I got it done!

I finished the bathroom just in time before Tim and Tracy arrived. Below are the finished pictures.

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When the kids arrived they helped me decorate the tree.


It was definitely a winter wonderland.

The Horwoods and the Stams came over Christmas eve for a visit. It was very nice.


Elroy was very festive as well...

Christmas morning.

It was a nice Christmas, very different without Catherine, but as always, she was in our thoughts. I hope everyone reading this blog had a wonderfull Christmas and I wish you health and happyness in the coming year.

Ken

My first shower (in my home)

My bathroom is getting close. This morning I had my first shower (Yes I've had a shower before.......this was my first shower in this home). It was great. Below is a photo of the painted room. Picking colours is not my strong suit. I hope it looks OK.


The shower fixtures are now installed.


I picked glass doors instead of a shower curtain. I went with clear glass because after you spend that much time installing the tile, it didn't make sense to put in frosted glass or a curtain and not be able to see the tile.

The vanity is in place, now I just have to install the plumbing.

Privacy is sort of important in a bathroom, so I put in a door. Just a few things left to do and then I have finished my first room. Yea! Now I just have the rest of the house to do......

The Bathroom is getting there

The shower tiles are all up. This is a big project with a short deadline. I am trying to get this room done before the kids come up for Christmas......I have a week left.

The two shelves are now up.

Time to start on the floor. The cement board is down.

All the full tiles are in place.

This morning I installed all the cut tiles. It's starting to look like a bathroom. Now all I have to do is grout, seal grout, paint, install toilet, vanity, mirror, towel bars, install door, trim, finish door and trim, christmas shop, clean the house and decorate the house for Christmas...I hope I make it.

Christmas

Tim and his buddy Brian were up this past weekend to give a hand. We put up our fake tree. None of us liked it....it just didn't seem right living in a log home in the middle of a forest and having a fake tree for Christmas.

So....Sunday morning I went shopping and purchased a real tree. After I trimmed it, it was still over 12 feet tall.....much better.....

It was taller than Tim + fake tree....


Tim helped get the drywall up over the weekend, and then this week I started finishing the walls.

Starting the tiles. I chose large tiles (10" x 16")

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This is a video of my woodstove. It is amazing. It keeps my house so warm.

Woodstove

With the wall done, I ordered the tile for the hearth. Now I need to get the the floor ready for the tile. First I cemented the 1/2" cement board in place.


Next I cut the edge trim to fit.

Below is the tile. 17" x 17" (the biggest tile I have ever layed)

All done and ready for the wood stove.


The stove arrived today. A very exciting day!


It looks great! There is nothing like a nice fire on a cold winter's day.

As soon as I lit the fire, Elroy came over and sat beside the stove.

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I have enough wood for a little while.


Now I am working on the upstairs bathroom. Why is it there is always a 2x4 right where you need to install the water valve. Its got to go.

Water valve is installed with plumbing to the shower head and tub.

The tub is in place.

Starting to put up the cement board.

Woodstove wall

The cultured stone arrived on Thursday so I had a job for the weekend. Luckily Al showed up to give me a hand. The cultured stone will be behind my woodstove. Below is the process. first I had to put up some cement board.

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Then we layed out the stone according to size and shape.

We then screwed some wood to the floor in the shape of the wall so we could lay out the stone. It was quite the jigsaw puzzle.

It took us the entire day to fit all the pieces together. The goal is to make it look random. I think we achieved it.

Then we moved the stone, one by one, and cemented them to the wall.

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Almost there......

We did it! Thanks for your help Al.

It was alot of work, but I am really happy with the end result.

Now I need to pick the tile for the hearth.