Continuing our slow limp to the finish

Today we did make some good forward progress with the tile we're at about 90% right now should only be another hour tomorrow to get the rest of it laid. We would have been finished today but Chris installed the new lights today and the thought of tripping over one another while we occupied the same space on totally different projects was not pleasing.

The new lights are the Quimby from Rejuvenation. When we pulled them from the box originally I was not pleased with them they were not quite what I expected. Because the wire on the fixture is exposed they use lamp wire to run through chain and up to the electrical box. When they arrived the lamp wire was pulled very tight so tight that it kinked the chain and made the fixture appear crooked. They also have a ground wire running from the box down to the light itself. It is inconspicuous now that they are hung but down at eye level it was a bit displeasing. We adjusted the cord and tinkered with them a bit and they are hanging much straighter now. After seeing them properly mounted I think that they really work and I cannot imagine having anything else in their place.


I also had some concerns that they would not be bright enough it seems that almost all kitchens will have a center light in addition to the pendants. However they seem to be fine we will also have lights on the stove hood and will most likely add a small undercabinet light to the corner closest to the sink.

Here is an updated shot of the tile. Tomorrow morning's tiling will consist of adding bull nose pieces to the edges and the addition of 2 rows of tile below counter top level in the stove area once those areas are finished up we will be ready for grout. We are scheduled to have visitors next weekend so it is unlikely grout will be applied so the tile project will probably carry on for at least 2 more weekends. In the meantime I will be starting to sand up the floor.

Tile layout and lighting test

Friday night we went to Lowe's to pick up the tile, that was more painful than I anticipated however I still think that we are going to be happier with the end result than we would have if we have gone with formica. Of course they did not have enough of the bullnose tile for us so that is on order they gave us an estimate of a week to a week and a half. Of course that was really the component we needed to get things started. Oh well at least we had a pretty relaxing weekend.

I of course could not resist unboxing some of the countertop tiles and doing a test layout. I think it's going to be really nice.
I'm also hoping to order the light soon however before we get to that point we need to decide on a length. According to the resources I have found online for pendants over an island or peninsula you want them to be 72" of of the floor. Our ceiling is 7'5" which would give us 17" for overall fixture length. I didn't want the chain to be too short so I bumped that up to 18" and then as a test I hung a string from the ceiling 18" long. That looks about right to me. Chris is of average height so I had him stand on the inside of the counter top and look towards to door and it didn't seem to be in his face so I think that will work nicely. As someone who is on the short side I have absolutely no concept of these things.

You can also see in this picture that we have the pantry door remounted. I think it looks really good. If the tile gets in by next weekend we will be tiling. If not we'll be sanding the floor, either way fun for everyone.

The Aftermath

Steadily through the course of this project we've cut off all the sources of light in the back hallway. First we lost the light in the back hall back in March, then we lost the outside light and the pantry light in June. And then finally we lost the light at the bottom of the basement 2 weeks ago when we started this project. Unfortunately, every step forward involves a couple steps back. As of last night the hall looks like this, but hey at least most of the lights work properly.

I made a small error with the 3 way switch that Chris corrected when I was at work Sunday afternoon I mixed up the common with one of the travelers.


Do you see the little yellow wire nuts in this picture? That cable will go to the light by the back door. Back when our house was built it wasn't necessary to have lights mounted to an electrical box now it is... I didn't forsee it but this has been one of the most problematic parts of the wiring project. I needed to find a 4" round old work box with tabs on the front to screw in to. All the old work boxes I was able to find locally were either too small or just had the wings attached to them. The wall is too thick for those wings to be a viable option. Fortunately I found one online but it has not arrived yet. I'm hoping it will arrive soon in time for installation next weekend.


There is also the matter of the light above the back door. The fixture that was up there was a porcelain bathroom sconce which still had all of it's original wiring and original socket. I removed the socket thinking that it would be simple enough to find a new one to complete the rewire. It's proving quite difficult as it is just a touch too narrow at the top to fit the modern sockets. So far I've gone to all of the major home improvement stores, an electrical contractors supply shop, a local hardware store, and a local antique dealer. I've also talked to an online vendor and so far nobody has anything that will fit it. If any one knows where I can find a socket that is slightly smaller than 1.2 inches in diameter please let me know. Here is what it looks like. I'd really like to make this work if it's at all possible.