well, at least until I finish the stairs.

[Andy Bardowell]

Scope Creep!!!

Were you a project manager at one time Mitchell? :D

I now routinely will paint ceiling trim and door when asked to paint a room because I know that Carolyn will issue a change request.

[Chris Padilla]

No pics...didn't happen...you know da rulz, Fitz.... *SIGH*

[Ken Fitzgerald]

1st off guys....let me tell you who we are talking about.

The LOML and I have been married working on the 41st year.

She's older than I...working and drawing social security. She could have retired but continued working to pay for my shop.

What's a mortiser compared to making her happy?

Besides it gives me something to whine about! :rolleyes:

Mark,

We had to special order the bath tub and toilet. The tile I need to tile around the new tub is currently out of stock but due in about the same time as the tub and toilet.

No photos yet but will follow up with after the job is done.

Uh Chris.........Read the thread for details!......Sigh!:rolleyes:

[Mark Norman]

Scope Creep!!!


Classic case!

Ken,
werkin on 14 years with my better half. Its a give and take for sure.

get progress pics, dont wait till the job is done.

[Mark Norman]

Uh Chris.........Read the thread for details!......Sigh!:rolleyes:


Doncha hate 'thread skimmers" LOL LOL

NBL Chris:p

[Loren Hedahl]

Guess you could hang it all up, sell it all out, buy a big fifth-wheel and full-time RV!

Now that is the good life!

Or, is it?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Loren,

We have our 26' 5th wheel up for sale right now.:D

[Chris Padilla]

Uh Chris.........Read the thread for details!......Sigh!:rolleyes:

Irrelevant...you can still post pics...Newb!!! :D :D

[Ben Franz]

Scope Creep!!!

Bingo - I like this term. I was thinking about all the times I've done the same thing and how I used to be surprised at how the projects got out of control. Now I just go in knowing what will happen. Age? Maturity? Nope - just too worn out to resist my compulsions.

[Mark Kosmowski]

Maybe she just didn't want you to get confused between trying to put square pegs in round hole like you can do now with the ability to put round pegs in square holes like you could do with the mortiser. :D

[John Fricke]

You couldn't figure out a way to necessitate the purchase of the mortiser to complete the re-model? Have you learned anything in 41 years? I working on 26 years myself, but with 2 different women so perhaps my thought process is flawed.

[Greg Crawford]

Jim,

I was told that a trick used by old timers was to put shellac over enamel, then latex or anything else. Gonna try it one of these days. Sure would beat sanding, de-glossing, etc.