ListWise

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

The Window Styx



If I could do this window one more time I know I could do a kick-ass job on it. The first thing I would do is rent a much better tile saw. I know, you’re not supposed to blame the tools, but really, the little $80 wet saw I borrowed is not well suited for this type of work.

Regardless of which saw I used, much of the blame is mine. I just didn’t check the top of that window to see if it was level. A rookie mistake. Oh well, I did it over, and it came out better, and I didn’t smash the bathroom up with a sledge hammer. That’s the important thing.

The best part is, I’m now finished setting the Subway Ceramics subway tile. As soon as those last few pieces I put in today set I can remove the sticks in the window and be officially done with it. The sticks are holding up the tile I just set up under the window jamb. After that, all there is to do is grout, and that’s just like a 5 minute job, right? At least that’s what the guy at the home center told me.

I must admit, despite the little set back with the window, the room looks really, really nice at this point. My goal was to finish the tile and get the walls plastered before this weekend. Well, I don’t think that’s going to happen, but I am starting the plastering today. If I can get the scratch coat completely on it will go a long way to making the room look more like a bathroom. This will give me something I can show off to the family that’s arriving for a visit next week.

So why am I sitting here at the computer writing when I should be making a big mess with plaster….

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Greg - I emailed that pic to myself (hope that was legal) and enlarged in approx 500% so I could look for imperfections. Well, I can't find any. You are much too hard on yourself. I wish you'd delay your guests so you could finish the grouting, I can't wait to see the finished pictures. The window is really beautiful.

Is the downstairs tub as large as the one upstairs?

Greg said...

Kathy, Thanks. It’s not that it’s bad, so much as I could have done better. In real life, the quarter round across the top could be straighter. The gaps running down the sides of the window between the field tile and the quarter round could be more even. I think it will look better when the white grout is on. Right now, any subtle variations are more noticeable because of the contrast between the dark gaps and the white tile.

StuccoHouse said...

If you really want to prove to yourself that you can get it perfect, I'd be willing to loan you my bathroom to work on ;-)

Seriously, you did an excellent job. Can't wait to see it grouted.

Our Little Bungalow said...

I think you're nuts. It looks awesome, but like Stucco said, you can always test it at my house!

K said...

Oh man, that is some seriously sexy-looking tile.

slateberry said...

I once tiled a shower niche, which for all practical purposes is a window-type opening; just happens to have tile at the back instead of glass.

It broke me. You have prevailed where lesser tilers have been defeated.

I think part of the problem was that there wasn't a single 90 degree angle in the framing for it. Next time, I'm doing my own framing!