Back in the days I did very large historical murals there was a point on every wall where I wondered if I would ever get done. It generally happened about four or five days into a project. I called it hitting the wall. But if I continued to push hard and just trusted myself I would get through those nagging doubts and each time the mural tuned out fine. I know many other talented folks I painted with ran into that same crazy wall.
When I started doing large theme projects I found that very same wall - the point at which I began to doubt myself, wonder what I got myself into and also wondered how I would get out. But like in the mural days if I kept pushing and believing it always worked out in the end.
The house is no different or rather each stage of the house project is like that. We determined we would lay the tile ourselves in the new house. That translates to me being down on my knees for what seemed like forever, laying out, measuring, cutting, gluing and grouting. I've had some great help along the way from time to time but it has gone on for quite some time - which is to be expected for we took delivery of 2,700 tiles for the task.
Some areas go very quick, big areas with no pattern and little cutting. Small areas like closts and hallways are a different story. In the main living area, dining, living room, kitchen and hallways it is all laid diagonally and much of it has a diamond added in for good measure. I quickly found out why tile setters charge more for the complicated and fancy stuff. It simply takes a lot longer!
In the last week as I worked through these more complicated areas I hiot that proverbial wall once more. Doubts snuck in and I wondered if this crazy floor would ever get done. But I've been down that road hundreds of times. I knew exactly what to do... simply press on.
Yesterday I managed to finish cutting and laying the bulk of the tile in the pantry, dining room, and the longest hallway. Today I spent on my knees again trowelling and sponging the grout into all those many joints. When the tools were washed up I went back into the house to look things over. It felt good - REAL GOOD. The stack of unlaid tile is now downright small.
Two more rows of tile in the dining room will polish things off here as well.
Of that giant original stack of 2,700 tiles there remain less than 600 to go. We are now over the hump at last!
-grampa dan