Tag: Laundry Room

Laying Ditra to Prep for Tile

Still prepping for tile! I underestimated the amount of work it would take to DIY this install.

I imagined it like this. Bring tile home, slap some premixed tile adhesive down, affix tiles, grout. Easy! Instead, after getting the tile home, I realized that we had to scarify the concrete (remove paint from the surface with an angle grinder). Repair cracks in the slab. Lay Ditra, not with premixed mastic, and waterproof with Kerdi-Band. We haven’t even gotten to the actual tiles or grout yet!

Schluter Ditra is an orange plasticky waffle-looking underlay for tile. I chose it for two reasons, both of which aren’t major problems, but I wanted some insurance for my tiling job. The first is that it’s waterproof. We have a dry basement (thankful for that, because it’s not always the case around here), but if there was ever a problem with water coming in, a burst pipe, or a leak, I wouldn’t want the water seeping through to the foundation. And the second reason I went with Ditra was to prevent the tile or grout lines from cracking. The cement had some minor cracks in it that have been repaired, but it seems likely that they could come back or new cracks could form. The underlay wouldn’t help with major shifts, but it is supposed to isolate small cracks and separate them from the tile above.

I don’t have a ton of tiling experience. When I decided to add Ditra, I watched a million installation videos and thought it looked quick and easy. It was not! Unrolling it and cutting to size: quick. I thought the whole installation would take two hours though (unrealistic expectation!?) and it took me two days. Mixing up the mortar to a “loose” consistency – somewhat watery but still able to hold a trowel notch – I didn’t feel entirely confident. I was hoping to use the premixed stuff to save myself some time and mess, but that’s not an option. I think I got it, but then did I use enough? Too much? I want to do a good job, and this whole thing had me second-guessing myself.

The Ditra is down, and the seams and perimeter sealed with Kerdi-Band (it’s recommended over a concrete slab and completes the waterproofing). I carried in box after box of tile and laid out a few rows for a dry fit, and I’m about to finally start getting them into place. I have tile snips, a snap cutter, and a wet saw; I’ll have to do a little experimenting to see what gives me the best results with sheets of mosaic tile.

I would recommend covering your skin when working with mortar and wearing clothes/shoes you don’t care about ruining. I wasn’t wearing gloves at first, and I got a fair amount of mortar on my hands while I was working. I washed my hands after about two hours and realized my skin was reacting pretty badly (the fingertips were pruny and dry at the same time). Apparently the alkali content affects people differently, but in high enough concentrations or for a long enough duration, it can not only dry out your hands but cause chemical burns as well. Rinsing your hands in vinegar neutralizes it, and a barrier cream (or vaseline in a pinch) is recommended. Luckily my hands are fine, though they were shiny and new on the palms since I had just given them an accidental alkaline chemical peel! Lesson learned and gloves are now being worn for all parts of this project.

Oh, and the expanded time frame of this DIY installation? We’ve been without a washer and dryer for a while now. That hurt, but it was manageable. Less fun has been the week without hot water. We’re going through a heat wave and you would think that maybe a cold shower wouldn’t be so bad? Nope. Terrible! I need that basement tile in and grouted so we can get our indirect water heater tank back in place.

p.s. Did you see the little black phonograph peeking out on the left side of the second photo above (next to the all-important Diet Coke for caffeine)? It’s cute and it works! You rest your phone in the slot and the sound is naturally amplified. I’m going to keep it in the laundry room when it’s done, and I’m thinking of picking up another to go in my closet.

July 2, 2018
Removing Paint from Concrete with an Angle Grinder
Did you know that you aren’t supposed to lay tile over painted concrete? I sure didn’t when I was planning our laundry room! (I also didn’t know it when I painted almost an entire basement floor.)

I was at the store last week looking for premixed tile adhesive. There were two versions and as I was trying to decide between them, I was reading the labels. The regular version had a warning against using it on painted surfaces. Well that’s out, my basement floor is painted! Checked the premium version… same warning. Oh.

Back at home, a little research confirmed it. Paint breaks the bond between the tile adhesive and the concrete. As the paint starts to go, so does your tiling job! It could last a good long time, but then again, maybe not. I’m not about to put a bunch of sweat equity in only to have it fail because the surface wasn’t prepped properly to start.

The paint had to go. You can’t use a chemical stripper because concrete absorbs it and again, the adhesive wouldn’t stick. So what to do? There are basically three options.
1. Handheld scraper with a 4″ razor blade. Slow and tedious work, but if it works it works. Unfortunately for me, it didn’t. The paint was barely budging.
2. Angle grinder with a diamond cup wheel. This is what I moved on to. A little faster, but it still takes some time. It grinds the top layer of concrete right off, and with it, the paint. I have a dust shroud attached that hooks up to our Shop-Vac and the dust has been minimal. It does spark every so often though, and it scares the pants off me! I don’t even like Fourth of July sparklers, so loud noises plus dangerous spinny tools plus sparks is not a whole lot of fun.
3. Floor buffer with a diamond cup wheel. I could have moved right along to the nuclear option, but if the angle grinder was freaking me out, how bad was a much larger machine going to be!? I imagined the buffer taking off like it does in sitcoms, but this time with a blade capable of grinding concrete attached and spinning out of control.
While researching the options and watching YouTube videos for techniques, I came across this one calling the angle grinder “the most dangerous tool in a workshop.” Well that’s just great. You better believe I’ve been wearing all of the protective gear recommended.

Here’s this guy without my dumb fears (and without much safety gear), making it look easy.

And then there was me. Skin covered. Welding gloves. Safety glasses and face shield. Ear plugs. Dust mask. Anxious knot of fear in stomach.

Look at the excitement in my eyes! Look at that can-do-it attitude! I got started and it was working, but it shot off sparks randomly, maybe every 10-15 seconds. I felt kind of dumb for being afraid. I like being able to do things myself. I don’t need help! I’ve got this! Yeah, not really. I put the job off and finally asked Brandon if he would please do this part for me. He was all on board until I told him that part of why I was so scared was that I was working near the capped off gas line and what if it wasn’t really OK and it was leaking but we couldn’t smell it and then a spark ignites an explosion and the whole house blows up with our family inside!?

(Guys. I didn’t really think that was going to happen. But that is what was going on in my head every time the damn tool sparked.)

So he did it for me and probably wished I hadn’t passed on my inner anxiety. But it took two nights, it’s done now, and I’m very thankful!

Just about ready for tiling.
June 11, 2018
Next Up is the Laundry Room
I’ve been doing a ton of work outside lately, but it’s time to move on to the interior again. Hey there, laundry room.

Wait, that’s from 2013 when we moved in. You want a more recent photo? It’s just as sad, but this time with a washer and dryer!

Look at me with that cute tin up there like it’s helping the decor.

We’ve made some changes to the house’s systems over the years. The commercial natural gas account was merged into the residential line and one meter was removed. We replaced the hot water tank with a newer, more efficient model. The previous owners had a coin-operated washer and dryer set (from the home’s days as a 3-flat) that did not convey with the sale, so we added the front-loaders when we moved in.

There’s no getting around the fact that this is the basement of a home that was built in 1891. The ceiling height is low. There are pipes that are best left exposed for easy access. It’s a functional space, but I’ve never attempted to make it lovely (ba dum bum), and it’s time!

A list of work to be done in skimmable bullet points…
- A drop ceiling is a good choice in this case and it’s staying, but some or all of the tiles will be replaced.
- Keeping the can lights in the ceiling, adding sconces.
- The pipes will be painted to blend in with the walls.
- I’ll be using the same octagon and dot tile that I added to the laundry room in our last house.
- The fridge in our kitchen is small and a secondary fridge in the basement has been useful. The one that came with the house is dying but it will be replaced by a new, similar model.
- A new washer and dryer set with added functionality! I’m VERY excited about this. TWO LOADS AT ONCE.
- Cabinets! Storage!
- The plastic utility tub is being replaced by a cabinet and deep utility sink, plus a pretty faucet.
- I’ll be sewing a curtain/shade for the single window.
- Laundry rooms need art, too!
All of that is pretty much set. I’ve already done all of the planning and I have 90% of my supplies. I’m ready (and eager!) to get started. I haven’t decided on the paint color for walls and cabinets yet though, or chosen the counters.
- I’m using stock cabinetry with simple white shaker doors, and I’ll add antique brass hardware.
- The cabinets would look great in white, but an almond/greige or green would work too. Walls will probably either be creamy white or green.
- Counters will likely be laminate. Something that looks like marble or soapstone? I feel like it’s kind of overkill to do the real thing in this space, but it’s not like I would need that much.
Here’s a quick look at the differences. Minor changes, and nothing that will hold up work right now.

Here’s what is giving me pause. How can I minimize our time without a washer and dryer hooked up? And can I tile under the water heater by propping it up? (I know the answer to that is probably no. I need to disconnect it.) I’ll be the one doing all of the labor, and I’m trying to time it for the least possible disruption in our lives.

Wish me luck!
May 16, 2018
A Colorful Door, Colorful Appliances

(And a Big Goal)

I was thinking some more about lighting, and the plan for finishing the kitchen’s minor update. OK, really what I was doing was fixating on getting a new fridge in addition to painting the back door. A colorful door and a colorful appliance! Sounds perfect! While I was giving myself figurative back pats for so confidently deciding on a plan for the kitchen, I realized I’ve seen that combination somewhere before. On Pinterest, probably? No wait, it was somewhere else…

Oh, right. In our laundry room. You know — that room right in my house? Duh.

The red washer and dryer were the nicest things in our basement for a very long time, until we elevated the surroundings with a remodel. When we finally did have a nice laundry room, I was extra glad that we spent a little more initially to get a red set instead of white.

Brandon and I took on our DIY kitchen remodel right away when we moved here in 2007, and we tried to keep the cost down as much as we could. We spent a lot on the quartz counters and a stainless steel gas stove, but we didn’t put all that much thought into selecting a fridge. We chose the model that we did because the front of it was the right color (titanium alloy, though it looked like a match to our stove), and the sides were painted gray instead of black. The fridge is completely exposed in the center of the room, so those gray sides were a big selling point to us. Our entire kitchen — with new everything except the floor — cost only $11,000. Aside from a brief period during which the fridge made a weird noise (it just needed to be re-leveled), it has served us well. Now that the kitchen has been freshened up with all of its white paint though, the fridge bothers me. It isn’t worthy of its focal point placement.

I’ve always liked the look of vintage fridges, especially when they’re pink. I think that as cute as my laundry room turned out with its colorful appliances, my kitchen could be 10x better. But appliances are not cheap, and I know that buying a pretty new fridge is a little ridiculous when I have a perfectly good one that’s only six years old.

My big life list goal for this year is to land a book deal. It’s a little scary putting that out there because I may fail (and obviously you’ll be able to tell if this does or does not work out for me), but I’m going to work hard to make it happen. And if/when I do, I’ve decided (and Brandon agrees) that I ought to celebrate with the completely frivolous purchase of a cute fridge. Consider it an added incentive.

It’s going to look so good.

March 6, 2013
The Laundry Room, As it Usually Looks

This post is sponsored by Method.

I’ve shown you my laundry room before, all clean and new and shiny. Oh, you cute little joke of a drying rack! How adorable you were, yet how ineffective! We replaced it with these folding racks, and while the function was greatly improved, it looks messier. Especially since we usually have clothes draped all over the place. This is what the laundry room usually looks like.

Is it weird that most of my clothes seem to color-coordinate with the washer and dryer? Let’s pretend it isn’t. Even the umbrella that’s in the room for some reason works with the room. (And that umbrella, by the way, is from when I first discovered the work of Salvador Dali, as a teenager. Because apparently I was an umbrella-obsessed youth.)

Brandon washes the clothes, and I put them away. I actually like putting things away when I know that they have a specific place to be, all neat and orderly, and folding laundry relaxes me. It’s part of my personality that I can leave clutter out in plain view, but the things behind doors, in cupboards, drawers, and closets, all need to be neat. Are you like that?

So yes, Brandon does 99% of our laundry; he always has. We’ve also always liked and used Method’s detergent. I like it a whole lot more now too, after learning about the company. One interesting thing they talked about was the ripple effect their laundry detergent had across the industry. They were able to super-concentrate it to previously unheard of levels, in order to package less water and be more eco-friendly. A competitor then used the technique for their own version , and the big box stores loved it — not because it was more green, but because they could fit more product on the shelves in less space. So the giant stores put pressure on the industry, and soon everyone started offering smaller versions with less water. It wasn’t done with the green conscience that Method had, but the end result was still good for the environment.

Oh, and remember when I said you were going to want to see the Method guy sing? Yeah. It’s time.

Awesome. I’m going to sing it while putting away our clothes now.

US readers can print a $2 coupon from Method’s Facebook page on Thursdays in May, and CA readers can use the discount code “WASHME” here. They also have a photo contest you can enter for a chance at a year’s supply of Method detergent.

May 1, 2012
Our Laundry Room

Sink and faucets provided by Vintage Tub & Bath

I showed you the final design plan already, but now I can finally show you the finished room!

The red washer and dryer that we bought when we moved in look better than they ever have, but I think it’s the giant utility sink and double faucets that make the space.

That’s pretty much my dream sink and if we ever leave this house, it would be one of the things I’d miss most. I have a little plant (cyclamen) in the window, and a gray and white striped towel hangs from a red hook to the right.

There are still things I’d like to do. I’d like to replace our rickety drying rack and hang a clothes rail from the wall or ceiling. I’d like to find some cute laundry baskets instead of the cheap plastic ones we’ve had forever. There are a few touches that I really like though, like the art. The droplets print from Summersville brings in some color and pattern, and I love that it’s screenprinted on fabric. It’s perfect for the laundry room.

I have to say, I think this room may have made me a ‘blue’ convert. It’s not normally a color that I like to use, but the laundry room is so cheery and fresh. That octagon tile makes me happy too. And three cheers for an old-fashioned swinging door! It makes me think of my grandmother’s kitchen.

It’s nice to have a non-scary place to do laundry.

April 19, 2011