Grouting tile.

How do you keep little glass tiles in place when you set them in wet thinset? With tiny little shoring sticks. I have grouted the tile today, stained the new door- that's right the job has grown even more snnce I last blogged. I also put the final coat of paint on the cabinet doors and drawer fronts. My next blog will have the final picture of the completed bath job. Looks like we got some more rain tomorrow better "Batten down the hatches!"

business before pleasure.

Good morning I had to get up early this morning 5:00 a.m. so I thought what the heck might as well blog a bit. Today is Saturday and it is time to tile the counter top and then if all goes according to plan grout the floor and aforementioned counter top. But first things first lets start the day with a surf check, and a possible surf session. ( I hope the water is not too dirty!)

Installation of cabinet- floating countertops.

Man I haven't blogged since January I guess I got too busy for my own blog. We'll since the last time we have made some good progress on the cabinet. In one day we have installed the cabinet, floated the counter tops and back splash, and installed .42 Hardibacker 500 series on the floor and we are ready to install tile tomorrow. For those of you who do not know what floating is - it's an old time tested process that is undeniably the best way to provide a solid base to lay your tile on. You simply apply building paper(I prefer tyvek) to the surface then staple or nail diamond lath over that, and then apply your mortar(sand, cement, H2o) in a technique called floating. When you float all surfaces you get everything straight, level and flat - perfect for tiling! How do you float you might ask? We'll unfortunately I couldn't possibly explain the process in less then a thousand words, suffice it to say it's complicated. Only real tile installers and crafty master carpenters can do it- in fact if your tile contractor doesn't float he or she probably isn't very good. I hope to blog again tomorrow about how I did on the tile install. Zenbuilder- out!

Custom vanity cabinet.

We''ll hello there it's been six days since my last transmission. This is supposed to be a daily blog and it is, only some days are longer than others henceforth the seemingly long intervals between my blogs become perceptible depending on how one interprets... I have been working on the cabinet and in fact the drawers are finished and everything has been primered twice. (Zinser water-based primer.) I have also received the drawer hardware which is Blum "Tandem Plus" drawer slides bottom mount with "Blumotion". What is Blumotion you ask? It is a slide system that allows the drawer to fully extend effortlessly, and when you push the drawer back into the cabinet it automatically stops about 1" outside the front of the cabinet opening, then retracts back into the cabinet unassisted by the homeowner/operator. This type of hardware is standard on my projects as it project the kind of quality we love to do. By the way the cabinet body is made of birch ply, and the face frame is traditionally glued and doweled, and is made of poplar wood. These materials are available at your local lumber yard or home improvement center. Thank you and goodnight- Zenbuilder.

Buildin a vanity cabinet.

Good morning! Today we are going to continue working on the vanity cabinet. I am placing to orders for the project- one is for 5 pair of precision drawer slides (Blum with brakes.) the other for 7 drawer fronts and 4 doors. Like most cabinet shops I order my doors and drawer fronts from a specialist company that makes them to my specs. I will also purchase my sinks and two faucets in advance so that everything is on hand before we remove the existing vanity. This is the way organized people do things- fast and correct. Total time for completion from time of demo will be three days, so stay tuned as this unfolds. Yours truly Zenbuilder.

Craftsman Brackets.

O.K. it's a new day and a new chance to make exciting things happen! Yesterday I installed some custom "Craftsman- Brackets" at the Forte house a completed project as seen on my website. Ya know I had forgotten just how beautiful that house is- what a masterpiece! ( Nothing like tooting your own horn.) It's nice to revisit completed projects and think,"I was part of this" knowing that if a house is maintained properly it will last several lifetimes. I'm happy to report my preliminary drawings have been approved for the vanity cabinet project. That's right the big boss lady after a certain amount of trepidation, consternation, and genuine concern....hmmmm, and then she said o.k. So today after finishing bid #1 I will procure the proper materials and commence fabrication of aforementioned van-cab. Lastly every surfer in southern California is anticipating the big swell this weekend- so forget about sharks, rocks, riptides and kelp, just watch out for other surfers..... and remember always surf near a manned lifeguard station!

Happy New Year

Happy holidays and happy new year! It's been a long time since I last blogged. All throughout the holiday season I have been working on my own property cause when a contractor has spare time- that's what we do. Today I am designing a new bathroom vanity that will have ten drawers and two sinks. (It will replace an existing vanity of the same dimensions.) A plan must be drawn up and approved by the "boss of bosses" - my wife. Believe me she is my toughest customer, she is picky and takes a long time to make her mind up. Concurrently i am bidding two large projects and have on the table a plan for a four unit apartment building. This building will be built by my company and owned by a L.L.C. partnership called P.R.P. (Premiere Rental Properties) Regardless of the economic situation there are more people every day and everyone needs a place to live. Remember in tough times the three basic necessities must be met- food, shelter, and clothing. And don't forget health and entertainment, they're important to. Thats all for now! Hey by the way thanks for all the great comments.