Since buying our little condo almost eight years ago (where has the
time gone?), we have renovated all but two areas. What remains of the
original space - our little salle d'eau (powder room) and the balcony,
our outdoor room. These spaces were projected to be finished long ago
but so many other efforts, trips etc. have pushed them to the
background.
This is a fairly large space - just under 300 square feet - with a great panoramic view - a place we spend a lot of time in from early spring until late fall.
We
have over the years collected our balcony furnishings bit by bit but the one
remaining issue was to find a suitable flooring having put up with old
dusty bare concrete for several years. A few years ago we removed the green outdoor carpet from the balcony floor (no longer allowed because of the damage it causes to the concrete).
The
balcony ceiling has now been painted (long overdo) on all 64 units of
our building giving a nice fresh finish.
From
the beginning there has also been a conflict of opinions (although very
minor) about what we would like to see on the floor. Francois saw the
more traditional look of tile. I saw sleek polished concrete
(resurfacing and sealer required), a more modern industrial esthetic.
...sigh...
Life
as a couple is always a series of compromises (I guess you can see
where this is going). I am very pleased though to say that although 'we'
chose tile it is a choice that I really like.
12" x 24" ivory porcelain
Having
made the choice we now had to decide who was to do the job. Francois,
my perfectionist, is quite capable of laying tiles himself but at what
cost - both time and materials. The best option in the end was to hire a reputable contractor. Quote received, good price, availability
good, plus the price included him picking up all the materials from our
tile supplier.
We spent a day removing and stashed everything in our
spare room.
The guys arrived with all their gear, packages of tile and grout - a beautiful sunny warm day. A proposed two-day job.
I
have been collecting some great looking summer recipes that I am eager
to try. Can't wait to reassemble all our things, plant some flowers and
herbs,set up the barbeque and start our summer outdoors...assuming we
can stay home long enough to enjoy it.
Nothing pending so far - a short
trip to the east coast and some sailing - but nothing work-related
(I
hope)....
...next post - the finished product...
