A Bathroom Remodel--Day-by-Day--Day 6

A Bathroom Remodel--Day-by-Day

Day Six

Saturday, Feb. 14th

Valentine's Day

    Like good husbands everywhere, I started the day by giving a valentine to my Valentine. It was the high point of the day, and the day could not get any better, so no matter what else happens, I'm a happy man.

    I had a job to look at at ten, and Kirk said he'd go to the bathroom job and seal the floor at 9:30, so when I arrived at eleven, he was done and gone. He had, as promised, sealed the shower floor. I can't say I was happy, however. He and Steve had left the bathroom job to go to another job, and it was obvious they had left the bathroom job in a hurry. I realize they didn't wish to work late on a Friday--but the bathroom should have come first--especially, this bathroom, which needs to be completed by Thursday night--and I doubt the owners want us there until midnight, Thursday, trying to finish.

    Part of the reason I'm more concerned than Kirk or Steve is because I'm the one who made the promise to the customer that we'd be done on schedule. I didn't add any "unlesses," either--"unless" the faucet doesn't come in, "unless" we mess up along the way, etc. I promised "done." Period. 

    Here are the things I wasn't pleased with: two bags of trash left beside the house; two bright orange five-gallon buckets left in front of the house; the mud needed another coat; they hadn't primed the cabinets, as I'd asked them to do; and, worst of all, they hadn't removed the carpet runners, the 30"-wide plastic we put down to protect the customers' flooring. By experience, we've found out that leaving the product down for more than two weeks causes it to exude a sticky glue, which is very difficult to remove. Therefore, I prefer it to be changed out weekly. When we take it up, we also vacuum underneath, and this is something that cannot be done too often when we're working inside someone's house.

    What should I do? If I called Kirk, he probably wouldn't answer the phone, knowing it was bad news on a Saturday if the boss was calling. 

   I had another crew working today, consisting of Wesley and Ray, who were mudding sheetrock in Millbrook. I decided to give them a try. They said they'd be glad to come to the bathroom job when they left the sheetrock job. Both were eager to get in some extra hours, plus I believe they were looking forward to "fixing" Kirk's screw-ups. It was ammo for them in the constant war men have of "I'm better than you are." 

    Wes and Ray took on the job and knocked it out in three hours.

Here's a photo of our carpet runner, going down the customer's hall to the bathroom. The clear carpet runner is on the carpet, the blue runner is for vinyl floors. This section has both. 

Wesley (on left) and Ray look over the job.

    Oh, yes--one more thing. I took my torpedo level today and tried it out on the shower floor. It's perfect. Everything slopes toward the drain.

Wes and Ray dig in. 

Ray removes the vacuum cleaner so he has enough space to work.

    So, all-in-all, it's been a pretty good Saturday. And it's not over yet. I get to change clothes and take my Valentine out to eat. She gets to choose where we go. I sure hope it's Chinese!

    I'll be taking Sunday off, unless there's a major problem that arises, and be back on Day Eight--Monday--we have lots to accomplish on Monday. Until then, have a wonderful Valentine's Day--give your Valentine a big kiss and tell him or her I said to do it.
Earl