Slate tiles

We have finished decorating!  Ha, ha - that sounds as though we're ready to move in doesn't it?  When I say finished decorating, I mean just the bathroom . . . . and only the paint, not the floor . . . . or the tiles . . . . . or the bath, toilet, sink or shower . . . . oh, and not the light or the switches . . . . or a door or anything like that.   So, a bit of an exaggeration I think!  We have done the three coats of paint though and we've laid the floor tiles - and that's another story.

Ages ago we bought some slate tiles from Homebase for the bathroom - 300mm square dark slate, as shown on their display and evident from the tile showing though the window in every box.  I had plans for a striking black floor, white everything else and brightened up by red towels, etc.  After I'd put the first coat of proper colour on the walls in the bathroom I opened a pack of tiles just to see what they'd look like.  Now, I know that slate is a natural product and you have to expect variations in colour, thickness, etc, but these were ridiculous.  There were clearly two different sorts of slate - pale greeny ones about 15mm thick and dark black/grey ones about 5mm thick!  What are you supposed to do with that?!  A chequerboard pattern and different thicknesses of adhesive to make them level?  We opened all the boxes and they all contained half and half.  We couldn't even hide all of one sort under the bath.  So, we took them back and they were actually very good about it (once we'd explained five times that ordering a new lot and making sure they were from the same batch number wouldn't help because they were mixed within the box) and they gave us our money back.  So, we went straight round to the place where we got the little tiles for the hall and bought some more (cheaper too).  I guess it'll look more coherent with the same flooring in the hall, utility and bathroom.

We have laid them in the bathroom and now need to seal them before grouting.  Of course, because they are mosaic tiles there's an awful lot of joints to grout so that'll be a job and a half!  They do look a bit like an optical illusion - if you stare at them they look like ridges and furrows and if you concentrate you can get the ridges and furrows to flip places.  When they are wet they are quite a nice dark green colour, so we will seal them with an oil based sealer to keep that colour.  Not sure how it fits in with the red towels idea - have to see when it's all done.  Also, the white tiles we liked for round the bath because they had the same texture as the floor tiles may not be right because these are smooth!  Oh, it's all so complicated.

We have, of course, been skimming all week too.  I forgot to tell you about doing the utility ceiling together.  As you can imagine doing a ceiling is a bit more messy than doing a wall.  I heard a curse and turned to see a huge blob of plaster slap bang in the middle of Bob's beard - he did look quite funny.  Oh, I wish I'd had the camera.  It took him ages to wash it all out and as soon as he got back on the job another blob plopped all over one lens of his glasses . . . he wasn't really amused, but I nearly wet myself!  Our work has been inspected and approved by Phil the Plaster when he and Ann came round for a cuppa - phew!  Ann said she'd put our certificate in the post!

The wrens are back in the lounge.  They go in and out by landing and walking under the door which is asking for trouble if a cat or similar realises what they are doing, so Bob dropped the bottom half of the door a bit so there was a gap half way up for them to fly through.  So now they squeeze through the smaller gap under the door!  Seems to defeat the point of moving it, so we've put it back as it was again - well, we tried!  I'm sure I saw one fly down the hall and out of the main door this afternoon.  Green woodpeckers have been investigating and modernising the old greater spotted woodpeckers nest in the beach tree behind the caravan (nuthatches used it last year), so we'll keep an eye on that to see if they move in.  The green haze on the trees is rapidly turning into real green and the hawthorn hedge is covered in real leaves.  We have quite a lot of blossom in the garden - the damsons are covered and there is actually blossom on the blackthorn which had been chopped right down before we moved here.  Maybe we'll be able to make some of our own sloe gin in the autumn!  Our sturdy little pear tree is absolutely covered in blossom buds - not sure it'll cope if they all turn into pears.  We went up to our little wood this evening and it is now covered in violets, primroses, sorrel and loads of wood anenomes.  When we went up there at the weekend, we struggled to find more that about four anenomes . . . where did they come from all of a sudden.  It is lovely though.  No doubt next time we go up there the nettles will have done the same and taken over!

We are both feeling a little weary so we're have a day off building work tomorrow.  Sainsburys/launderette and collecting light fittings, sockets and switches etc in the morning.  Then we might have lunch out and then not do much at all in the afternoon.  Bob wants to give his Harley a once over ready for summer riding and I might just get the deckchair out and read!  What a luxury!