Renovations Part 4 - Floors

The renovations have absolutely consumed me as of late. But, all the work has paid off, and I have another update for you. The floors are FINISHED!!

If you'll recall, this is what we were dealing with a few weeks ago.

No flooring in the dining room, kitchen, or hallway.

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you've likely seen glimpses of the progress.

I have to admit that Pat laid all of the tile himself. He said it was a one-person job and just wouldn't let me help. He opened three boxes of tiles at a time and "shuffled" them to try to keep from having a pattern of the tiles on the floor. We wanted it as random as possible to achieve a wood floor look, despite the tiles being porcelain. He mixed and spread the multi-set, set the tiles, and used 1/8 inch spacers between them. He did buy and start with some leveling spacers, but found them cumbersome and time-consuming. So, after the first day, he stopped using them.

The tiles were laid by thirds to keep them offset and not lined up. Again, this was done to achieve more of the wood-floor look. For the most part, he laid the whole tiles first then worked on the edges and cut areas. It took longer than expected and was fairly back-breaking work as he was on his hands and knees for the most part.

Once all the tiles were laid, multi-set dried, and spacers removed; I did the grout work. Pat helped by mixing the grout and fetching me buckets of fresh water. The grout was spread along the tile lines and pressed into the holes well. I worked in about 3 foot by 3 foot sections. Once the grout was spread, I used a large sponge to wipe away the excess. It took me three days to do the whole area. I finished almost a week ago and there's still grout under my nails and my hands are still sore. But, it was SO WORTH IT!

Once the grout was done, I used an old t-shirt to buff the area. The floor can't be mopped for something like ten days while it cures. But, I've swept it several times!

We went with a dark brown grout in hopes that it would blend with the tiles. So far, I think it looks fabulous.

Also note that we (Pat) removed the base boards to install the tile. This helps hide the seams of the tiles.

Here's a few final looks at the progress.

And for a final glimpse of just how awesome this whole renovation is going. . .

Amazing, right!?

There's still a bit to do: paint & install baseboards, put in transition plates (including on the step in the living room), build an island and corner cabinets in the kitchen, and replace the countertops and backsplash, build a bookcase in the dining room. You know. . .not much more. But, we're so close we're absolutely basking in it. Once the transition plates go down, we can actually take a breather.

I should have another update VERY soon because the baseboards went in yesterday. I just have to take some pictures.

Oh, and if you're interested in seeing the whole progression up to this point, here's Renovations Part 1, Renovations Part 2, and Renovations Part 3.