The Garage Project: Tile Edition (take 2)

 

The Dabbler has often heard that construction projects never end when they're supposed to. But she didn't think it would happen to her -- especially with Project Manager Olive on board.

Nevertheless, some things wound up out of their control, like the shoddy job resulting from the the harder-to-install-than-they-look, super-cool 'Hampton's Blend' mosaic tile. Though it may look decent in the photo to the left...up close? A disaster painful to even the untrained eye. Hence, the garage project continues long past its target finish of December 23rd, 2005.

Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, Olive interviewed about a half dozen tile contractors before settling on one. Some insisted they could use the existing tile as a base for new layer of tile they'd lay right on top of the old. Others suggested that the entire job needed to be demolished. Everyone pretty much agreed it would be more expensive to repair the myriad errors in the mosaics than to start all over again from scratch with new materials. And there was an even stronger concensus that labor costs to redo the job with the same mosaic tile would be three times as much as with a simpler, larger, ceramic product.

Hence, the Dabbler consulted with Olive, and after much consdiration and slightly broken hearts (Olive will be bathing here too, after all), they decided to use a very basic (read, boring) 3x6 white subway tile as a replacement.

Though not exactly the funky, hip environment she once envisioned, the Dabbler is happy with the craftsmanship of the job, and knows that Olive advised her to make the right decision. The look is now more classic than spa sanctuary (or spa acid-trip as some might have said). But it might just stand the test of time, style-wise, even better than the previous design; most importantly, it is bound to hold up better against dry-rot and mold.

Here, photos of the satisfied PM, in the process of putting together the pedestal sink; and a detail of the new tile, complete with inset shelf for shampoo and other sundries.

With the Garage Project heading toward the finish line, more updates will be posted soon.