Reporting from the dust cloud within the guest bathroom...

The work continues on perfecting the walls in the guest bathroom.

This is my first time working with mud. I've found out the hard way that "less is more..."

I've decided to lightly texture the walls using a roller.

Back to my dust cloud for now.... soon... drywall primer...

Finishing walls in the guest bathroom... mud work part 1

Got the tiling job all done the other day... now I want to finish the walls!

I know... I know... I'm doing things a little backwards... but at least now... if we want... we CAN install the toilet!

I've picked a sage green paint... so better GET TO WORK!

Grout done in Guest Bathroom!

Just finished grouting the tile in the guest bathroom! Yeah!!! It took 3 buckets of Mapei OptiColor to do the whole bathroom.

I was a little scared to get going on the grouting... it was my first time. But honestly, grouting was the easiest part of the tile whole project!

It looks really nice!

Now... to finish the walls! I had to switch gears and get the tile done so that we could install a toilet.

Back to mudding...

Grout almost done in Guest bathroom!

Wow... I've been putting off doing the Epoxy Grout. OK... I was scared based on what I've read and what my Lowes sales people shared with me.

The most important thing when doing epoxy grout is to make sure that you get all the epoxy off the tiles.

I just applied 2 buckets of Mapei OptiColor epoxy grout. I think that hardest part is the clean up.

The great thing about epoxy grout is that it's waterproof... and the grout color stays.

If you're about to do Mapei OptiColor epoxy grout, you may find this Mapei video helpful... I did!

Saturday... 9/19/09

-Door installed to storage space under porch! Under porch storage

-Extra thinset cleared from between tiles in preparation for grouting.

-Some things moved to new house including 2 cabinets from kitchen.

-Basement organized so that we can move the rest of our things from the rental this week.

I had hoped to get to grouting today, but looks like that's on for Monday!

Gas Meter Installed - We Have Hot Water!

The Gas Meter was installed this morning... and now we have HOT WATER!!

Gas line brought to the house

The gas line is now up to the house... now for a gas meter!

Guest bathroom tile update

This is my very first time doing tile. It's been a great adventure! Lots more rooms to tile!

Just got to thinset down the last little bit of tile... then onto GROUT!

Testing the Gas Line for Leaks

The black piping for the gas line has been installed. Yesterday I chased down parts to create a gas pressure test. (We found this forum answer to be very helpful.)

Today Rich completed the install for an outside gas line to the outside grill on the future deck.

We made sure all the valves were closed... and pressured the line to 15 psi. After seeing that it held pressure... we then tested each joint with "Gas Leak Detection Solution."

Everything is perfect!!!

Tomorrow MDU (our local gas utility) will bring the gas line from the property line over to the house and install the gas meter.

More tomorrow!

The Gas Line takes shape

We scheduled with the Gas Company (MDU) to install our gas meter on 9/16, so we've been hard at work installing the gas line in the house.

Gas to the Rinnai unit, our on demand water heater.

The gas line coming into the house.

Running the gas line to the gas stove.

Front Door installed!

We ordered this beautiful leaded glass door over a year ago. And it sat waiting to be installed while we did other more pressing work... like installing windows, electricity, plumbing... sheetrock...

The house has been enclosed for quite a while with a door on the enclosed front porch... but then we had just a big opening into the house. But NO LONGER!

We now have our beautiful front door installed!

It has leaded glass and oak trim (to be stained). It's very pretty!

Rich is installing the handle now...

Tiling Guest Bathroom... laying down tile

The Guest Bathroom floor is taking shape! Hope to finish laying tiles today!

Tile Laying has begun in Guest Bathroom!

It took a while to decide on the tile layout, but once I did... I marked it out, then with my nephew's help... started laying tile!

Once I put down a few tiles, I started to get into a "groove."

**Note to myself**

Always start in the back corner... and work toward a door!

I'm a little more than half way done! Will get back to it on Monday.

Dreaming of a toilet...

Today I plan on laying out tile in the guest bathroom. Actually, I got it started last night...

I will get starting laying tile today! I have to check to see how long it needs to set before grouting.

I'm feeling a little leery of doing the grout. Back when I knew NOTHING about tiling except the dream of having tiled bathrooms... the Lowes salesman... based on what I wanted... and because it's a bathroom install... helped me pick epoxy grout. From everything I've read, I'm going to have to be very very careful with it!

If anyone has experience working with epoxy grout, please DO leave your pearls of wisdom in comments!

Anyway, I'm so looking forward to having a toilet here! My plan is be able to have that in place this weekend!

Laying the Ditra was quite a bit of work... I was so tired when toward the end. But, it's done!

Note to myself on Ditra installation:

-Have a clip hand to hold rolled Ditra.

-Have Ditra pieces pre-cut.

-Have other bathrooms prepped with cut Ditra in case of extra thinset.

-Start first thing in the morning!

Ditra installed in Guest Bathroom!

Well... I put it off... and I put it off...

But finally I decided that I've got to have a toilet installed in this house!!! So, with that motivation in mind...

I got to it!

You should have seen me all covered in thin set and sweat! What a workout, I'll tell you!

Guest bathroom now has ditra installed!!! Next step is to decide the tile layout.