We are about to "bite the bullet" and start moving upstairs, slowly. While the floor isn't completely dried in some areas, we are at the point where we have to make the shift, otherwise we are going to be too far behind schedule to get the rest of the work done, which includes the full renovation of a toilet, which will take time.
The first thing we are going to do start using the bathroom which we have built where there wasn't one before. Because it is a wet-space built from where there wasn't, this took a lot of additional work to ensure that the sealing was done properly, as a leaking bathroom into an old house with a wooden frame and insulation, isn't ideal.
While we have outlaid a lot for some major changes, the bathroom itself has been the largest single expenditure so far, with most of the cost going into areas that no one will ever see. It has come up nicely and the details that we added have created a room that feels clean and simple, but also elegant. As some have described it, it kind of feels like a mini spa resort, a place one goes to get away from home.
The floors are heated, but will only be so in the winter when the house heating system is on, as it leverages old radiator piping sent through the floor. The towel rack on the wall is electric heated however, so when the floor is off, we will use that if needed. The mirror is one I ordered from online, which was about 60% cheaper than anything I could get locally, plus it was in the size we wanted, whereas the local offers were at the largest 20 centimeters shorter, which I think would have made the room look weird. I know, little things...
Because this is behind a door, it doesn't matter as much what is on the other side, where there are painted wooden floors, wall radiators and stairs that are 60 years old. The toilet that will be renovated downstairs will be similar in design, but different again, as we had to find cupboards that could fit into a tight space, as the toilet is a very small area without a lot of depth. It is going to take a while to organize the construction of it due to the schedules of workers though, so we really need to get it all started soon.
So, now we have decided to start using the bathroom fully, I have spent the day cleaning all of the fine concrete and filler dust from sanding, off walls and out of nooks and crannies. It has taken a couple hours to do it properly, but I would rather do that now then have to work around stuff later. I also gave the glass a good clean, since it was looking pretty dull.
I find it interesting that we have spent so much on a bathroom, but still think it has value, which is more out of convenience and comfort, than any real need. People have lived in this house for near 60 years without a shower upstairs, but we decided that the basement shower is not really suitable, considering it is near freezing temperatures in the winter. We will still use it of course, as that is where the sauna is, but we don't have to use it daily.
Eventually though, the plan is to heat the floor of the basement too, including the garage, so that the entire house is heated and livable. One of the problems at the moment is that when the temperature drops below about minus fifteen, the basement gets so cold that the floor in the house gets cold also, cooling down the entire house and making feet uncomfortable, even in woolen socks. What we could do is insulate the ceiling of the basement to mitigate this, but that in itself is expensive, so I think that doing the floors is the more practical solution long-term - though that will have to likely wait a few years, in order for us to collect the funds necessary.
There is the temptation there to take the shortcut approach and use crypto for some of this to speed up the process, but I think that would be the path of impatience and perhaps, it is better for us to live a few seasons in the house to understand just what we want to change and why, rather than guessing at our needs.
But, other than all of the work required to get everything moving upstairs, I am glad that we are finally getting the feeling that there is some light at the end of the renovation tunnel on this floor. Yeah, there will be plenty of small things to do along the way still, but turning that corner to the point we will have a clean space in which to live, feels like a very big step, especially due to the time, effort and money we have spent in order to get to this point. But, it is part of the process and not everything can happen immediately, especially when resources are limited.
Dealing with limited resources - seems to be the theme of life.
Taraz
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