[ Thu Jul 10, 08:48:58 PM | D C | edit ]
Ok, with the dog walked and my carpets vacuumed, I feel much better. So, wanna know how I fixed the caulked up Mantle? First, I tried to sand it off. I sure am glad I was unemployed at the time, or else I would have been pissed off. Obviously it wasn't enough to paint the nice dark natural 146" long wooden mantle white. This thing is a foot thick by the way. No NO NO... these freggin people caulked all the little holes to "smooth" out the wood. Holy dogshit man. I went through like 3 1/2 packages of sanding paper on the sander before I got a weeeeee bit frustrated. I think I took like 57 'smoke' breaks betwixt and between cursing over my ever increaslingly sore arms. So, I get the front all off with a scraper and some elbow grease. Me and my measuring tape are trying to figure out just what in the hell I was going to do next. Just so happened it was exactly foot deep----hmmmmmm,,,,, tiles are a foot by... well.. fuckin a ... I tiled the bastard.
Hints to small tile jobs:
First and foremost- measure 3 times at least- 22 times if you smoke (and get a calculator)
1. For a tray to mix the mortar and grout in ~ plastic paint tray
2. Those little plastic divider thingies are more like a guideline than the "law"
3. Don't let your dog lick it- no matter how funny it is
4. Grout last...mortar first....
5. Buy the little tube of grout caulk in the same color as your grout
6. Expect to clean out your nails for a week
7. Plastic covers on EVERYTHING
8. Only martar the space of 1 and a half tiles ahead
Peace out