Kathy and Peter’s San Clemente remodel, Part 5: We are DONE!!!!

 


Thursday, 06-05-2025:  We are done!  After more than five months, all the work has come to an end, whooo hoooo!  Today Kathy sealed the grout, and I installed the electrical outlet covers, which were the last details that needed doing.  Below is the final installment in the saga: 

On Memorial Day, Monday the 26 of May, 2025, we decided to go to Home Depot and pick up the tile for the backsplash.  We had chosen Daltile Mesmerist which has a hand-made look, a 3” x 6”, in the color Spirit, which is a taupe(ish) finish.  Each tile is unique, which gives the tile a somewhat rustic look.  Whenever we tile, this is Kathy’s specialty, and she designs the layout, and she also installs the tile (I just man the tile saw, and do the running back and forth).  It starts by Kathy laying out the tile on a flat surface, to get an idea of what it is going to look like.       

Monday 05-26-2025:  Laying out the tile for the coffee bar.  Kathy had decided to do the subway tile pattern, which, coupled with the hand-made look of the tiles, is actually quite forgiving.  

 We started over by the coffee bar, which does not have any corners, so that we could get our skills dusted off.  Again, the design and installation is all Kathy, I just do the tile cutting.  The electrical outlets are always tricky, since it takes a lot of cuts! 

Monday 05-26-2025:  Kathy is done tiling the backsplash at the coffee bar.  It came out great!  Still needs grout. 

Kath then moved over by the area by the hallway, where the printer lives.  

 

Monday 05-26-2025:  Tiling over by the hallway cabinet.  Again, still needs grout.  

Tuesday 05-27-2025.  We decided to keep going, since we had the tile at the ready.  We moved over to the right side of the window; here the layout was tricky, since corners are always challenging.  According to Kathy, the corners are the most important when you do tile, and it gotta look just right!  Kathy spend a good amount of time adjusting tiles, but since subway pattern, coupled with the hand-made look of the tiles is quite forgiving, it came out great! 

 

Tuesday 05-27-2025:  Getting the laser level up and running to make sure the tiles don’t start going south! 

 

Monday 05-27-2025:  Kathy is installing tiles over by the right side of the window.  It is a messy job!  You can see the laser level line toward the bottom of the tiles.    

Tuesday 05-27-2025:  The tiling over by the side of the window is done.  The corners are always tricky, but Kathy is happy!   

    Saturday 05-31-2025 and Sunday 06-01-2025:  We had decided to spend most of the weekend installing the last of the tiles, this is the biggest area over by the cooktop.  We started on Saturday, and got the tiles over by the electrical outlets done, and then we called it a day.  

 

Saturday 05-31-2025:  Kathy is starting to tile over by the cooktop area.  

On Sunday, we continued and finished off the area by the cooktop.  All in all, this area probably took about 8 hours to tile, with Kathy doing the installation and me cutting and fitting the cut tiles.  Lots of little cuts!  

 

Sunday 06-01-2025:  Ready for action again!  Since my old tile saw depends on a water bath for cooling and lubrication, it sprays like crazy, so Kathy just wraps me up in a couple of trash bags, so I don’t get soaked to the skin! 

 

Sunday 06-01-2025:  Tile adhesive (Mastic) made for walls.  

  

Sunday 06-01-2025:  Using the laser level.  Most of my tools are now Kobalt, which is Lowe’s own brand and identified by the intense blue color of the tools.  Since we live 7 minutes away from a Lowe’s, that’s what I ended up buying!    

    

Sunday 06-01-2025:  Laser level line.  I don’t know what we did before the laser level, probably just the old bubble level (which I still use, in conjunction with the laser level). 

 

Sunday 06-01-2025:  Detail tile work.  Gotta have a tile saw for this kind of tiling!  The spacers are especially made for a subway tile layout. 

Sunday 06-1-2025:  Backsplash over by the cooktop is fully installed.  Looks great, if you ask me!  Still needs grout. 

Monday 06-02-2025 through Tuesday 06-03-2025; Kathy decided to get the grouting over and done with, and she started over by the hallway. 

 

Monday 06-02-2025:  Kathy has grouted the tile over by the cabinet in the hallway. 

 

Monday 06-02-2025:  Grout has been done over by the coffee bar.  


  
Tuesday 06-03-2025:  Kathy grouting over by the right side of the window. A messy job indeed!  

Tuesday 06-03-2025:  Kathy grouting the tile over by the cooktop.  Messy, messy, messy, but the end result looks great!  Grouting is really difficult; it is an art that Kathy has developed over all the years that we have done tiling, starting back in 1984!   

      
Thursday 06-05-2025:  We are DONE!  The grout has been sealed, and the outlet covers are installed over by the cooktop!  

  

Thursday 06-05-2025:  We are DONE!  The grout has been sealed, and the outlet covers are installed over by right side of the window!  

  

Thursday 06-05-2025:  We are DONE!  The grout has been sealed, and the outlet covers are installed, over by the coffee bar. 

The END!!!!!!!   


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