operation knock-down drag-out: week 7.

when given the options of working on the shower tile or the ceiling this week, Mark decided that it would make the most sense to go straight from tiling the floor last week to tiling the shower surround this week. i can think of three reasons that might have influenced his decision making process: 1. he was already really on a roll with the whole tiling thing, 2. his uncle didnt need his tile-tools back just yet, and 3. it bought him some more time before he has to crawl up into the attic and play with wiring.

so just like last week, we spent our friday evening hanging out at the Depot in the tile aisle. except unlike last week, when we got to the tile aisle we discovered that the shelf we were expecting to be filled-to-capacity with boxes of subway tiles was actually empty. boo. but no worries, we just asked someone for help. a simple solution to our dilemma, or so we thought.

well, the first person we asked was just upset that we weren't interested in signing up for some mailing list and maybe getting some free stuff, but he did offer to find us someone from the flooring department who supposedly could help us. he brought us a man whose orange smock was decorated with all manner of willy wonka decals. willy wonka checked the inventory, mumbled a lot, and then wandered out of the aisle with a promise to find someone from the flooring department to help us. wait, you thought willy WAS the flooring department guy? yeah, us too.

and then - willy never came back. when we were thisclose to giving up and just going to lowes, i decided to see how long it would take me and my helpless-girl-in-a-hardware-store impression to get someone to offer to help. when that didnt work AT ALL i switched tactics and went with my stomping-fuming-dissatisfied-customer impression to corner some poor employee from i-didnt-even-care-which department to take me to the manager who called a forklift driver to retrieve our pallet of tile from the top shelf.

follow all that? it took 5 people and a forklift to find us the 6 boxes of tile we needed. sounds like a super fun friday night date night, amirite?

 ok, fine i'll admit the forklift part was pretty awesome.

Mark got started on the tile on Saturday, and managed to get all the prep work and one whole row of tile done before he had to call it a day and get cleaned up to go to a wedding. in his defense, the first row is the most important, since all the other tiles literally build off of it, so it makes sense that he took his time and did it right.

here's your technical tidbit of the week: this week mark is using yet another type of mud called mastic. apparently it comes premixed, has a longer open time than thinset, and is less runny and easier to work with, so mastic is the way to go for your mud-related needs whenever possible.

now how about a bonus technical tidbit for this week: cutting tile. there are two saws that mark is using on this project: the wet saw on the front porch, (as seen in last week's post) and this tile cutter that currently lives in the hallway right outside the bathroom. the wet saw actually cuts the tile with a blade, while this cutter is more like a tile score-and-snapper. it is great for cutting tiles in half or close to in half. it is not so good at cutting slivers off the edge of tiles. something-something-moment-forces-tiles-cracking-in-all-the-wrong-places-blah. 

 
as of last night, mark has about half of the tiles up on the wall. he plans to be able to finish up in the available evening hours on tuesday and thursday, then grout on friday and be ready to crawl up into the attic on saturday. fingers crossed that it all goes that smoothly, because if its looking this good when its only half-done and un-grouted, then i cannot wait to see it actually all done and beautiful.

trips to Home Depot: this week - 1. total - 10.
trips to Ace: this week - 0. total - 2.
trips to Lowes: this week - 0. total - 2.

times Amanda has cried over this project: this week - 0. total - 1.
times Amanda has cried in Home Depot: this week - 0. total - 0.

days until Thanksgiving: 44.