Twinsprings Research Institute

Haiku Energy Star Ceiling Fan

Posted on August 26, 2017 by ellen

I have already replaced the craigslist ceiling fan that I installed for my brother’s visit. There is a LEED requirement to install Energy Star ceiling fans and I was hoping to find a deal on a Haiku L series for the master bedroom. The Craigslist fan only had one speed because it did not have a pull chain or a remote. Soon after I installed it I found an L series in an eBay ad. I made an offer that seemed reasonable given that a new fan from the company is $575 with free shipping and a new fan from Amazon is $600 in black. However the company site does not offer the dark brown blades and Amazon charges $675 for the black/cocoa combination. I saved about $250.

Ebay ad for Haiku fan

The ad didn’t show all the components but it listed them as included. The only thing not listed was the wifi module but one did come with the fan. I read a review that explained fans from the manufacturer do not include the wifi module unless the Sense Me wall control is ordered but fans from Amazon do include the wifi module.

Box contents

The Haiku L series is not an Energy Star “most efficient” for 2017, however it is among the top performers on the Energy Star list. It comes in just under the other Haiku models H and I and there are only four other 52″ fans that have a medium speed of more than 400.

Haiku Fan Efficiency

That puts it at about four times the 2012 Energy Star standard. At low speed it is just under 4 times the base for energy star efficiency. The Energy Guide lists the fan at 17.7 watts per cfm at high speed. Airflow at high speed is 5276 cfm. It is also the most energy efficient fan rated with an LED light. The light efficiency is 105, the highest of the LED fixtures. It is rated at 20 watts.
The fan took some time to put together but the instructions were clear and the only part that didn’t work for me right away was a plug for the light diffuser that needed to show up in the canopy for the diffuser ring to plug into and snap on. I had to undo the screws a couple of times to get the plug lined up correctly. It seemed odd that the screws in the canopy were square end screws instead of phillips. All the tools for installation were included with the fan so I used the allen wrench provided but they were more difficult to align and install. It must be some security issue.
For our ceiling height and angle, I used the longer of the two rods provided with the fan. There is a choice of hanging rod, either 6″ or 11″. The fan was much lighter than the romanesque one. At only 11 lbs. I was able to lift the fan body into the hanger myself. Wiring was very simple except that I have two hot wires and two switches to control a separate fan and light. But the electronics control the light on the Haiku so only one switch is needed and I just capped off the extra wire.

Fan at rest

Once it was installed, I used the remote immediately to start the fan and turn on the light in both dim and bright modes. Both the fan speed and light brightness are variable with plus and minus buttons to set them.
The modern style looks fine with the ranch style furniture. I like the airfoil design and the fan is very quiet except for the noise of the air movement on high. I turned the speed down and the high speed is probably not ever necessary in our bedroom.

Airfoil blades

I installed the Haiku OS app and was able to update the firmware right away. Then I worked with some of the settings. I can also pair it with the Nest thermostat and the Amazon Echo to give it speech commands to turn on and set up the light and the fan.
The fan is extremely quiet except for the rush of air on high speed. I have used the “Whoosh” setting that varies the speed of the fan for a more natural breeze feeling. I’m impressed with the fan and don’t mind all the plastic parts. These are made in Kentucky which seems like an anomaly among such products and another great feature.

Fan in Motion

Posted in Design Style, Electrical, Energy Efficiency, Primary Bedroom | Comments Off

Master Bath Medicine Cabinet

Posted on August 24, 2017 by ellen

I wanted a space left open in the drywall to reuse one of the original medicine cabinets in the master bathroom. The wall had to be built out due to the plumbing run below and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to install a recessed cabinet. The drywall installer offered to put in the cabinet for me. But the problem was that he lined it up with the 2 x 4’s instead of the finished drywall.

Drywall space for medicine cabinet

There was a half hearted attempt to keep the cabinet clean and the texture got sprayed inside the box. So it was streaked with white even after cleaning it. Because the cabinet was recessed 1/2″ there would be a gap between the box and the cabinet facing. So I had to remove it and reinstall another box from the original house. It was identical to the first and I didn’t have plans to use both so I didn’t have to use the dirty box.
Cutting the cabinet out of the drywalled area was difficult however.

Cutting out the cabinet

It was screwed in at the top and bottom corners and I had to use the multitool with a metal blade to cut through the screws. I finally was able to pull it out though and after cleaning up the inside of the wall, I put the clean one into the space. It had to be flush to the outside edge of the drywall but I just used the nail gun to fix the top and bottom into place after shimming it level.
Then the face trim that also holds the door with the mirror was screwed into the box.

New cabinet installed flush

The new cabinet was cleaned up a bit and the mirror washed and it looks like the authentic rustic style I am working to create.

Cabinet with tile

Not a major task but really good to get it finished and checked off the summer list.

Posted in Bathrooms, Design Style, Reduce Reuse Recycle | Comments Off

Granite Slab Cut

Posted on August 23, 2017 by ellen

It was a perfect late summer day. My brother and his wife were visiting from the Chicago area and he always enjoys completing a house project. I have had a heavy piece of granite by the side of the front door for two years and really wanted to get it cut to fit the vanity in the family room bathroom. I just had to ask John if he would help with the cuts and the project was started.

Moving the granite slab

We put the granite on the rolling carts that I bought as solar heater stands. They have proved to be great as work tables. I have a granite wet saw from work I did in Arizona. It is a 4″ saw blade and just deep enough to cut the thick granite slab.

Granite cut on rolling cart

There was mesh on the back of the slab that helped hold the cut sections together and we sliced through this with a razor blade and then a serrated knife to separate the cut pieces.
I decided to cut the slab to fit all the way to the wall on the left side of the vanity stand and just over the edge of the stand in the front and on the right side.

Cutting the slab

Once the slab was cut it was not quite as heavy to carry in and place on the vanity stand.

Carrying in the slab

The slab was placed on the vanity and shifted a bit to fit. Some shimming could still be done. It is heavy enough to sit on the stand without adhesive and the granite sink will sit on top of the slab.

John placing the slab

I ordered a few diamond core bits to cut a hole for the sink drain and the water pipes. Now it shouldn’t be long until the sink is installed on this vanity top.

Family room bathroom vanity granite

Posted in Bathrooms, Design Style, Reduce Reuse Recycle | Comments Off

Tilting the Tub

Posted on August 20, 2017 by ellen

The phrase “tilting at windmills” comes to mind after multiple attempts to fix the leaking tub drain. The solution seemed elusive for a long time. We had to tilt up the tub on its side to get to the drain. For some reason I was convinced that the piping under the tub was the cause of the leak. Especially after tightening the metal washer on the drain part as far as Dave’s strength could do it. I even replaced the plumbers putty once the leaking drain was disassembled. But I concentrated on the piping below the drain believing that the tub shoe was not able to get tight enough because the drain threads did not extend below the tub bottom.

Tilted tub with tub shoe drain

My first attempt was to extend the tub shoe below the bottom of the tub.

Extended tub drain

The new configuration leaked as much as old. Plus it was so long that I lost the slope of 1/4″ to a foot of drain.

Leaking drain with extended pipe

So I thought to try a shorter extension pipe and a regular 90 degree angle. In theory it would gain a 1/2″ of space underneath. In practice the slope was still gone.

Ninety degree elbow below drain

I gave up on extending the drain and decided to try replacing the plumbers putty under the lip of the drain and at the rubber washer underneath with 100% silicone caulk. That was finally the solution to stop the leak. I did try the extended pipe one more time but could not get it tight enough to allow for the required slope. I even put the tub up on 1/2″ plywood to gain a bit of height. But I finally gave up and went back to the tub shoe connector.
I spent quite a bit of time trying to find another tub shoe since I had cut the pipe and the shorter pipe required a straight connector that made the pipe a bit wider just under the tub. My hunt for this usually common part was unsuccessful. Home Depot, Lowes, Ferguson Plumbing. Nobody had the full size pipe for under a tub. Amazon had a non-prime offering where the shipping was almost 8 times the cost of the part! I could only find kits that included an overflow and that type of drain pipe is a different width from regular schedule 40 plastic pipe.

Tub Shoe

I gave up and used the one I had with the connector that made the pipe wider, but with the silicone on the drain itself, the shoe did not leak anymore and the fact that it could be tighter no longer mattered. Whew!

No leaks now

Posted in Plumbing | Comments Off

More Tile

Posted on August 17, 2017 by ellen

Unfortunately the tub drain still leaks but I decided to tile the second half of the bathroom instead of taking it apart again first.

Rows of tile in master bath

The wall near the sink plumbing was not square. Squaring the tile with the brick wall meant cutting partially diagonal tiles to fill the narrow space.

Back edge of tile to fill in

I think the sink and the wall tile will camouflage this area though.

Slanted narrow tiles

I had extra mortar when I finished the tile in the bathroom so I started the tiling on the edge of the slab.This area is xps foam with an air barrier made of painted roofing tape. I used Kerdi membrane narrow banding mortared to the top of the air barrier. and I laid tile over that. I will use the epoxy grout here. The grout was specifically purchased for this border as I read that it is a good grout to use over foam.

Tile at front door

When I turned the corner I did not recognize that I hadn’t laid the Kerdi there yet. So several tiles were installed without the Kerdi then I finished using up the mortar laying a strip of Kerdi again. I will be able to see if there is a difference in performance for the area that is missing the Kerdi underlayment.

Air lock entry tile at edge of slab

It will be a big job to lay these tiles all around the border of the slab where it meets the foundation wall. But it was worth it to have the foam insulate the sides of the slab all the way to the top.

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, Bathrooms, Tile | Comments Off

Finding a Ceiling Fan

Posted on August 16, 2017 by ellen

I saved a relatively new ceiling fan from the Arizona house. Before we sold it the real estate agent recommended that I replace the old antique brass fans with something more modern, i.e. oil rubbed bronze. But I could not find the box with the fan inside it until I went through every box in storage in our garage. I finally found the fan body although not the light cover or the blades.
I also wanted to find the copper light fixture I saved for the dining room but did not see it in any box out there. Climbing over boxes and furniture was quite a sweaty and dusty feat and I would love to bring things in and find places for everything before winter arrives. I did find the lamps and candle pieces to a wrought iron chandelier I also saved so installed that in the dining room instead.

Dining Room Chandelier

Even though I didn’t have blades or the light cover for the fan, I forged ahead hanging it in the master bedroom. I went to the Restore and bought a $2 light cover that fit and I ordered fan blades from eBay although they were not wide enough. I couldn’t find the blades to the living room fan either and bought new ones that did fit that fan so I thought I could do it again. Nope.
The master bedroom has a bit of a slant to the ceiling and the fan is a ceiling hugger so it installed at an angle.

Hugger Ceiling Fan

I was willing to accept this for the time being but also looked on craigslist for a possible cheap replacement and found this one not too far from home. The seller took $30.

Craigslist Ad for Fan

I picked the fan up and installed it right away. I was not happy with the tiny halogen light bulbs that the light kit used so I cannibalized the hugger fan light kit for the medium bulb holders and screwed them into the new fan’s light fixture. Then I could use a couple of LED bulbs in the reassembled light.
The fan has an interesting shape. It reminds me of a Romanesque style with the edging.

Rustic Venetian Style

It hangs from a ball fitting so the slight angle of the ceiling still allows the fan to hang straight.

Fan in Master Bedroom

I believe the fan was meant to be controlled by remote as it has no pull chains to set fan speed. Only one speed, but it is quiet and does not wobble. It is a DLG model from 2003/2004 but I can’t find any information regarding the model number, except that maybe it was a Home Depot brand.
The fan’s light is a reasonable brightness for the space, however, the smoked glass shade gives off less light than the white one I bought at the Restore.

Master Bedroom Ceiling Fan with Light

I also looked for a new more energy efficient fan and found the one I really want for the room. It is a Haiku from Big Ass Fans and is lightyears beyond the efficiency of most ceiling fans. The least expensive model is about $600 though and that is a bit pricey.

Haiku L Series Fan with Light

I’m very tempted to order one except that I would prefer the wood look blades to the all black fan and that combination is almost $100 more expensive in the L series and even more in the H or I series. I’ll have to think about it. But it would sure be great for LEED energy efficiency.

Posted in Electrical, Primary Bedroom, Reduce Reuse Recycle | Comments Off

It’s Curtains

Posted on August 14, 2017 by ellen

I have several bolts of cotton/polyester and vinyl material that I purchased at auction from Repurposed Materials. I had in mind that I would sew window quilts because the house originally had them as extra window insulation. I also wanted to have plenty of material to sew outdoor cushions and to cover the dining room chairs, etc. Believe me I have more than enough!

We are having guests next week and now that the master bedroom is set up, I am going to have them stay there. However the bedroom does not yet have a door and the room faces the street and I thought they might be self conscious to sleep without privacy. I decided to use the material I have to make a few curtains. I started with some rough burlap like material, but I was not too fond of the flaws in the weave. It is a cool material just not for curtains. I put a piece over an outdoor chair and found it is waterproof!

I switched to a roll labeled pack cloth. From the way this material behaves I believe it has a lot of cotton in it. It is a heavy shirting type of material in a bright white and I think it made really nice weight curtains. I have a relatively new sewing machine, a Singer Quantum Stylist 9960. It is a very nice machine and has several stitches to choose from. I even experimented with some of the decorative stitches but the curtains seem too large to decorate with the small stitches. With the family room furniture in place, I was able to use the new table as a sewing table.

Sewing machine

Basically I wanted something simple that I could hang from shower rods. I bought some snap together cut out rings for the window curtains.

Window Curtains

I had some clip on rings that I used for the outside door curtain. I just hung this one from four small brads nailed into the trim above the window pane.

Curtain on outside door

I bought more rings to hang a curtain at the interior door to the bedroom too. One of the hardest parts was ironing all that cotton! It required a hot steam iron and elbow grease.

Ironing cotton!

The material is 56″ wide so one width worked fine for this doorway.

Privacy curtain closed

The rings allow the curtains to open and close quite easily.

Privacy curtain opened

I will add a curtain to the family room bathroom too. That makes it easier for guests to use.

Posted in Design Style, Primary Bedroom, Sewing | Comments Off

Tub Leaks!

Posted on August 11, 2017 by ellen

The master bath tub had a couple of leaky places. The plumbing under the tiled step was oozing water and the drain was leaking worse.

Drain leak

The faucet hookup was leaking at the brass elbow couplings. These were too close together to tighten properly as the elbows touched when they were being tightened. I wanted the connections to be stable but decided to change from brass to shark bites because they rotate easily and I could connect two elbows side by side. That meant taking the whole assembly apart and removing the brass elbows and connecting pipes.
Luckily the tub supply has shut off valves installed and shark bites that make it easy to move piping out of the way. There is a fancy water balancing valve installed for this faucet. It was required by the plumbing inspector although the whole house water is tempered so that it would not be hot enough to scald anyone. The water balancing valve prevents that by tempering the water if another faucet in the house pulls hot or cold away from the faucet. The valve is impressive although it is behind the access door and not in plain sight.

Tub faucet piping cover

The replacement shark bites were relatively easy to install and I used copper instead of Pex to stabilize the hot and cold “arms” that connect to the chrome stand pipes.

Chrome standing pipe connection

The chrome had been scratched badly when I got it and the scratched part is under the step now so it doesn’t show. I used drop eared Sharkbite elbows even though I didn’t end up fastening them down, they have little legs that help stabilize the connections.

Drop Ear Sharkbite Elbow

The rest of the supply piping went back into place relatively easily and I replaced the access door cover.

Tub faucet supply piping

The faucet is now installed so that it does not leak.

Reinstalled tub faucet

Notice the can of Waterlox on the mantle shelf–still need to apply that. Also I need to tackle the tub drain leak which may prove more difficult than the faucet due to accessibility.

Posted in Plumbing | Comments Off

Tub Shelf

Posted on August 2, 2017 by ellen

We are using an old barn beam as a shelf over the soaking tub. It needed to be installed while I could still stand behind the tub. I bought the beam from another very nice Craigslist seller. Amazingly the beam was exactly the right size for the space.

Beam shelf in place

We thought the grain of the beam looked like oak but it was much too easy to drill into to be aged oak. So it may be poplar or even pine. I am not a good enough woodworker to know.
I originally thought I would drill all the way through the beam to mount it. But the 3/8″ bolts I already had were too short. So I thought I would hang it from a cleat, although routing the back for a cleat seemed difficult. Then the Internet revealed this method. The recommendation was for 1/2″ bolts or steel concrete stakes but only two were used in some cases. I decided to use what I had and sink them into every 2×4 in the wall.

Bolts in studs

The bolts were inserted a little more than half their length into the 2x4s. That put them almost all the way through the wood for good stability.

Depth of bolt in stud

The protruding bolt is about 2/3rds of the width of the beam. Just what was recommended in the instructions. After the bolts were set the heads were cut off with a grinder.

Cut off bolt head

Then I used the burred head to smooth the rough ends of the bolts.

We held the beam up to the bolts and marked them with a sharpie. But the first holes I drilled were a little too low and the beam hit the tile and that created a large gap between the beam and the wall. So I had to drill a second set and these were a little high to have the beam meet the tile underneath exactly but it won’t be very noticeable. The beam is nice and level and I’ll just caulk the gap. Luckily the Liquid Nails takes some time to set.

Liquid Nails adhesive on bolts and wall

The beam is shoved onto the bolts and the holes and bolts lined up well. Some instructions say the adhesive is not even necessary. I ordered some expensive low VOC formula sealer (Waterlox-a mixture of tung oil and resins) to protect it from the moisture of the bath.

Waterlox (Low VOC can is green)

The next step was to move the tub into place and hook up the drain. My son who is visiting from California helped with this task.

Tub installed with beam shelf

And before the end of the day I was able to install the tub faucet. I also did a passable job of cleaning out the poor construction dirty tub.

Tub faucet

Posted in Bathrooms, Trim | Comments Off

Master Bath Tile Started

Posted on July 28, 2017 by ellen

Before tackling the tile in the master bath I put the thin Schluter membrane over the foam edges of the floor. This is installed with unmodified mortar. The east side strip is narrow because we used 1.5″ polyiso over the concrete foundation to hold in more heat.

Narrow edge treatment

The plan for the master bath tile is to finish under and behind the tub and the faucet step. Then after putting the tub in place the toilet and sink side can be tiled. With the tub about in the middle of the room there was enough space for two rows of tile.

Two tiles wide behind tub

With only two rows of tile I would end up trying to tile and grout under the bathroom edge of the tub. That would not work very well. Instead we moved the tub as far as we could toward the sink and toilet side and added another row of tile so that the tub will sit on three rows of grouted tile and completely cover under the tub.

Three tiles wide under tub

I screwed the stand pipes for the freestanding faucet through the plywood cover of the plumbing step. The seem to fit well. I have to remember to put on the connector and the floor flange when they are installed.

Freestanding faucet on step

I started tiling the wall even though the third row of floor tile wasn’t dry. I decided to glue the tile to the wall with tile adhesive as it is very sticky and does not slide down like mortar can. The adhesive recommended using up to 6 inch tiles but it is possible to use with up to 13 inch tiles if more time is given to dry before grouting. The adhesive dries slowly and the middle of larger tiles don’t get enough air to dry quickly.

Tiling the wall behind the tub

I tried to square and level the rows of tile but didn’t get them exactly straight. Most of this wall is hidden behind the tub so I’m not going to worry about it.

There are only a few boxes of edge tiles but I decided to use them on the step to overlap the tile on the sides and create a more finished edge for the step. It was also easier to cut holes for the stand pipes in the narrower tiles as all the holes were at the edges of the tiles.

Tiled step

Cutting tile for the step took far longer than laying the tile on the floor and the wall. The job is a bit sloppy but after grouting it should look fine.

Back wall and step

After cleaning two times with the Spectralock solution and once with a vinegar solution, the wall, floor, and step are looking pretty good.

Step nearly finished–need to complete the back side.

Now this side of the bathroom is finished and ready for the oak beam shelf to get installed. Then the tub can be moved and the drain connected.

Back wall finished

Posted in Bathrooms, Tile | Comments Off

Family Room Furniture

Posted on July 14, 2017 by ellen

I decided that we really need the space in the garage that the family room furniture was taking. We moved the cabinets into the room so they will have to be removed when I can get to installing the perimeter tile.

Cabinets

We brought in the big couch. This makes a reasonable single bed for an extra guest. I used the leather seat cushions from this couch in the living room so it has the seat cushion from the old hickory couch. It all matches pretty well.

Family room couch

On the other side of the room we have an antique chair from my mother that I had recovered probably twenty years ago. I was curled up in this chair when it was covered in gold brocade with a fluted back. I was snuggled under a heavy knit afghan burning with fever and waiting for the doctor’s home visit to treat me for a case of measles. That memory of a doctor’s home visit sure shows my age!

Plus there are more black cabinets. These cabinets were in two rooms in our AZ house. It seems like this room is now dominated by them! But there is so much storage for sewing and craft work and other hobbies. Perfect for a family room.

Bathroom side

Ideally I would like to have a work table and chairs in this room but I’ll have to get something and I’m not sure what will fit.

I checked on Craigslist and found this small table that should work great for games and sewing. And it is a nice match between the pine couch arms and black cabinets. It will do.

Small folding leaf table

Posted in Design Style, Family Room | 1 Comment

Do I Need a Summer List?

Posted on July 11, 2017 by ellen

I just realized I have not made a summer list. I’ve been thinking in terms of cleaning up from the drywall and setting up for guests later this summer instead of progress on the house.
But as summer rolls around, well has been here for a few weeks, I think I need a list of imminent projects to make headway on the completion of the house.
Turns out many things depend on others to be completed.

1. Move more furniture back into the house to clear up working space in the garage.
Before the drywall the furniture in the family room was sitting on the foam area that needs to be prepped for tile. Should I move it back and then have to move it to do the tiling or should I do the tiling first?
2. Set up master bath.
This requires finishing the wall paint job, I did clean the medicine cabinet but I might need to just remove it and reset it.
3. Paint master bath brick wall.
4. Remove and reset medicine cabinet in master bath.
5. Lay tile in master bath.
6. Hook up tub drain and faucet.
7. Find ceiling fan and install in master bedroom.
8. Install header over window in master bedroom. Seal with polyiso and siga membrane.
9. Bring the doors and trim wood into the garage for storage.
10. Install more light fixtures.
11. Finish family room outlets.
12. Arrange furniture in family room.
13. Install family room bathroom sink and new faucet.
14. Install safety bar by guest toilet for Mom.
15. Put rug in second bedroom and place futon against wall with pillows.
16. Reinstall trombe wall glass and solar panel.
17. Hook up mini split air conditioner

That is enough because we are also going to take a couple of small RV trips and have visitors in late July and August so time (and lists) keep on slipping into the future.

Posted in Planning | Comments Off

Laticrete Spectralock Pro Premium Epoxy Grout

Posted on July 10, 2017 by ellen

Spectralock Contents

Epoxy grout has several advantages over cement grout. It is stain proof, the colors are consistent, the grout is crack resistant, and it is easier to clean than cement grout. Its disadvantages are that it is expensive and gives limited time to work before it sets up especially in warm weather.

My brother used epoxy grout in his shower and he thought it was great stuff. I needed grout that was resistant to cracking especially for the tile on the perimeter of the slab where it is over foam insulation.

I purchased 500 square ft of brown porcelain tile through a craigslist ad and I figured that the commercial size of Spectralock grout would be adequate if I used it all. These boxes contain four full sets of part A and B and four containers of the fine colored sand used in the grout mix.

Because the epoxy grout sets up so quickly, a beginner definitely needs to mix only a small amount at one time. The Laticrete site has a spreadsheet calculator for various sized tiles and grout lines. I downloaded it and a full unit of Spectralock Pro would cover about 176 square ft of 1/8″ grout lines for 13″ x 13″ tile. A mini unit of grout covers about 44 square ft. which is perfect for the bathroom.

I found a website that explained how to split a full unit into four mini units. So that is what I did. It was important to weigh the material to ensure an exact amount of each part. I used our kitchen scale.

Spectralock Part A

The epoxy parts are not easy to work with as they are sticky and don’t ooze out of the packets that easily, especially part B.

Spectralock Part B

The grout is sanded but the sand used is very fine. It is combined with the color in an exact mix so that from batch to batch the color is consistent.

Spectralock Part C

After dividing the full unit into three smaller parts to keep and one to use which I left in the original packages, I was able to mix Part A and Part B from what was left and then add Part C, the sandy part. The website that I read said to mix well only about 75% of the dry sand and then add the remainder to get the final consistency.

Mixed Epoxy Grout

The mix seemed on the dry side so I didn’t use all the Part C. But I used most of it. The texture is supposed to be like peanut butter but mine was a little stiffer. The instructions say to dump it all out on the tile but I thought that would be difficult to move around, also it is supposed to be applied with the rubber grout float but I found I could squish it into the grout gaps easier with a trowel and then cleaned the excess off with the rubber float.

After the grout lines are filled, it is a 15 minute wait to wipe off the excess. Another way to measure is from the time the process started, so the first wash should be within an hour of mixing the grout. The wait time is longer if it is colder, but these days are warm at 85-90 degrees so I waited about 10 minutes and started the first wash. I used the included cleaner for the first wash but instead of using a sponge, I used a blue microfiber pad. It was easier to rinse out often and I could feel the excess grout through the pad when I could not feel it through the sponge.

First Wash

During this wash the grout is still malleable and if there is a gap in the lines extra grout scraped from the tile or from the original mix can be pressed into the empty spaces. I just did this with my fingers and then wiped the grout line to make it look even.

This is the grout that was left over after I finished the tile. I just discarded it. The instructions say to count on at least 10% waste and that looked about what I had left over.

Left over epoxy grout

I cleaned the floor the second time with just vinegar and water and a white 3M pad which scraped off the grout that stuck to the tile followed by wiping with the microfiber pad. I had to rinse the pad often and I felt it start to get gummy before I was finished. When a sponge gets gummy they say to throw it away and use a clean one, but I was able to soak the pad in a bucket of vinegar and warm water and the gumminess rinsed away.
I used the sponge on the final vinegar and warm water rinse instead of the pad and the water stayed very clean, one of the ways I could tell it was finished. The floor looked great without any epoxy haze left on the tile.

After third rinse

With the toilet installed again. Finally a two toilet home again.

Guest bath toilet

Posted in Bathrooms, Tile | Comments Off

Floor Tile in the Family Room Bathroom

Posted on July 9, 2017 by ellen

I ordered the Schluter Ditra underlayment through ebay and it seemed to take a long time to arrive. But it finally did and I cut it to fit the guest bathroom and mortared it down. The Ditra might be super expensive but the unmodified mortar that it requires is the cheapest that can be bought, it was only about $7 for 50 lbs. The type of mortar is called thinset but the actual way to tell if it is the right type is if it meets the ANSI standard 118.1. I read this on the Schluter website and in the Ditra installation handbook and the description of the mortar at Home Depot includes the standard. Modified thinset is standard 118.3 or 118.4.
The Ditra is made from a stiff thin plastic grid that is backed by what they call fleece but reminds me of interfacing material.

Ditra on bathroom floor

It cut easily with a box knife. I would have used scissors if I could find them quickly but the box knife was closer to hand. The mortar is mixed by adding the dry powder to water. I used a 5 gallon bucket that I had to clean dried paint from first. After filling the bucket about a third, I added mortar until the mixture was fluid but held a notch. Fortunately I have all the tools for this job. I tiled quite a bit in Arizona and have a 1/2 inch electric drill that can easily mix concrete with a spiral metal mixer attachment and the 1/4 inch v notch trowel for laying the Ditra and a 3/8″ square notch trowel for laying the tile. So these were tools I didn’t have to purchase again.

I let the mortar sit 10 minutes and then spread a generous amount on the bathroom floor and pressed the Ditra into it with a small steel roller that I also already have on hand.

Ditra with mortar bucket

I had enough mortar left over to begin laying the full tiles on the diagonal pattern. I both spread the mortar on the Ditra and back buttered each tile as recommended in the Ditra installation instructions.

Laying tiles

The next day I cut the rest of the tiles to fit and laid them out. It took all my work time to just cut the tiles, so it took another day to get them laid. The mortar mix was a bit less stiff this time. I like it a bit stiffer but this worked. It is supposed to be wet but firm enough to take a notch and this was.

Soft mortar mix

Then it took about two hours to lay the odd shaped tiles in place. It took a little longer because where I was sloppy at the edge of the tile with mortar, I had to chip it out to lay the tiles next to the ones that were already installed. I chipped it with the box knife and vacuumed the edges before applying more mortar. Otherwise the mortar kept the new tile from laying flat against the mortared tile. I was more careful not to leave mortar at the edges for the rest of the install. I ran out of mortar towards the end and had to mix a little more.

Bathroom floor tile

Since I completely used one bag of mortar and needed more to do the job, I decided to wait to lay the door trim pieces. I have epoxy grout for the tile so I will have to learn to mix that accurately and apply it before we can reinstall the toilet.

Unfinished tile near shower and door

I may need to ramp the tile a bit at the door and at the shower to minimize the change in levels. I left out the tiles nearest to the shower and I didn’t mortar the Ditra at the shower edge so I can place a waterproofing layer at the transition. I will have to figure out the shower tile later.

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Building a Bed Foundation (Box Springs)

Posted on July 6, 2017 by ellen

We didn’t buy a box springs with our queen mattress because we had a platform bed which didn’t need one. But the new log bed for the master bedroom requires that the mattress be elevated about 7 1/2″. I could have bought a metal box for about $120 and put it together to lift the mattress into place, but it seemed like a simple project for which I already had all the wood so I decided to build one instead.

My inspiration came from instructables, as well as photos of bed foundations including a nice photo of one for sale on Craigslist.

Full bed frame for sale

This was similar to one I found that someone put together from a kit on Amazon, but I couldn’t find a wooden kit. And I thought building it would not be too difficult.
Instead of 2 x 6’s, I used a couple of 1 x 8 pine boards that we had from the trim in the house that I knew I wasn’t going to need for the post since I plan to cover the exposed one in rock. The old 1 x 8 pine was actually 7.5 inches wide, the new stuff is only a bit over 7. Maybe 7.20?
I had two newer pieces and two older pieces and several 1 x 4’s from a bed I bought for the logs. I cut them to 78 inches and 58 inches for the new frame and used the nail gun to tack them together.
When I started to use the nail gun, it wouldn’t work. I read the instructions again and noticed that the right light was blinking. That meant a jammed nail. But when I opened the door part, I didn’t see a stray nail. So I put it back together and got the same error. When I took it apart again, I noticed that the punch that pokes the nail into the wood was not back in the gun so I tapped it back into the slide and the jam was repaired. I was worried I would have to take it in for service just when I was getting many projects to use it. But luckily I was able to fix the problem.
I cut 2 x 4 pieces to reinforce the corners and screwed them to both boards with two screws each.

Boards tacked with 2 x 4 corners

Then I put in spacers and cut 1 x 4’s to carry the crosspieces and nailed them into the sides. I also used a 2 x 3 as a middle support, screwing it into both boards.

Frame with mid and side supports

We brought the whole thing in and it was just about an exact fit. Then I put the cut crosspieces about equidistant across the top and screwed them in.

Crosspieces for mattress support

The bed foundation is sturdy and works well with the queen mattress bringing the mattress right up to the bottom bar on the headboard.

Mattress meets bottom of headboard

I had reinforced the headboard because it was put together with plywood keys and some of them fell out as the rounds expanded or cracked. I repaired some and then nailed a 1 x 2 frame around the slices of wood.

Back of headboard

I had to shim it a bit to account for the varying thinkness of the slices.

Shimmed boards for backing

I bought a 4 x 8 piece of 1/4 inch sanded plywood and had a piece cut that was 60 inches by 36 inches, then I shaped it to size with a circular saw when I got home. I stained and polyurethaned the back on the good side and then attached it to the back of the headboard with nails and screws.

Backing stained and polyurethaned

With the bed made up you can see the wood between the slices of wood that holds them steady. This reinforcement will allow us to lean against the headboard to read etc. without worrying that we are loosening the wood rounds.

Bed made up with head and footboard

Bed with quilt and shams

Bed on oriental carpet

The bed is a piece of art. It was built by our friends Lewis and Steve Fender, brothers who live on each side of their meat processing shop in Spencer, Indiana. It is made of cross sections of local wood both common and rare. The middle round is a piece of angel grained maple that inspired the construction of the bed. There is also walnut and ironwood and poplar, and oak and several other local tree species. They have made numerous carvings, turned wood, several pieces of furniture, and wood strip canoes. Whatever project they come up with it is a wonder to behold when they are finished. I feel privileged to own this beautiful bed made by them.

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White Brick

Posted on July 3, 2017 by ellen

I’m painting the concrete brick walls in the master bedroom and bathroom. They were dirty and marred by splatters of concrete from the floor.

Painting the brick wall

I used the left over low VOC primer from painting the walls and the Yolo no VOC paint from a craigslist purchase.

Bedroom brick wall

Before painting I had to caulk the space between the brick and the drywall walls.

Open edge between drywall and brick

I used foam backer but had purchased 1″ diameter because the space seemed so big and that was way too wide so I cut it in half and in some places in quarters. The caulk line was thick but better than the open space.

I taped the walls and ceilings to get good paint lines and not mar the tan surfaces. We moved a wall in the bathroom and that unpainted space had to have mortar and old caulk chipped off. It is not very visible with just the primer on the wall.

I also cleaned up the floor behind the tub to start laying the tile so that I can install the tub and start tiling around the toilet and sink so they can be installed too.

Ready for tile behind tub

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Stove Hood Light Fixture

Posted on June 28, 2017 by ellen

After a frustrating afternoon trying to snake a light cord through the wall behind the stove, Dave suggested I try getting a camera. Seemed like a good idea to me so I went to Amazon and bought an Endoscope/Borescope which happened to be a lightening deal.

Goodan Endoscope

This little device has a flexible but stiff cable so that it could be manipulated in the wall somewhat. It has a lighted end to see what the camera is seeing and although I didn’t need the length it is 5 meters long. The image is projected to a phone screen through a wifi connection directly to the device. It can also be attached to a USB port on a computer. The application that is downloaded to the phone to see the image also allows for photos or videos of what is on the screen.

Dropping the wire

I used a flexible piece of wire to catch the camera wire and pull it through the hole drilled above the stove. It took several tries and once I got the wire through to the attic but when I tried to push the electric cord through the gap, the tape tore and I lost the connection and had to do it all over again! So I tried a couple of other methods, none of which worked as well as sending the camera down from the attic to below the level of the stove hole and then catching the cable with a wire hook and pulling it through the hole.

The wire hook

Then I attached the wire to the camera with tape and pulled them up through the drilled holes. In the attic I taped the cord to the wire, the second time securely enough to get it back down through the two drilled holes and out the hole that connected to the stove light. It was easy to take a photo of what the camera was seeing with the app.

Taking a photo

I plugged the end of the light cord that came with the fixture into the connector. I also taped it to make the connection less subject to pulling apart. Then I plugged the cord into an outlet in the attic. Two screws hold the fixture in place over the stove and the light is an LED tiltable version so the light shines down on the stove not in the eyes.

GetInLight Swivel LED Fixture

Unfortunately this fixture did not allow for rear wiring and I didn’t want the wire to show at the side, so I cut open the back with a dremel tool and moved the wire from the side to the rear. The on/off switch is on the light fixture.

Rear connected light

I first bought a 22 inch straight LED fixture that could be direct wired or plugged into an outlet with the wiring through the bottom or side, but I had to mount it on the rear wall not up under a cabinet so the light shone directly in the eyes of the cook. The tiltable model is only 12 inches but it seems to light the area adequately without shining its light in my eyes.

Stove light fixture

It was not easy but it was nice to finish this small task. I also vacuumed the floor to set up the old guestroom again and cleaned and placed a decorative table. I keep working on projects large and small to create a more finished home.

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To Ditra or not to Ditra?

Posted on June 27, 2017 by ellen

I’ve decided to lay the floor tile before reinstalling the family room bathroom toilet and sink. I don’t really want to install them and then later take them out again to tile. Why not tile first? The question was whether to use an underlayment on the concrete or not. Ordering the substrate delays starting the project and adds extra cost.

That bathroom floor has several cracks in it. I’m not sure whether the bigger shower and its thinner concrete has caused more cracking or if it is just a weak area for some other reason. In the upper right corner I have one of the tiles I am using laid out. It is hard to tell it from the stained concrete floor.

Bathroom Floor Cracks

There is even a crack that went through the base of the toilet when it was installed before the walls were up or drywalled. We took it out to finish the drywall.

Toilet Base Crack

The toilet crack made me believe that if the floor continues to crack, the tile will also crack. I’m using Schluter products in the showers and it seems like a good preventative to use the Ditra uncoupling membrane on this bathroom floor.
This layer is mortared into place first before the tile is set. The Schluter site explains how the membrane works to minimize or eliminate cracking even on OSB plywood.

DITRA provides uncoupling through its open rib structure, which allows for in-plane movement that effectively neutralizes the differential movement stresses between the substrate and the tile, thus eliminating the major cause of cracking and delaminating of the tiled surface.

I chose to order the Ditra through an ebay site because it appeared to be the most convenient way to get it, although it is about the same cost at our local big box store, It is not in stock and would have to be shipped to the store. Big box stores take as long or longer to ship to store or home as online stores.

Ditra Underlayment

So I can lay out the tile and cut pieces but wait to install it until the membrane arrives.

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SPT Dishwasher Repair

Posted on June 24, 2017 by ellen

We use our small dishwasher regularly and over the past months we noticed the dishes have not been getting as clean. I cleaned the filters, took apart the arms and cleared them of debris and cleaned the stainless steel interior. I ran an empty load with vinegar in the bottom and in a cup on the lower rack. Doing this maintenance helped get the dishes cleaner but it seemed that something was wrong. Finally we got an E1 error just after the start of a load and the dishwasher stopped running. The owners manual said that meant the water input was too slow. The manual lists low water pressure or partially closed faucets or restricted input as causes, but upon further research it appeared that the most likely culprit was the water inlet valve.

It was not difficult to take the dishwasher apart. The bottom comes off with four screws and the pump and inlet valve were located behind the kickplate which is removable. The dishwasher has a heavy concrete bottom but the workings are above and in front of that. I had to take off the back and loosen the side to reach the two bolts that held on the inlet valve. I broke the valve’s connection to the hose that supplies the water to the machine but I was replacing the valve anyway.

Unfortunately, the parts for the SPT seem to only be available from Suppentown and the inlet valve was not listed as an available part. I read several SPT repair questions and at some point I saw that a Frigidaire 154637401 Inlet Valve would work as a replacement. I ordered one from Amazon because although a bit more expensive, I can get delivery in two days.

Frigidaire Inlet Valve

Frigidaire Inlet valve 2

This valve was very similar to the broken one from the dishwasher however its attachment plate was too long so that if bolted in the same place as the original, it crimped the inlet hose. So instead of bolting it on the side, I screwed it to the metal bottom above the concrete and attached a 3/8″ IPT male to 1/2″ sharkbite instead of the original dishwasher hose.

I think the Danby portable 18 inch dishwasher valve would have fit exactly. But it was only later that I found that part and Amazon didn’t carry it.

Danby Inlet Valve

The Danby 18″ dishwasher is similar to the SPT and I found a service manual for the built in model. So in the future I may be able to use that to help make needed repairs.

I have enough left over 1/2″ pex to use through the rear of the dishwasher and I hooked the pex up with more sharkbites at the wall. I added a ball valve as the outlet did not have a valve, although there is one not far away, I prefer to have one right behind the machine. I put all the panels back on and only ended up with four extra screws. Then I ran the short cycle without dishes and it worked fine.

Dishwasher repaired

I was very pleased to get our $500 dishwasher that I bought used for $150 repaired for only $20. The internet is a wonderful tool.

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Whoa! Living Room Put Together

Posted on June 24, 2017 by ellen

We have been pushing ourselves to get the house together after the drywall installation. I finally finished the rest of the concrete floor with steaming, washing, staining spots and cracks, sealing and polishing.

Living Room Floor

Today we were able to move some furniture back in and finally lay out the Persian rug from my grandmother. I love the rustic Old Hickory furniture with the plush wool oriental rug.

Living Room Furniture

Even without trim and baseboards the room looks wonderful to me. I also had to clean the drywall spackle and dust from the large TV cabinet. And I had to purchase new blades for the ceiling fan. I could not find the original blades and I really wanted the fan to help cool the room. So I bought a set of Kichner blades that were on clearance and redrilled two holes to get them to fit. There are several time consuming steps to the finished product.

Living Room with cabinet and fan

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