Hello! Well Spring has sprung, and the pretty spring colors are popping up here at the manor, including the vivid purple board of the bathrooms! Wondering what the difference between green board and purple board is? I’ll tell you! Both are moisture resistant drywall types, so both are good for moisture prone areas like bathrooms. But purple board also resists mold and mildew, which seems ideal. Plus, it really is a fun color. See? 

Although we’re ready for it, unfortunately, the rest of the drywall must wait until the roof stops leaking directly onto where it is going! That’s going to be any day now! We’re creeping closer and closer! Because, guess what! The slate is here! All 30,000 POUNDS of it! It’s green and dark grey and glorious. It was quite the feat getting it here and unloaded. The truck was massive, the driver was a total sweetheart, and the lift driver’s skill at getting it off the truck was very impressive. I can’t wait to see this thing up!

Because I just love tedious time-consuming projects that reuse the things that were already here, back in November, I pulled up and tucked away every last piece of old linoleum flooring in the place. It wound up being a LOT. I hid them all away until the weather turned, then carefully drug them outside and started playing with them! First, I used a disinfectant and fungicide and mopped both sides of each and every piece, just in case they had something nasty growing on them:

Next, I started cutting them into tiles. I have 12x12, 12x6, 6x6, 3x6, and 3x3s. It’s like, day 5, and I’m still cutting them. 

When I’m all done, I plan to use them as backsplash and wainscoting in our new kitchen! We’re still working out the precise method, but we’re thinking that using construction glue and attaching them to hardy board might be the best method? We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it! 

*A note about safety: Yes, I am aware that there is a chance that the backing of some of these could contain asbestos fibers! This is why I waited where I could safely handle them outside. I am being very gentle and careful and conscientious. Also, I might end up sealing them somehow on both sides to prevent any issues in the future. 

The other madness going on outside is “let’s trash the yard, Spring edition”! We are like an 8 year old boy’s dream house at the moment, with every fun digger toy and big saw. 

We’re replacing the rotted porch pieces, creating a new porch entrance, and installing a dumpster. We’re also removing the old gutter system so the yard stops flooding, re-grading, and installing a pretty retaining wall. Go big or go home! 

See you next week!