Oh, My Aching Knees

Wow, what a busy week flooring. I'm really feeling my age. Even with knee pads on, my knees are just aching after the beating they've taken this week. Grandma and Grandpa came over Tuesday and we finished the cement board.

I did all the cutting and lugging up the stairs while Grandpa screwed the sheets down, so I guess his knees took the beating that night. Uncle Logan came Tuesday and again Wednesday with Aunt Megan in tow. We finished the step and the starter rows on the lower level. Actually, Aunt Megan is on spring break this week so I'm sure she'd love to come work on the bathroom while I'm at work! Grandpa and Grandma were back on Friday. We attached/anchored the turlet flange and set the starter rows on the upper level.

Grandpa was back again Saturday morning. After a smashing breakfast prepared by Aunt Rachel, we were off to a full day of tile cutting.

So I spent the next 8 hours on my knees measuring and dry fitting tiles while Grandpa spent 8 hours hunched over a tile saw. I bet his back feels like my knees. We did manage to use our brains enough to save us some serious grief though. The saw was too messy to use in the house, so we had to do it on the back patio. I thought we'd try to lower the tiles in a bucket on a rope out the window. When the tiles wouldn't fit in the bucket, Grandpa suggested using one of my ratcheting bar clamps on a rope. It worked like a charm. I'd mark the tiles with a sharpie, squeeze them in the clamp, and out the window to my saw operator below. We saved ourselves about 150 trips up and down the steps today, which is probably why we were able to cut every remaining tile for the entire room today! I thought we'd be cutting for a week, no kidding. So now I have stacks of numbered tiles ready to be cemented down next week.

I know what you're thinking, "How does he keep 130 individually numbered tiles straight?" Well, here's how...
This little map is the Rosetta stone of my tile. I know what you're thinking now and yes, I did make more than one copy.