Decorating Diaries - Bathroom Update

A few of you have been kind enough (cruel enough?) to ask how the renovations to the master bath are coming along.  In short, the answer is "they're not."

For those just tuning in to The Decorating Diaries, please feel free to flip back to the OCTOBER entries when we started this whole, miserable project.  I thought I had achieved a sort of Zen-attitude about the whole thing, but I don't think the Buddha had urges to dropkick any and all contractors on sight, so I guess I still have a little spiritual work to do on the matter.

When last we left the Harris' (this would be...what...November?), they'd had the wiring installed on the heated floor.  FINALLY, last week, we got the skim coat laid over the wires.  It was a two-part process.  The guy came out to lay the skim coat (which is just like a coat of mud) on a Tuesday but ran out of material. 

"I'll be back 5-6pm tomorrow night to finish, if that's okay," he said.

"No problem," I said.  "I'll be here."

And I was here.  At 5pm, 5:30, 6pm, 6:30, 7, 7:15...  There are only so many times I can say it. Is it so friggin' difficult for these contractors to learn how to use a phone?  I called the next morning and was told his job from the night before ran later than expected.  Fine.  I understand.  But CALL ME to tell me you won't be here so I don't sit around waiting for you to show up.  I swear to God, there must be millions waiting to be made for anyone willing to open a school and show plumbers, heating and air techs, and contractors how to dial.

Anyway, he came back the following night and finished the job.  So the next day, the heated floor guys came out to test the floor. 

"Why isn't there a skim coat over the wiring in the shower area?" they asked.

"Because the guy said the liner would go there and the skim coat wasn't needed."

The heated floor guys frowned.  "The instructions are pretty clear all wires need a skim coat to conduct the heat."

So the heated floor guys left with the promise to contact the skim coat guy and decide among them if the tub area needs a skim coat or not.  I left a message this morning with skim coat guy to follow up, just in case.

And that's where we are.  3 months, and I have wires encased in mud.  Almost. 

I need to go practice thinking zen thoughts before I hurt someone.