Help with a rebuild!

[2quills]

I've done several tubs and showers. What you're talking about doing is not overly difficult but it is a big job to take on for most home owners. The most important part is really going to be the plumbing and does require some experience to pull it off cleanly. But it's not impossible if you take the time to plan before you begin. Try to incorporate easy access to valves and connections to the shower and tub for future maintenance. There's nothing worse than going through all of the work and finishing it off only to realize the plumbing work is all screwed up.
Other then that, the framework for the tub is pretty simple with some basic carpentry skills. And the tile work isn't overly difficult when you have the right tools. I'd utilize cement backer board under all the tile work in the stall and around the tub.

 

[rlablan]

I replied to this. I know I did. Apparently it did not stick. Sorry.
I agree with what you said, Corey. I was thinking all of that but I wasn't sure.
A family friend came over last night and said that what he would do is take the tub and shower out. And go from there. He said remove the whole side and then we would find the tub that we want. Put that in, and then build a shower around that.
He gave me a few pointers and tips, which was helpful. I don't feel so overwhelmed now.
We have decided to finished the cabinetry niche on the opposite wall first and the water closet so that at least we have sinks and a toilet.
I am getting all four of my wisdom teeth removed on the 27th, so that will be putting a damper on things. I would like to have a sink and toilet in the room to make things a little easier.
In tank news-
Yesterday, the pistol shrimp decided to go nuts and dig all of the sand out from under the other side of the archway that he lives under. Bad move. He caused a huge rock slide and everything fell. I think everything came through. Though I put the rock work back together, I was not able to achieve the exact same look. It's still the same general layout but it doesn't look as good this time. It is, however, more stable.
Pictures to come.

 

[rlablan]

So blitz... You there?
I bought my countertop, some oak butcher block. But I don't know jack about working with wood. I need to seal this puppy up. My bathroom is SUPER humid... I want this countertop to withstand a bomb. I know you know a lot about stains/sealing and making it look nice. What do I need to do with this top? I want it to match the flooring. I know I need to get the light coat of seal or whatever off of the countertop. They said I could just sand it off and go from there.
What do I do after the sanding? There is no stain on it, it's just lightly covered to seal it. I want to make it match my floor and from there, I just need it to be as sealed as possible.
Anyone else who knows whats up with wood, I also welcome your info.
Thanks all!
-Rae

 

[smallreef]

After you sand your going to have to stain to match your floor if the butcher block is alot lighter (usually oak) you can 1 of 2 things...
stain and then seal or buy a stain/seal combo... what you will want since this is a bathroom is oil based..because if you did do a water based you may have to reseal it EVERY YEAR ugh! SO the only bad part is oil based takes longer to dry and personally I find it harder to get even coats if you have to do multiples to get the color you want.. which may not be a problem becuase the butcher block will never be a uniform look because of the different grains/slabs...
IF you do the water based with a polyurethane sealer you may be okay with MANY coats of sealer... and then again? Ive never used water based sealers on a very used surface in a humid room...

 

[2quills]

Well I'm not, Seth (I know the disappointment). But I have to say that I also agree with your friend...
Pick the components that you want and design around that The last time I did a bathroom for us I completely gutted it and made it completely my own when it was all finished. I did a one-off custom pattern with the tiled floor, orange peel texture on the ceiling and a heavy knock down on the walls, I built an arch frame over the tub that I thought looked pretty cool, I did a stepped ceiling and ran recessed lighting all the way around. The wife really loved that. Said it made for nice mood bathing lol. Trimmed it all out real nice, the works! But it was supposed to be a 2 week job that I did in my spare time that turned into more like 5 weeks lol. And a lot more money spent that I first was planning on. But in the end it was worth it. We loved that room.
Is this a virgin butcher block or has it been used before? If it's new I'd just stain it with an oil based stain and finish it with polyurethane. If you really want bullet proof then pour some bar top epoxy on there. But it's going to take at least 2 coats of poly if you want a fairly durable finish. 3-5 coats is not unheard of. I did 5 coats on my aquarium stand. But I refinished some cabinets in a house a couple of weeks ago that turned out gorgeous with 2.
I've tried the combination stain and finish in-one products before. But personally, I can't stand the way the finish turns out with them. It's nothing against the product, it comes in handy when time is off the essence. But I wouldn't put it on my own stuff.
If the butcher block is used and came from an actual kitchen then it's probably been treated with a oil, like linseed or walnut oil to seal and bring out the natural beauty of the wood. Traditional butcher blocks are treated about once a month with oil. The trick to keeping them looking there best for a long time is to never let the wood dry out.
So staining your block might actually be like a fly in the face of traditionalism. But who wants to be traditional, anyway?

 

[rlablan]

Thanks guys!
It is a new, in the box block. BUT it has been pretreated. It has a very light "seal" on it. It's not dull but it's not shiny. Feels definitely like a coat of something. Whatever it is, it's completely clear.
Yes it's oak.
So I obviously don't want the combo product stuff. I'm okay taking my time. I have a sander. But I need to buy stain and yes, I was planning to use poly. I have not used this before though. What exactly are the steps if I want the separate products, and not the combo stuff. I ask because I have only tried to stain once. It was with a combo product and it turned out awful. The guy at the HD was like "oh just slather it on there" and he was "an experienced wood worker. i would hate to see what his jobs looked like. Because mine came out AWFUL.
I am not that concerned about the "evenness" of the stain because you are right... the grain is gonna be mixed anyway.
So- I sand the whole block down. Then I - - what? Lay down one coat of stain and wait? I live in AZ and it's been about 100 out lately. It's only been a little humid. Not anything crazy... Am I okay to be doing this? Is the stain gonna take and stuff?
If I need to do 5 coats, I guess I need to do 5 coats. oh well.

 

[novahobbies]

The combo product is OK, but it should never be used IN PLACE OF a top coat or two of poly. Believe me, you'll be better off with separate products. If your stain can only be found in the combo (I've run into that problem) you will want to use two or three light coats, and I've found that it can be thinned as long as you don't thin too much. You will STILL want to poly over it though....the combo products just don't seal as good as the products separately would.

 

[smallreef]

WIth the stain... you want to stain it as evenly as possible and do as many coats until you get the desired color... usually 2 or 3 coats depending on color...
With the poly,,, you MUST sand between coats to get it shiny.. and to keep the slick to it.. or it can get gummy... what alot of people do is use high grade steel wool inbetween instead of sand paper as the steel wool takes off less of the poly than hand sanding and def. dont use an electric sander ...not enough control

 

[novahobbies]

Quote:
Originally Posted by smallreef http:///t/392624/help-with-a-rebuild/120#post_3493346
WIth the stain... you want to stain it as evenly as possible and do as many coats until you get the desired color... usually 2 or 3 coats depending on color...
With the poly,,, you MUST sand between coats to get it shiny.. and to keep the slick to it.. or it can get gummy... what alot of people do is use high grade steel wool inbetween instead of sand paper as the steel wool takes off less of the poly than hand sanding and def. dont use an electric sander ...not enough control
+1000.

 

[2quills]

If you time it accordingly the sanding between coats is not necissary with poly. If you wait too long the poly bwgins to cure so its necissary to sand or wet sand between coats in order to ensure a good bond. Ive never heard that its necessary in order to get a shiney finish. In my expeience the more coats you apply rhe shinier it gets. The sanding between coats takes some practice in order to not screw up your finish.
This is what I would do....sand the block wit h 220 grit sand paper. Then whipe ot down with a damp rag and sand it again. Whipe it off one more time to fet all the dust off the wood. Then let it dry and apply your stain. Work fast and whipe off any excess stain. Wait 4 hours. I usually do 2 coats of stain...the second one I consider more or less a touch up coat. Let that dry than apply your poly. Apply a second coat of poly within 6-8 hours and consider it done. This method has never failed me regardless of what you read on cans or the internet. JMO
Wow, can I get a spell check please? lol

 

[rlablan]

Okay- so I'm just trying to plan this out so that I understand every detail.
I sand and wipe, sand and wipe...
Then do first coat of stain.
(You said wipe off access stain? So you mean that I apply a thin, even coat. Then I wipe it off? Wipe it with what? Just a random rag? Won't that leave marks?)
I had seen that you can get a great shine with the steel wooing. That's what I've seen people, Seth being one, do to their stands. Should I be doing that? Will it help seal the block? I am planning on putting glass over the top of the wood afterwards, just to avoid marks and make it easy to clean.
Really, I just want the color to match the flooring, and I want this thing to be sealed so it will last as long as possible. It seems like a lot of work but I really love the look of wood in the bathroom. It's so unexpected.
speaking of wood- With the new shower, I am thinking slate still. Now here is a though that occurred to me. What if I tile the bottom of the shower... wait for it... one a diagonal access (which the regular floor is straight on)... with the WOOD LOOK tile?!
The colors look great together, and they will be next to each other anyway, so that is not the problem. I am going to do a shower stall, with a small curb as we discussed. the curb will be slate, the walls in the shower will be slate, as well as the surround on the new tub. But then instead of being slate on the shower bottom, what about the wood? It's a little bit of detail since it will be diagonal. but not overwhelming.
The BF says "sure if it looks good". My mother immediate response was "well, it's meant to look like wood. Why would you want wood in a shower?" Thats kind of my point. I think if it looks good, then check. And also, it will be unexpected. Original.
I am also concerned about bringing another material/texture into this space. I have glass tile, wood look floor, wood counter top, and now slate. Bringing in something like pebble bottom or smaller slate I think is too much.
I guess I can do all slate, but I think that is just a little boring and kind of heavy (since it's all on one wall).
What do you all think?
Again, thanks to everyone. I really appreciate you bearing with me and reading through my remodel. And I REALLY appreciate the feedback. I am getting a little over my head. But I will get through it, with your help.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by rlablan http:///t/392624/help-with-a-rebuild/120#post_3493496
Okay- so I'm just trying to plan this out so that I understand every detail.
I sand and wipe, sand and wipe...
Then do first coat of stain.
(You said wipe off access stain? So you mean that I apply a thin, even coat. Then I wipe it off? Wipe it with what? Just a random rag? Won't that leave marks?)
I had seen that you can get a great shine with the steel wooing. That's what I've seen people, Seth being one, do to their stands. Should I be doing that? Will it help seal the block? I am planning on putting glass over the top of the wood afterwards, just to avoid marks and make it easy to clean.
Really, I just want the color to match the flooring, and I want this thing to be sealed so it will last as long as possible. It seems like a lot of work but I really love the look of wood in the bathroom. It's so unexpected.
speaking of wood- With the new shower, I am thinking slate still. Now here is a though that occurred to me. What if I tile the bottom of the shower... wait for it... one a diagonal access (which the regular floor is straight on)... with the WOOD LOOK tile?!
The colors look great together, and they will be next to each other anyway, so that is not the problem. I am going to do a shower stall, with a small curb as we discussed. the curb will be slate, the walls in the shower will be slate, as well as the surround on the new tub. But then instead of being slate on the shower bottom, what about the wood? It's a little bit of detail since it will be diagonal. but not overwhelming.
The BF says "sure if it looks good". My mother immediate response was "well, it's meant to look like wood. Why would you want wood in a shower?" Thats kind of my point. I think if it looks good, then check. And also, it will be unexpected. Original.
I am also concerned about bringing another material/texture into this space. I have glass tile, wood look floor, wood counter top, and now slate. Bringing in something like pebble bottom or smaller slate I think is too much.
I guess I can do all slate, but I think that is just a little boring and kind of heavy (since it's all on one wall).
What do you all think?
Again, thanks to everyone. I really appreciate you bearing with me and reading through my remodel. And I REALLY appreciate the feedback. I am getting a little over my head. But I will get through it, with your help.
Yep, sand then wipe, then sand and wipe again.
Are you using a light or dark color of stain? I've always found oak to stain fairly well and even, myself. But whenever you're working with stain you don't want to let any excess stain to dry on top of the wood. Coat it, wipe off the excess and then re-coat if necessary. 2-3 coats of lighter colored stain is pretty typical to bring out the richness of the color. If one coat is good enough to match the floor then you're all ace's. I use cotton rags to stain with, myself. Staining rag in one hand and a wipe-off rag in the other hand, removing excess as I go. If you take the time to do the sanding then I've always found oak to be a pleasure to work with, myself. Since it's a hard wood it stains pretty even as it is. Completely different story vs dealing with softer woods like pine, poplar or any of the plywood's.
Sanding between your coats of poly is really more of a personal judgment call. Sanding between coats is primarily for smoothing out any runs or dust that happens to settle in the finish as well as helping to ensure a good bond between coats. In a lot of cases it may be needed if you're picky about your finish especially if you're brushing the finish on since you may get a lot of bubbles in the finish.
If you do feel the need to sand between coats then use #000 Steel Wool. You're going to want to allow the recommended dry time on the can to pass before you sand. Otherwise, the surface won't be cured and you will screw up your beautiful finish and have to either completely start over or live with the mistake. So don't rush it.

I've always liked the diamond pattern tile jobs. That's how I layed my very first tile floor at our old house...

I grouted to the baseboard...

Then tried something different in the middle bathroom...

The brick pattern is nice sometimes, too. Off-setting your grout joints like mortar joints on a brick wall. I say get as creative as you want. But if you're looking to build equity in the home then just remember that when you go to sell the house, some buyers might not agree with your personal taste and can sometimes see that as a negative vs keeping things simpler or neutral. I say you can't really go wrong with nice earth tones in a home. I like different textures, but I like them spread out in different rooms vs all in the same place.

 

[rlablan]

Thanks Quills. That helped clear up a lot of things for me. Now I have a basis of good knowledge from you all, so when I watch some videos and read/hear things, I will know what is good and what is not.
A far as the creativity... even if it weren't up to resale value (Which it is, for the most part) I do not want to do anything that I think I am going to hate. I think the wood look tile on the bottom will be cool. But I don't know. If you all walked into a house like that... would you look at that bathroom, my bathroom, and if you can envision the slate tile on the vertical space and the same wood tile from back a few pages (on the floors) on my floor... would you be like "what was this person thinking? I hate this..." That is where my trepidation lies. I am 90% sure I will like it and though it is my bathroom... I don't want to deal with everyone else hating it and making the house hard to sell. These days, decision can't just be made willy nilly.

 

[smallreef]

I would like it... and I personally think I have really good taste, lol... I have been a 'home decorator' for many of my friends, and friends of their friends,,,,,with that being said there is always going to be someone out there that wont like it... and those who have no vision as to see if you just change paint color it would look totally different...those are the people who have to buy rooms of furniture because they cant pick separate pieces to work together though...

 

[rlablan]

I think I am gonna go for it. I really think I will like it... and I don't want to bring in any other materials... like I expressed before.
Thanks small reef!

 

[2quills]

I wouldn't call it crazy. And at the end of the day it's your house. I think you should make it what you want. The fact that you're updating is a plus.

 

[rlablan]

TANK UPDATES!!!
first- The Solana.
Well, I have had to redo the rock work, like I said, because the pistol shrimp had decided to move all of the sand from one side of the tank to the other, causing a rock slide. So I will snap a pick of that in a few hours when the light come on.
Also- I had a happy little home of two gobies (watchmen and randalls) for over 2 years and they even keep pairing up, even after several new tanks and tank moves. Then I decided to put a pistol shrimp in. At first, they all moved in together and it was great! They each had a little door of their little cave to guard and they even switched shifts. It was awesome. But sadly... I think I have some domestic violence going on in the tank. It started yesterday-
I came home from a charity event (which I will mention briefly later because I love this organization and wanna give them a little time) and found my dogs sitting right by the front of the tank. They were really somber looking. I walked over to them and found that my purple fire fish had become a crispy critter. His little body all curled up between the two dogs who didn't know what to do with him. I gave him the proper porcelain send off. I am really sad. He was a great eater and not shy at all! I feel bad that he died. I just hope it was instant. That's about a 5 foot fall, on to hard tile surface. I hope he didn't suffer and lay there for hours.
I then come out to wash my hands and see that my yellow watchman is laying on top of my giant toad stool leather and he is torn into shreds! nearly all of his fins had been reduced to small "spikes" and his had a couple of discolored white spots. He looks stressed and was breathing ever so slowly.
I thought about euthanizing him so he didn't have to suffer... But then I thought, he honestly doesn't look like he will last an hour. He looked comfy where he was and I didn't want to make him suffer by trying to catch him. I figured that would only stress him out more. A few hours later, I go to collect him and he has switches spots. He is still sitting upright but still in bad shape. I think well, I will leave him.
By dinner last night he had moved around a lot. He obviously had some life left. I fed them and he ate very enthusiastically. However, after dinner he decided he wanted to go visit the randalls goby in his former home. Bad idea. He stays for a few hours there, until there was a bug huff and he was booted out. He appeared to have a few more injuries but he almost didn't seem to mind. The randalls goby did not want him there any longer and, I think, was trying to make that very clear.
I think I have a sordid love triangle going on in my tank

. I just feel bad for this little guy. He wants his little family back and the randalls goby doesn't like him anymore.
I decided that I would lock the watchmen up in my little fish trap so he can heal. He is doing fine in there. I just directly feed him and he eats. I am hoping he will be all healed up soon.
I AM SO GLAD I DIDN'T EUTHANIZE HIM. He obviously was not ready to go.
But now-- it's like... what do I do with him? Could I get another shrimp to pair him with? And they could live somewhere else? Would he, or would he just keep going back to the other goby and get beat up? I dunno if I can put him in my other tank. I would say no be cause Oscar, the ducky jawfish, would more than likely eat him. He's not big enough. Oscar also does not take tinkly to new comers in that tank.
I am still playing around with the idea of a 5 gallon pico tank. Just a whole lotta coral and the watchman? I feel bad getting rid of him. I've had him for a very long time. I need to think about what is best for him though. I don't want him to die. That's so sad.
Now, on to The Cardiff- -
This is the smaller 30 gal across the room that houses my two clowns and my jawfish Oscar.
This rock work was also getting wobbly due to oscars insane architectural demands. He has moved all of the sand out of his home which had become the entire center of the tank. This caused my rock archway that he lived under to become shaky. I redid the rock in this tank and moved quite a few corals around to allow for more room. I also movd the frag rack that I had made to the other side of the tank. It's less invasive there and then the clam can get more light. The small frags that I have been putting in there are doing great!! They have all increased in size and color. Those few that I don't know what they are have gotten some real color on them! Soon, I hope I know what they are. lol
As far as new additions, I moved the sun corals in to this tank. They have less light and this tank is a little older. Corals, most of them, seem to be really happy in here. I think they will thrive more. We shall see. I also picked up a florescent Maxi mini to go with my red/gold/green combo. The rose bubble is doing wonderfully. I'm tickled because this is the first one I've been able to keep alive. He also looks great! Good color and his tentacles are fat, not all skinny and ugly. So that's cool. The tube anemone is growing well. I finally have an open area of sand bed for him and he has been extending beautifully. The very large clam still seems to be happy and healthy. His color has been improving. I don't think it will change but it has been becoming more vivid. All and all, I would say that this tank is doing really well. I am happy with it. Pictures to come when the lights turn on. Maybe I will turn them on a little early today.

 

[rlablan]

Owl Love You Forever- This is the organization that I helped yesterday. A dear friend recently lost a set of twins at about 6 months gestation. It was a very tragic loss for her as this was her 1st pregnancy and it was obviously very sudden. A few weeks after going through this whole ordeal, her sister had ordered some mementos for her to remember her baby girls. They are Handmade, stuffed owls that have the names of the babies on the back of them.
After going through her whole ordeal (within the last 4 months), she has started to get involved with this organization (a NFP) who donate boxes to hospitals for families who are grieving from sudden loss or stillborn children. The boxes have hand contain 2 handmade blankets (one for use, one for memento), a baggie for a lock of hair, a disposable camera, baby wash and other such items so the family can go through bonding time with their lost child, and also an owl just like the ones my friend received. Along with these, a few other items that can hopefully help soothe a grief stricken mother.
We were all there for a publicity piece for Sonoran Living, an Arizona show that talks about things here in the valley and is broadcast on a major new channel. After listening to the mother's stories of loss and having nothing to help comfort them, how they started this NFP to help bring some dignity and peace to a devastating event and helping sew those little hand made blankets...
I just thought- Man, If I were in this situation, it would be so nice to know that someone cares enough to do something special for someone they don't even know. And how such a small gesture could help turn an event of horror, shock and tears into a dignified send off with some sadness but also some joy and love. I am so happy that I went to this event yesterday. It really opened my eyes to something that I really thought was so rare and could never effect me...
Here is link to their facebook page if anyone wants or needs to know more. Also, if you are here in the valley, they highly encourage people to get involved! Also, they are really into getting programs started into other states!
http://www.facebook.com/owlloveyouforever
And their website
http://www.owlloveyouforever.org

 

[novahobbies]

Wow, the Owl Love You Forever site is interesting...definitely a worthy cause for a problem that we none of us like to talk about.
.....and a 5g nano setup (say, as a bedside tank....) would be perfect for a single watchman goby and some coral! I definitely don't think you want to keep him in with the other goby. I think they've made it pretty clear that the Watchman is now a third wheel.

 

[rlablan]

Nova- I think you are right. I will look into a small set up for him. For now, I just want him to hang out in his little fortress and heal up. I dunno what else to do with him, besides stick him in the sump. Poor guy... I have a guy here in town that sells awesome used equipment and I am going to look into setting up a little system for this guy. I was thinking some of the easier non-photosynthetic stuff... that way I don't have to worry about a light or anything. I was thinking of getting something that I can build a back chamber into, kind of the way the cardiff is set up? just silicone a panel into it and then use one of my little pumps for a return. I will add some type of little skimmer to the back area, some filter media/rubble... maybe even a small upside down water bottle of an ATO/water displacement type deal to try and keep it more stable? I know that systems like this can be found but I really don't want to have to pay $$$ for this stuff. I would rather make it my own, if I can. I will add a small light, somehow. I was thinking just like 3 LEDs, like a lunar or something? I think the blue would be cool. And that should be more than enough for anything photosynthetic that I add which, would be limited to some mushrooms (probably average guys)... Maybe a ric or two... but mostly spotted or fuzzies or something.
What do you guys things?
As far OLUF, I was surprised to hear that a lot of the families who have been touched by these types of tragedies actually WANT to talk about it. People treat it as such a taboo thing and the parents don't want to bring it up because they know it makes people uncomfortable. I heard some of the families saying "We are always wanting to talk about and celebrate ALL of our kids but I find that we shy away from bringing it up because we don't want to make anyone uncomfortable."
With my GF, I wanted to ask and I wanted to be supportive and give her an outlet... but I thought that by asking about it, I would come off very Blasé about something that is quite the contrary. When I finally did work up the courage to ask, she just started gushing about everything... and it wasn't even sad emotions. It was not what I thought would happen at all. She told me that she wanted to bring it up but didn't want to seem weird. I was hearing a lot of that yesterday... She said that is usually how things go.
If you ever encounter someone who has been through this or it happens around/to you, I encourage you talk about it. It's the opposite of what you would think but I have definitely learned some things about all of this... that is for sure. I appreciate you taking the time to look at the site. Makes me feel good that I put it here and hopefully if just one more person sees it that didn't know, maybe they will tell someone and so on and so forth. I wish I had known all of this BEFORE my friend went through it. I could have been a huge help to her. I would have liked to have done more.