I’m Throwing In The Towel (I Gave It My Best Effort)
I don’t give up easily, but I’m giving up on trying to get the subfloor out of the storage room. I had some help last week, but over the weekend, I was on my own again. And even after having help, and then working by myself again over the weekend, this is as far as I’ve gotten with getting the subfloor removed.
The good news is that I did, at least, get enough of the subfloor removed so that the plumbers could come yesterday and get the new water lines and drain in for the sink that will go in this corner of the room.
And I also had them cap off the old water lines and drains where the old vanity and toilet used to be.
So at least there has been progress, but this subfloor issue really has me frustrated and discouraged. The problem is the cement board which is mortared to the plywood subfloor. The only blade I could find for my circular saw that would cut through the concrete board was one made for Hardie trim, which is a cement fiber board. But it will ONLY cut through the cement board. So I can’t cut through the cement board and the plywood with one pass. And any blade that will cut through plywood and nails/screws won’t cut through the cement board.
Anyway, the problems and challenges don’t end there, but I won’t bore you with them. Just know that I am DONE fighting with this floor, so I’m hiring the rest of it out. This is one of those situations where I could keep going and maybe with several more days of work, I could get it done myself. Or I could just hire it out and get to the pretty and fun stuff sooner and with a whole lot less frustration in the interim.
It’s not easy for me to hire stuff out. I’m such an independent person, and I want to do everything myself. But after the subfloor and drywall is in, there will still be plenty for me to do.
Speaking of the pretty stuff, I’ve been going back to all of those mockups I did with the wallpaper and various paint colors, and I hate to say it, but I don’t like any of them. And as I look around my house, I know why I don’t like them. My style that I’ve surrounded myself with and that I love so much in my house is loads of color paired with lots of white. To my eye, it’s the white that makes the color stand out so much. But it’s also the white that keeps the whole thing from looking like a circus.
The perfect example of that is my studio bathroom. I try to imagine any other color on the lower portion of these walls, and I think any color would take away from the colorful stripes. But the white wainscoting allows the stripes to be the center of attention, as they should be. 😀
So I know this might be a huge disappointment to some, but I think I’m going to do white wainscoting with the floral wallpaper in this storage room.
BUT…I’m still toying with the idea of putting a bold color on the ceiling. This room WILL have pink in it somewhere! I’m still trying to work out the details, though. But just because the lower walls will be white, that doesn’t mean I can’t add some pink somewhere in the room, and the ceiling seems like the perfect place for it.
Anyway, for the time being, I’m walking away from this room and handing it over to my contractor. Once they’re done with the subfloor and drywall, I’ll take over again. I hate giving up, but I also have to acknowledge when I need help, and I’m beyond that point with this subfloor situation.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Kenny Rogers popped in my head reading this…”Ya gotta know when to hold ‘em… know when to fold ‘em…” You get it.
Good choice! Hopefully this will help you be in a better frame of mind for the pretty stuff 🙂
Definitely go for the fun ceiling color – this is your storage closet!
It’s called choosing your battles and you are definitely a wise woman!
White on the lower wall is spot on!
UGH…not worth your time, and forget about frustration. Next time you walk in there it will be truly ready for you to do your magic! I’m happy for you. Some things just aren’t worth the extra stress. They are coming to do the drywall anyway, and perhaps have a tool that will take care of it faster. BUT it will be done, and a clean slate for you. Love that! How about leaving the ceiling white and paint the “blocks” below in a sweet color from the wallpaper. I adore that wallpaper! Best wishes!
What is the contractors plan for removing the floor?
You gave it your best but there’s no shame in admitting defeat! You are amazing and it shows in all the work you have done.
I very much agree with you. The eye needs a place to rest like music and melodies have rests in them. In a room that uses a lot of neutral beige tones white is needed to give it a clean look or everything just looks dingy and with lots of color white gives the eye a place to pause and colors become sharper.
I notice how you work through the process in your decorating decisions. I don’t always agree with your choices at the start but I don’t comment because you are not finished with the process. The number of projects you get through amazes me and I really don’t know how one person can accomplish the amount you accomplish every year. What you do is absolutely inspirational!