We selected 9"x12" subway tiles to install as neither Ben nor I had the patience for little tiles and because the bathroom is so small we wanted something simple and clean. (I make it sound like this was an easy decision this actually entailed about 8 trips to Home Depot, Menards and Lowes, and a lot of convincing). The tiles we finally selected were from Menards and low and behold they were on sale (I think we saved like 5 cents a tile- hahaha).
Now the key to laying good tile is.... I have absolutely no idea. Ben and I seriously winged it. This is not going to be a tutorial at all....more like a record of disasters from last Saturday:
8am: Stop at Home Depot to get some supplies (our 4th trip in 2 days, we saw 2 of the same tile guys from the day before- sad but true).
9am - 11am: Finish prepping for tiling (you would think 5 days would have been enough, and you would be wrong). At this point I am already annoyed because I thought we would start and finish tiling on Friday.
** A little note, so as all renovations can be stressful Ben and I agreed that we would have fun and be nice to each other. Whenever the fun stopped we took a break (which I lovingly referred to as an "unpaid break"), ran and errand, or went to the bar (in our work clothes no less). This was key to surviving the weekend!!!
12pm: Ben mixed up the first set of thinset, which we now know was a little to thick, and we get to work. After laying the third tile, and having the god awful spacers fall out again we both agree that we are never ever doing this again.
2pm: Lunch break -My favorite part.
2:30: Mixing up the next batch of thinset, which we now know was too runny..... We were finally hitting our grove. We are all about finishing all the tiling today and going out to celebrate tonight.
4pm: Moving way slower than anticipated....I start to worry about the reality of actually going out with friends later in the evening.
5:45pm: Time to mix up another batch of thinset, we realize we don't have enough bullnose tiles to finish so we decide to run to Menards to pick some more up. We also sadly cancel dinner plans because we are determined to finish tiling tonight.
6:15pm The most frusterating night with Menards begin. At the Menards in Eden Prairie they don't have the tile we need. The guy claims the bullnose tiles we need are special order only. I politely (or not so politely) inform the man that I have already purchased them from 2 different Menards stores and I highly doubt that special order tile would randomly appear in two stores. After great length of me describing the simplest tile (3"x9" while bullnose tile) they are located on the computer. This Menards doesn't carry them but the Menards in Broolyn Center/Park carries them. Ben and I make the decision to drive to the Menards (about a 35 minute drive).
7:15 We arrive at the Menards in Brooklyn Center/Park only to discover that they don't have the tiles either. At this point I have no idea how Ben or I didn't absolutely loose our minds. We didn't take it out on the nice man that worked at Menards because it really it isn't his fault but when we got in the car we had a few choice words to say.
7:45 We are both starving, angry and now driving back home (another 30 minutes). I decide to call the Menards in Buffalo to see if they have the tiles. The 12 year old who works in the Menards tile department really needs to learn his inventory...ha. First he tells me they don't carry them, I tell them they are a new tile and not in their standard inventory program on the computer but if he could just go look for them he should find them (I figured this out at the Eden Praire Store). Then he tells me he found them they are the Caberera (or something like that) tile. And I tell him, no these are black and while tiles and I only want the white tile. At this point I beg him to walk into the tile aisle find the 9"x12" subway tiles on shelf, look above them and see if they have the 3"x9" bullnose tiles. By some miracle he replies with "Yes, we have a ton".
*** It makes me a little sad that I have the tile department layout at Menards memorized. :)
At this point we are tired, crabby, and are not about to drive to Buffalo to get tile tonight but we decide to go home, start drinking and finish tiling with the tiles we do have.
9pm: Dinner. Ben mixes up the next batch of thinset...which was mixed just right. We start tiling, finish the big wall and start the front wall of the tub with all of the plumbing.
11:30pm I am drunk and tired. I don't care what the tile looks like, we are both crabby, and decide it is time to call it a night. On the way back to my apartment we keep repeating " We are never, ever doing this again".......
Pictures from the end of day one--- no judgments on tile placement allowed. It might not be perfect but it is definitely good enough! :)
Cheers,
Ali
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