Tiling Fun (our 300th Post!)

As our free time permits, we're finally making progress on our guest bathroom project. We posted over a month ago about having a carpenter in to assist with drywall removal and backer board installation, and we also posted about the difficulty of deciding about tile colors and patterns, especially where Talavera tile is concerned, with it's rich colors and bold patterns.


We ended doing most of our tile shopping at Sierra Tile, both because of price and selection. We decided early on that we loved the rich color of the Cobalt Blue of the Talavera tile and would feature it extensively in the shower, but the it's handmade variations would result in grout lines difficult if not impossible to keep straight. So we went with a glazed ceramic tile that matched the color, but we are still using Talavera for some trim and accents. Decisions on patterns were really difficult to make, we wish there weren't so many choices!


We had to start somewhere, so a few days ago installed the bullnose tile around the edge of the backer board, and installed a reference edge (using some lumber) that started the pattern straight and level. Then Melinda had a solo session starting to fill in tile, and installed the soap dish insert. Melinda was a little surprised how easy it was installing the ceramic tile, as opposed to the floor tiles she had done before. With the built-in spacers of the ceramic tile, they mostly fall into place, though dealing with the irregularities of the Talavera may yet cause us some grief...






Another session today and we made really good progress. Since we'd not chosen plumbing fixtures yet, we wanted to keep the gaps around the valves as small as possible. I had offered to take tiles to work and use some diamond core drills (for cutting glass) to cut holes. Melinda was really impressed how easy it went and how well they came out. She was in charge of marking where the holes went, so that was a big part of the drilling success.



Melinda worked layout and I cut the needed trimmed tiles and worked on buttering the backs of the tiles. As the photos indicate, we broke up the blue with accents of Talavera medallions and a border line. The plan is to use yellow tile for the countertop, and our sink has several colors that match our accent colors. The gap at the left corner is for a little shampoo shelf that will get set in at our next session. I'm guessing we are about 60% done, but the rest should go pretty fast even with the Talavera left to go in. We think it is looking pretty good so far!

Tile Time Update

Dean has reminded me that not only have I not authored an entry lately, but I haven't updated on the bathroom tile project. Time to remedy that!

My last entry on the tile project we were in the process of getting those first few courses of tile up. That is a critical step in the process. If you 'goof up' and those rows aren't level then the rest of the wall will also be off. Time is well spent in getting that first part right! Once things were hanging level on the wall then we were limited only by the time we had available - between work schedules, etc. If I hadn't mentioned it before, we had salvaged the soap dish from the original tile. Once it was cleaned up it was in great shape and ready to be put back up! Forgive me if I'm repeating some of what we had posted before.... The 'medallions' of Talavera were a challenge to apply. Talavera, being hand made, is irregular by nature. It's supposed to be that way. That means that no two tiles are the exact same, which translates into a headache when trying to match them up for a medallion, and fit them into the factory made tiles.


"A Bit of Whimsy" I had heard on one of the home makeover shows, many years ago, that you should always try to include "the unexpected" in decorating. There's some value to that, in my opinion. Keeping that in mind while we were shopping for tiles we found multiple variations of the shown crescent moon and stars tile, as well as some variations of the sun tile. The sun tile just didn't do it for us, so we decided to be a bit creative! Dean saw sun ornaments at the store where we bought the sink. Talavera, of course, but a bit three dimensional as well. I bought one and then had to figure out exactly how in incorporate it into our project. In the shopping around for tiles I have amassed a small cache of assorted tiles being given to me as samples by various sales persons. I picked up the creamy while Talavera tile that I had, set the sun on it and knew I had a winner! Some well applied "Omni-Set" and a bit of centering - viola`! Dean left it up to my discretion as to where the sun and moon would be placed, I chose the head wall for the sun - tail wall for the moon (no pun intended!).


Once all of the tile was on the walls we had to wait it out for a couple of days (accommodating work schedules and drying time) before we could get to the grouting process. In the picture you can see that we also installed a ceramic corner shelf. I really like that - no bottles of shampoo on the ledge around the tub -- no wire shower caddy! Since we don't plan on redoing this again anytime soon, this was the time to put in those little conveniences! This picture was taken before Dean cleaned the tiles in preparation for the grouting process. He did a great job cleaning the tile - which sounds easy, but it wasn't. Cleaning the tile is imperative in ending up with beautiful tile at the end of the project.




Finally, we did the grouting and after a day of "dry time" I caulked the nooks and crannies that had to be caulked and we were "ready for business" .... or so we thought..... We had a friend coming for the weekend, so she took the inaugural on Sunday morning. Before she showered she was given explicit instructions to make a mental note of what worked well, what didn't, etc. so that we could take care of those issues. We waited patiently for Donna's report....and then "the news". It seems that more water was coming out of the faucet handles, the tub spout, and the shower head extension arm joints than the shower head! Yikes!! The 'gravest' of those was the water coming out of the faucet handles. That was a clear indication that the faucet valves needed replacing. Have I mentioned? I hate plumbing. After doing some reading, and chatting with "Alice the plumbing lady" at the local Ace Hardware I was armed to tackle this situation. Alice sent me home with a loaner set of valve pullers, preferable to having to buy a set for this job. After many trials and errors the solution that I feared the most became more and more clear. Tile would have to be removed. Seriously! So, getting out the trusty chisel, I proceeded to try and remove just the two tiles where the valves are located. That dominoed into a total of 8 tiles - 4 blue tiles, 4 Talavera. Fortunately we had enough for replacement, but we did our best to not damage any more tiles! We had done such a great job of putting those tiles up, initially, that it was nearly impossible to get them down. In doing so, we destroyed the underlying cement board (just behind those tiles). After much deliberation we decided to get a piece of cement board or Hardibacker and fit a new piece in that area. That was our task on Veteran's Day. We affixed the Hardibacker in place with Omni-Grip, as well as Hardibacker screws. Today I was able to put the new tiles (newly cut holes...much bigger this time) in place. We'll let that adhesive dry throughout for a few days, with plans to grout the area on Sunday. Whew! Also, I caulked around the top and sides of the tile, where it touches the ceiling and the area of drywall outside of the tub. Yes, we did test the valves before reinstalling the tile - they seem to be working fine now. As for the leaky shower arm, just needed a bit more tightening - easy peasy!

Every job, whether it be here in Tucson or in St. Charles, carries an educational experience with it. This project should qualify us for some sort of "Home Improvement Degree"! Next up....the vanity and installing the new sink! Stay tuned for more excitement!!!

The "Sun-ny" Side of the House!

Living in the desert, you get used to drab colors.  Except for short periods in the spring when wildflowers or cacti are in bloom or some greens during our rainy season, it is boring earth tones seemingly all the time.  Perhaps that is why we've both become fans of Talavera tile and pottery.  Their bright colors and designs just bring smiles to our faces!  When it was time to redo our guest bathroom, we did it around Talavera colors and tiles, and searched out a sink with the pattern as well.  We love it, and most all of our visitors do too.

True Talavera is supposed to be from the state of
Puebla, Mexico, and made only by certified workshops.  It is very popular along the Arizona/Mexico border where tourist trade flourishes, and while you can get everything from knickknacks to Talavera pigs, lizards and pots with the distinctive patterns, we've taken to collecting sun faces shapes.  Pretty much every time we cross the border and visit our friend Margie in Puerto Peñasco , we head down to one of the stores that specialize in such things and pick out a new one as souvenir.  I don't know or can't tell if they really all come from Puebla, but we love the shapes, designs, colors and patterns.  While the painted glazes are one of a kind, hand applied, even the mass-produced identical pottery faces all come out differently.  Fortunately, new designs come out more often than we go to Mexico for a visit, so there are always new shapes to choose from, and we've never had to get a similarly-shaped one with a different pattern.  We've taken them to hanging them from the south-facing wall of our house and can enjoy their combined glory as we hang out in the back yard.  The one shown at upper left is our largest at over 2 feet (60cm) in diameter, the others a more normal 12 inches or so.

And while we usually go shopping ourselves to chose a design and verify we don't have the pattern, the ones at lower right of the wide view above are special.  We got the pair of them from Margie herself as Christmas presents.  Shown at close-up here, you can see some of the fine details of each, and even though their casting shape is identical, their individuality comes from the hand-painted glazes, as they are quite different.  We love them and you will note we are leaving room for future additions to the family!

More Rocky Point Shopping...

My last post about food shopping in Rocky Point got interrupted (work is sometimes sooo inconvenient!). But we didn't just cruise for food - with our recent home improvements and our interest in talavera tile, we had other fish to fry, so to speak.




We only stopped at a few places, but man, what a variety of stuff! Everything imaginable from glassware, to pottery, loads of talavera, spanish colonial furniture, and similar style appointments and decor. We only spent $30 on some sconces, but with the variety of tile work there, we'll likely return before our next bathroom remodel. The talavera sink I'm holding was only $110, about $60 less than in Tucson, and with lots more variety too. And while there are innumerable sun emblems available in Arizona, there were about a gazillion I've never seen before. The artwork at lower left is all bead work, and the salesgirl is holding just about the smallest dog we've ever seen!

Talavera Bath wrap up....better late than never!

We never posted pictures of the guest bath, once it was finished. Of course, as pokey as I can be, it took me forever to get back in there and actually finish the work. In fact, I still need to put in baseboards - I promise to NOT post about the baseboards when those are finally in! I had great ideas to 'cover' the vanity base, almost like doing a veneer - but with 1/4" wood. I didn't do that, as time was running short. We were down to the wire before having our friend, Carolyn, come and visit us for a week. Dean questioned whether we really could get the vanity top and sink finished before Carolyn arrived - so that really gave me some incentive! I guess we work best under pressure!

In reality, this would be a great weekend project. Dean took the old vanity top, with the sink attached, off of the base. We then measured and cut the 3/4" plywood for the vanity top. After that was cut to size, we figured out the placement of the sink as well as the fixtures. Most sinks have the fixture holes in them. That is not the case with handmade Talavera sinks. The fixtures needed to come up through the vanity top. After getting the plywood set to go, we cut and measured the "Easy Backer" (similar to Hardy Backer, but only 1/4" thick and easy to cut and work with). It was easy to transcribe the sink hole onto the Easy Backer, and then make the cuts for them to match. Dean cut the back and side splashes from Hardy Backer, as we wanted something a little thicker for those. With the cutting out of the way I attached the plywood to the vanity top, aligned the Easy Backer (clamping them together), and cut the holes for the fixture (cutting through both layers at once to insure proper alignment of the holes). I attached the Hardy Backer to the walls with Liquid Nails and screws. The splashes actually sit behind the plywood top, giving them a bit more stabilization. The Easy Backer is attached to the plywood with a layer of mastic, the same that is used to 'glue' the tiles down. We gave all of that 24 hours to dry before putting any strains on the bonds that needed to harden.

The next step was to start cutting and laying out the yellow tiles for the vanity top. It was really easy to do, and actually fun to see it all coming together! We started with the edge/overlap pieces, to make sure we wouldn't have to cut those pieces much (full tiles are easier to cut, in my opinion). Dean cut all of the small, straight edge pieces - making sure that each was precisely the size needed. He's good! Before putting in the sink, we needed to do the back and side splash too. Since we had used 'medallions' of larger tiles in the shower, I thought it would be nice to do a similar effect on the splashes. This is the part where I give a big "THANK YOU" to the guys at Sierra Tile, in Tucson! I had coffee with them two mornings in a row, picking out and getting the medallions and tiles to finish the project. They now give us a "volume discount" which translates into about 50% off of the marked price for the tile. They are great to do business with, and if you live in the Tucson area and are planning a project, we highly recommend them for your supplies! Tiling the back splash was easy, and done before we knew it! We found that we can do 45 degree cuts to miter the corners, giving the work a more professional appearance.

Once the tiling was done (and literally, it was done in about 4-5 hours even with me taking breaks!) we had another 24 drying period to wait before moving forward. While we were dying to get that sink in place, it is really necessary to do the grouting first. After the grout, the new fixtures. If you've ever put in new fixtures you know that there is an advantage to doing them without the sink in place. Once the fixtures were in, then we could move forward with placing the sink. Dean dropped the sink in, one evening while I was at work, making sure to use lots of silicone caulk to not only waterproof the gaps, but also to hold the sink in place. Together we finished attaching the drain (not without some glitches, but there are no leaks!) and hooking all of the connections together. To give a nice rim to the sink, we grouted around the sink - between the tiled counter and the sink side. This filled in any gaps (preventing water seepage), and helps to hold everything solid. The grout we used is made for 'wet applications', so no sealing was required. It is the same grout that we used in the tub/shower area. After all was said and done, we had to get busy on painting that room! I chose Kilz Casual Colors (we've had good results with that, in Illinois) in "Sequoia". I did a quick paint job on the ceiling, then moved to the walls. The walls did take two coats, but we were painting over off white walls with a very dark color. At that point, the room was ready for use - and not a day too soon! Carolyn arrived 48 hours later! She and I took a little shopping trip to the store where we had gotten the sink, to find 'artwork' for the walls. I think the Mexican tin art, as well as the patina of the lions head door knocker really add to the style of the tile. We also need to send a "Thanks Erica!" out, as our friend (Erica) gave us the Talavera kitty sitting on the counter as a "Yay! The bathroom is done!" gift! As mentioned before, I still need to get some baseboards for the room - in the mean time, I think we both like the finished result!

The Latest Home Improvement Projects

Now that Melinda has a taste of tiling in her blood, we are racing forward with similar projects. Just last week she took hammer and chisel to the guest bathroom. We finally got sick of what could generously be called a pinky-fleshy color and got it down with some difficulty. The cement board backer stayed firmly attached to the drywall, which varied in quality, so we caved and contacted a contractor who will remove drywall and backer board, and install and mud a new set ready for us to set tile against. That will happen on Wednesday of this next week.

We have visions of Mexican Talavera tile through the entire bathroom, and have been shopping through Tucson for selection and pricing. Melinda likes the busier patterns, while I prefer the solids with accents of patterned tiles. I don't care a lot, though, so she can do what she likes! There are a few stores in town with fired ceramic sink basins, and even toilets, but I think we'll stop at walls and perhaps a basin...

And while waiting for the contractor next week, Melinda wanted to dabble, so tiled the little entry to the house between security door and entrance. She used the leftovers from the bathroom floor, and ended up with only 1 - 6" square left, so did very well! She also wants a border of Talavera under the rim of blue tile, but ran out of mastic, so will have to wait a day. Then late tomorrow comes the familiar routine of sealing grouting and sealing again... Stay tuned for more of the transformation!

Updates On Latest Home Improvement - and a PS from Melinda

Our house in Tucson is in a state of flux. As time permits (and it is always easy to fit in grout sealing or adding a touch of trim into a busy schedule), we continue along the road to progress. Case in point is the tilework Melinda wanted to line the house entrance. The project was small enough that putting down the tile took a few hours, grouting went quickly, as did sealing (with the proper day-or-two wait between steps... Then, as we thought harder about the Mexican talavera tile for the bathroom, she decided to put some accent trim under the security door. Again, a job that was done in an hour or so - yet to be sealed though... We both thought it came out great! Shown at left is Melinda doing the first cleaning after grouting, and at right is the talavera tile under the entrance.

After Dean's post regarding the tiled entry, I though we should include a finished picture. I used Liquid Nails to 'glue' the skinny tile strips (custom cut for me by Sierra Tile) in place. Using Liquid Nails saved me the trouble of mixing a small amount of mortar - but in hindsight, I wish I had used the mortar. The tiles are well adhered, but mortar is easier to work with in this application. The grout that I used was a siliconized sanded grout, recommended by Sierra Tile. It also is applied with a caulk gun, and I just don't have much expertise with those appliances! I chose the grout color based on samples that I had, but it still dried lighter than what was expected. I, also, would not use that product again - unless I was doing the entire area to match it all. The advantage of that grout, of course, is that you don't have to seal it since it contains silicone. It's a coin toss in my opinion. All in all, however, I think we're both pleased with the final result! Now, what to do with those walls of the entry????


Just over a week ago ,when last posting about it, we had realized we were a little over our heads in removing concrete backer board and drywall behind the bathroom tile we were sick of and had removed. So we scheduled a carpenter recommended by a friend to come in yesterday to do the heavy lifting. We had gotten off the tile, but the rest of the wall was pretty impervious to our pounding - we really didn't have the right tools to get it out. But with his daughter as assistant and with a saw and shop vac, they had the walls down to the studs in 2 hours flat, and got to work installing a new vapor barrier, drywall and backer board. That work went on considerably longer, but included cutting to accurate size, installing around the shower outlets and mudding the joints. With cleaning, installing some unexpected stud reinforcements from some termite damage (from long ago), and materials, it is now ready for painting and tiling and for what we thought was a pretty reasonable price. We likely won't make a lot of progress on finishing it out until we return from our coming trip to Illinois, other than reinstalling the toilet, but the fact that it is waiting for us will make us think about it!

A Weekend Out Of Town

Our friend Carolyn spent a week visiting us, centered around last weekend.  We always do a side trip to make it memorable, after previous visits to the Grand Canyon, San Diego and Los Angeles, and Baja whale watching last year.  This year called for a trip not only out of town and out of state but out of country - another trip to Mexico!  We did 3 days, 2 nights in Rocky Point, or Puerto Penasco for some relaxation time...

Min found that condo rentals were less expensive than a couple hotel rooms, so booked a furnished 2-bedroom condo at a complex still under construction - the 7th floor of the Esmerelda!  We've never stayed in a half-million dollar condo before, but it was pretty nice.  The views of mostly deserted Sandy Beach west of the port couldn't be beat, and of course, the western planetary conjunction in the western sky over the Sea of Cortez was spectacular.  At right was the view of Jupiter and brilliant Venus above, with diminutive Mercury down in the twilight glow.  The picture at left is from a 4-frame mosaic of the west side of the complex.  Our room was in the rightmost of the 4 buildings, the 7th floor above the right corner of the wading pool.  On the right edge of the building, the 3-bedroom condos that wrap around the beach side edge of the building run upwards of a cool million...

The apartment was nice and spacious, nicely furnished, and these days had wide screen TVs in the 2 bedrooms and living room.  Unfortunately not a lot of channel choices, about 8 or so, but one that showed a good variety of movies that we watched most of the time.  There were also 3 big bathrooms, the master bath had a whirlpool bath or jacuzzi that we didn't use.  Appliances were new, and it's a shame we didn't get to use many of them in the couple days there. We spent a LOT of time on the balcony for both Carolyn's smoke breaks and to enjoy the view.  It was a little disconcerting at first with just the glass sheets at the edge of the 80 foot drop, but was a great space to "chill".

While we brought snacks, we ate most of our meals out, hitting all our regular favorites we've developed over the years, and included a new one or two.  Of course, Rocky Point is known for their shrimp, and a lunch of shrimp tacos is shown at left.  We did a little beach walking, but with a moon phase just past first quarter, the tidal range wasn't very great, so no really low tides that are so great for beach combing.  But you can see how little-used the west side of Sandy Beach was on a late Sunday morning.

A little shopping was accomplished - we got a new Talavera sink in anticipation of another bathroom remodeling here in Tucson, and a few knick-knacks.  We certainly didn't go overboard...  Mostly it was a nice getaway trip to relax and spend some time in a place a little less familiar.  An hour before we packed up and left, Melinda spotted a pod of dolphins passing on the beach and I was able to grab a frame, again, from our balcony. 

So another memorable trip w/Carolyn passed.  Rocky Point is just about the closest beach to Tucson, only about 210 miles, 3.5 hours of travel time.  A lot of locals are concerned about travel in Mexico, but the over half dozen trips we've made have never been less than great, and we'll likely be back again soon...