Bathroom Tile Project: Day 4 "The 95% Reveal!"

    Okay, home stretch.  Here is where we are at after 4 glorious days of working.  She is so beautiful!  We are not totally done, but we hit a few roadblocks that will take a bit of time to fix.  Until then, here is the picture.

After the jump, you can see the whole process of mixing and applying grout, organizing tiles and putting up the mop board as well as some unexpected problems.

    The first thing we did on Day 4 was mix up some grout.  We used unsanded grout, which is recommended for areas that are 1/8" or less.  We chose "Delorean Grey".  It sounded like it was going to be fun!  If you own a power drill, I would suggest getting the mixing bit.  It was great for the mixing the mastic and we used it again when mixing the grout.  Mix it up according to the directions and then let it sit for about 20 minutes.

    After waiting 20 minutes, it was time to get down to business.  We started in the farthest corner and worked towards the door.  With a float, we pushed down the grout and had another person double check that we didn't miss any spots.

    I was so happy as put the grout down.  Finally!  And the color is awesome.  I was a bit nervous that I wouldn't like the look, but I love it!

    Here, I am still happy.  I'm about to get to our next problem...

   It seems that the mastic started to dry up a bit by the end of laying the tile.  Some of the tiles near the bathtub were moving slightly.  After wanting to cry for a second, we decided to pull up a few tiles, restock them down and just keep grouting.  I do not think that would be the professionals' opinion, but by that point, I didn't really care.  We let it sit for another 20 minutes and then came back to sponge off the tiles and get rid of excess or uneven grout.

    After the grout was washed, we let it sit for about two hours.  Then we put down some paper and started planning and gluing the border tiles.  When we laid them out, it was clear that each box had a variety of colors.

    So we took out a few boxes and organized them from whitest to greyest and then chose the tiles from there.

    Originally, we put a tape line up and then put the mastic on the wall.  After a little while, we decided that it was easier to just apply the mastic to the tile and stick it on the wall.

    After the border was put up, it was time to put the toilet and radiator back.  My dad put down a new wax ring and then put the toilet back on.

    To get a good seal, my dad had to sit down and wiggle around on the toilet.  Serious photo-op.

    The newly repaired door frame (more on that later) and newly sanded and painted door were ready to join the bathroom again.

Here is the tile after a good wipe down.  Yay!

    There are still a few things left to be done.  We have to caulk the line between the border and the floor.

    And then, due to an unforeseen miscount, we needed a few more tiles and Lowe's was already closed.  So, my dad is going to cut a few tiles for the side of the tub and then send them to us.  Isn't he great?!  Clean up the paint along the border and then we are in business!  I will get to that soon and update you when the tiles arrive in the mail.