DIY : Phase 1
Been a while since I posted anything and I wish it was some R/T art but the past two months I was busy playing in two musicals which left little time for anything else. I also made the mistake of starting my Home Improvement project for '07 at the same time. D'oh! Well, the musicals have finished their runs and I've traded my drumsticks for various hand and power tools and made a mess of the house (I won't be showing you those pictures!)
This is looking out towards the front door. Previously, the stairs and landings were done in carpet, which couldn't take the abuse from my constantly dirty shoes tromping in from the garage. I'm hoping the wood and tile will do better. Still a little touch up to do and new paint and molding will come later.
Here's an up close and personal view of the stairs. The treads are done in Red Oak and stained and the risers and side stringer are painted poplar. The most difficult part of the project was working around the cats. When I was staining and varnishing the treads, I had to do every other one and string duck tape across them while they dried. All that did was make it more of a challenge for them and there are a couple of kitty paw prints on a few of the stairs but you have to look at them just right to see, so I figured I'd keep 'em.
Fran and Murphy posing on the entry landing. The tile is Saltillo (aka: Mexican Paving Tiles) and is a little tricky to work with as it's extremely porous and needs to be sealed properly so that it doesn't stain. It can be a pain to cut and lay (especially when little kitties insist on being in on the process) but I love the look.
So that's it. Next phase is to remove all the current flooring on the main floor, something I started in on tonight, and replace with more Saltillo tile. I hope I can finish that by the end of the month...and get back to more R/T art!
Thanks for visiting. Have a lovely evening. Me? I'm off to soak in the tub. Ripping up carpet and tile is hard work!
This is looking out towards the front door. Previously, the stairs and landings were done in carpet, which couldn't take the abuse from my constantly dirty shoes tromping in from the garage. I'm hoping the wood and tile will do better. Still a little touch up to do and new paint and molding will come later.
Here's an up close and personal view of the stairs. The treads are done in Red Oak and stained and the risers and side stringer are painted poplar. The most difficult part of the project was working around the cats. When I was staining and varnishing the treads, I had to do every other one and string duck tape across them while they dried. All that did was make it more of a challenge for them and there are a couple of kitty paw prints on a few of the stairs but you have to look at them just right to see, so I figured I'd keep 'em.
Fran and Murphy posing on the entry landing. The tile is Saltillo (aka: Mexican Paving Tiles) and is a little tricky to work with as it's extremely porous and needs to be sealed properly so that it doesn't stain. It can be a pain to cut and lay (especially when little kitties insist on being in on the process) but I love the look.
So that's it. Next phase is to remove all the current flooring on the main floor, something I started in on tonight, and replace with more Saltillo tile. I hope I can finish that by the end of the month...and get back to more R/T art!
Thanks for visiting. Have a lovely evening. Me? I'm off to soak in the tub. Ripping up carpet and tile is hard work!