Plumbing

Hooking up the supply lines from an Ikea faucet can be sort of weird as they aren't usually standard sizes (they are on the metric system...like the rest of the world). They are also extremely short and wouldn't reach the valves under the sink. After reading many-a-web site I realized that this particular faucet (can't remember the name...sounded like when you gargle) is a standard 1/2" so all I needed was a quick trip to the hardware store to buy these handy couplings that cost way too much and connect the two lines together in the middle. Will it leak? I'd guess yes, at some point in the future when I'd rather it not.

Did Ikea fold to the American market and start making standardized supply lines for their faucets? I'd say yes, they did. U.S.A.! U.S.A!

Heres Wally helping me put in the garbage disposal and drains under the kitchen sink (still not completed).

Carpet

FINALLY there is carpet. Here are two boring pics of the carpet in the studio and the rest of the house. Thanks Charlie! We made sure to get dirt colored carpet as it will be that color soon anyway with the kids running in and out. After having lived in the travertine cave for so many years I can't wait to lay around on carpet.

Bathtub Enclosure

With Marie's dads help we finally put the finishing kit on in the tub enclosure and caulked all the corners etc...put in a toilet and faucet (from Ikea...more on that later) and it feels like a functional bathroom. Now if it only had a door for some privacy we'd be happier.

Countertops

It was great to see the counters go in on Thursday. I'm really happy with them. There are so many options in this area and it was really hard to pick this out. We went with an acrylic solid surface called Staron in sanded white pepper. The best part is that we didn't have to install it. It took them more than half the day to do the kitchen and a little one in the bathroom. After tiling the bathroom niether one of us wanted to tile anything in the kitchen.

Kitchen progress

I can't believe it's in. that's all I have to say.

Tile update

Rick has been working on this all month. We've considered hiring someone to come in and finish but I think Rick would like to do it himself. We want to have this one finished up this week. It looks great, I can't wait to see it all done.

Subway tile

When I pulled the tile out of the bathtub enclosure termites were crawling all over the studs and the drain pipes were all broken and destroyed. I thought replacing a tub would be cake, its just a drain after all. How wrong I was and I had to call in a pro. Note to people renovating bathrooms, have a plumber install your tub, its painful. But anyway had a framer sister up some new wood to the old termite infested balsa wood they left behind and had the plumber hang waterproof paper stuff and cement board...I felt lazy but didn't have any bloody knuckles afterward...

Then my friend Buck and I started tiling the bathtub enclosure last week. Thanks to youtube videos and reading many a webpage we didn't have any trouble other than me not being able to do math (Buck can add, its amazing to see in person as it seems to be a skill both MArie and I do not have...sigh). Anyway Buck and I didn't get much done because we were either laughing or playing pool on the beat up old pool table the previous owners left in the garage (I will restore it sometime in the future)but here is a pic anyway. Note to self: Buck and I don't get anything done when we're together, we mostly act like 14 year olds. At this point I think we'll hire a tile guy to finish it up as I have a pretty busy next couple of weeks working. I'd like to do it all myself but it doesn't seem likely...sigh again.