Underneath It All

 Erin had asked about seeing a tour of my clay studio, and just so happens I have recently cleaned and purged the whole thing, so I thought it would be the best time to show it, before I mess it all up again.  My studio is in the basement, and while this was not really my first intention, it has worked out fine for now.  If I continue to work in clay I would like to have a separate, free-standing studio away from the house, but that's a dream for another time.

If you enlarge these photos you can probably see things much better; there is a lot crammed in there.  Of course, you can see my wheel in the foreground.  It is positioned so that I can see out the door when I have it open in warm weather.  I like to look out over the front yard and I can watch out over the chickens too.  Almost in front of the wheel is 2 kilns and storage shelves for finished ware or bisque.

 As you might expect, firing the kiln does heat up the house.  This is nice in the winter but not so nice in the summer.  I can open windows in the summer though, and have fans, so this helps dissipate the heat some.  The big metal cabinet to the left of my wheel is where I store dry glaze ingredients that come in smaller quantities, glaze making equipment and small stuff like that.  Of course, the floor is concrete so that helps keep things clean; easy to mop.

Just past the kilns is the sectioned shelving I built.  This holds most all my stained glass stuff; tools, glass etc.  I also keep just miscellaneous craft supplies, furniture and firing supplies for the kilns and all that.  Over to the far left is the wood burning stove that heats the house.  It is not exactly the type designed to be used in this fashion (with the ductwork and all) but hey, it works.  For now anyway.  When I build the rest of the house I imagine I'll have to break down and buy an actual furnace type heater.  My bedroom is directly above the stove too, so it stays nice and toasty warm in there.  No cold tootsies going to the bathroom!

Chigger's bed is right there beside the stove too, so she and the cat, have a nice warm sleepy spot if they want it. Chigger likes to sleep outside if at all possible (better to bark at anything that might come by) but she will come in here when it's real cold or rainy.  There is a dog door on the other end so they can come and go as they please.  And in case anybody wants to accuse me of abuse, as so many are want to do these days, I keep the floor swept and mopped so Chigger is not exposed to glaze chemicals or spills on the floor etc.

Behind the big metal cabinet is my work table and wedging table.  This is where I measure out my clay and get it ready for throwing.  Or work on hand built stuff.  All those buckets and stuff underneath are glazes or glaze material.  I have some large metal shelves on the other end of the basement where I store the pottery in progress.  I keep it down there, away from the wood stove, so I can better control it's drying etc.  If clay dries too fast in will crack or warp so there is some technique to it.  There is also a big utility sink on that end for the obvious reasons.  That sink is wonderful, even if I didn't have a studio down here. 

The basement is partially underground but the north side is above grade and we put in lots of windows for light.  Some on the west end too.  That helps make it a nice enjoyable space to work as I can see outside and enjoy the woods and flowers and all.  These are all casement windows too, so I can open them in nice weather for ventilation.
So, that's about it.  There is not much to it really.  I do have some more stuff crammed here and there in the back section of the basement but it's hard to photograph anything there.  I have a nice slab roller back there and that's where I store all my clay (usually around 800 lbs) and a few other things.  Like I said, in the best of worlds I would have a separate building for my studio with rooms and very organized storage and work areas but you have to work with what you've got.

 I added this photo after another artist asked me about venting the kilns.  I should have thought to include that to begin with.  All kilns should be vented, especially if they are anywhere around living quarters.  Venting not only removes the harmful fumes (like sulfur) released by the clay as it fires, but it also helps the kiln fire more evenly, acting as a downdraft.  Most fumes are not really released until the temps get pretty high, and it often gets too warm in here for me to work before that time anyway, but everything is still vented to the outside.  Fumes could pass up into the living areas of the house and plus, Chigger and Callie do go into the studio when the kiln is running and this makes sure they are not exposed to the fumes.

Finishing Touches

Alright. I don't have as many detail shots of the cork installation but I think there is enough to see what I did. It's not that complicated. I checked my room for square and I was within 1/4" overall so I didn't worry any more about that; I just started laying the stuff. First off, you must maintain a 1/2" gap all around between the flooring and the walls. I stuck 1/2" shim packs against the wall and cabinet base to hold the planks at the right distance. These are pulled out later. I works easier to snap the planks together long way and then snap that length into the preceding length, as I have pictured. Remember to stagger your joints. I simply used the drop from one end to start the next run. This is fine as long as your drops are at least 10 inches long.
The first plank lays flat on the floor and then you insert the next plank at and angle and press down, wiggling it a little. When it snaps in place it is very hard to see the joint.

So, you just keep working your way across the floor, making sure to maintain your 1/2" gap. The last plank is a little aggravating to get in but not impossible. It helps greatly to have a small pry bar so you can pry against the wall and snap the plank in place that way.
I removed the plastic shim packs holding the 1/2" space and replaced in with 1/2" foam strips. Just little pieces about 4-5 inches long. Just enough to hold the flooring in place but it must be something that will allow the floor to expand and contract and foam works fine. I then installed the base trim all around, which of course, covers the gap and foam. And voila'! a finished floor!
I am quite happy with this cork. You can read more about it here. It is a 'green' material; very renewable, healthy for your home and looks great. Supposedly, the resin in natural cork also makes it fire and insect resistant.
This is a 6' x 8' area and it took 2 boxes plus 1 plank from the 3rd box. Each box costs about $63 and covers just under 22 square feet, if I remember correctly. This brand and type comes with a 25 year surface warranty and a limited lifetime structural warranty.

I have since moved my little upright freezer back into the pantry and installed a few other little hooks and hangers. I just need to seal the counter top and install the backsplashes and I'll be completely finished there. Seems like an awful lot of work for one little dang room.

Down Under

So, I'm goig to show ya'll the steps I went through before installing the cork flooring and explain why I did things this way. Basically, the cork is only about 1/2" thick and I intend to run it through the kitchen and out to where it will meet the hardwood flooring in the dining area. Although the cork seems to be rather resilient, I believe that traditional hardwood will be more durable, for me and my work boots, in the living room and dining area. Anyway, hardwood is 3/4" thick and I didn't want to have this 1/4" discrepancy between floor heights. Also, adding a layer of cement board would just help provide a very smooth and clean surface on which to run the cork. My plywood floors, having been down so long with no other flooring over them, are a little rough in some areas.

Using a 1/8" notched trowel I spread a layer of water based glue that is used to adhere vinyl tile, wood and/ or base trim. This stuff has a relatively short working time so I only spread enough for one piece of cement board at a time. I picked this glue up off a job a while back, not knowing if I would ever use it but seems it came in handy after all! They were going to throw it out even though it had never been opened. So, making sure I was staggering the cement board joints over the plywood subfloor joints, I just started laying in one corner, working my way out. These sheets come in 3' x 5' sizes, btw.
Make sure to stagger the joints of the cement board also. I then screwed the cement board down using 1" coarse threaded drywall screws, 12" on center both ways. Make sure that the screws sink beneath the surface well. You don't want to feel those screw heads because they can cause problems in your finish flooring later.

As you can see, the cement board makes a lot of dust, so I try not to even cut it in the basement, although I have on occasion. I continued to run the cement board up to the threshold of the pantry door. You could use 1/4" luan plywood I guess but the cement board will never delaminate on you and is very resistant to moisture.

After getting everything glued and screwed real good, I installed the plastic underlayment that the cork manufacturer recommends for a moisture barrier. It is basically 6 mil black poly. I shouldn't ever have a moisture issue, considering this floor is elevated and not on grade, but you do what they call for, for warranty sake. The red, moisture resistant tape they recommended was basically crap however. It wouldn't even stick to anything. The plastic has one sticky edge though, so it sticks itself together anyway. I lapped the pieces about 3 or 4 inches.
It wasn't too terribly bad to put all this down and after stopping to eat lunch, I then proceeded to install the flooring. Which I will show in the next post.

Barefoot Floors

Alright, so we finally had a good rainy day and I got to work inside on the pantry floor. I'm just going to show ya'll some quick pics today and then will do a more detailed post later of what all I actually did to install this stuff. This is cork flooring, by the way. Not sure if I had mentioned that before. It comes in planks that are 1' x 3' and about 1/2" thick. These planks lock together and the whole floor "floats". It is not nailed or glued down in any way. I was a little skeptical at first but once the planks lock in, the floor is virtually seamless. In fact, I really had to keep track of my joints because it is extremely hard to find them after the plank is in place.

I pooped out before I got the base trim run but hope to do that soon. It took about all day because I ran a 1/4" layer of tile board under this. I'll explain why and how later. I am very, very pleased with how this came out and can't wait to do the whole kitchen. It wasn't terribly hard to do either. The very last run against the wall was a little tricky to get it but not horribly so. The main thing is just to take your time and not get flustered.

This particular brand carries a 20 year warranty and comes prefinished, so when it's down, it's done. The title of this post refers to how it feels to walk on this stuff. It's wonderful. It feels great. I just sat on it for a while, looking. It is warm and feels good to stand on. Now, in 2 years I may hate the stuff or turns out it is too delicate, but so far it seems to be a good product. It's hard to get a good close-up detail shot but it is really beautiful to look at too.

Since The Last Time

I've been quite busy on several projects since I last posted. I believe I mentioned that I completed the final finish on the living room rafters and ceiling. I'll try to get photos of that soon. I spent most of Monday trying to gather material for the house. I was partially successful. I did get enough to install the slate floor in the bathroom though and am very happy with the result. Please excuse the photos however; the color is way off. I have the window in here temporarily boarded up and so the bathroom doesn't get good light.
Well, first Allen installed the Durock over the plywood subfloor. It is 1/2" cement board and he glued it and screwed it down in about a 12" grid pattern. This gives you a very stable surface to adhere the tile to because with stone or ceramic tile ( anything you would grout), you don't want any movement in the floor when it's walked on. We kind of had to piece it as we were being real conservative in buying material so we put that area, in the upper left hand corner, where it will be under the sink.

For the remainder of the project I was on my own! Allen got me started and then went to mow but I wanted to do this myself anyway. I have never installed stone flooring before. So, I got all my slate together and found the pattern. Fortunately, I had presence of mind enough to save this diagram from 8 years ago that comes on all boxes of tile that call for a certain pattern. Now, most real stone setters would probably laugh their butt off at how I did this but I felt it was this easiest way for me. I have no idea of the "proper" way to set stone but that leaves you free to create your own system. Yeah. Ok.....
Next, I just laid out the whole pattern in the room, making sure to center it both ways. I was so lucky that it just worked out right. I had about 1 1/4" margin on either side (against the wall). It fit perfectly long ways. It was like the tile was just made for the room and I had just exactly enough! I drew a control line down one side to keep that straight and checked it for square every so often. There is some humoring in here and there with this. You want it square off your walls for the most part because that is where it will show up. I kept a 1/4" grout joint throughout.

Once I had the entire room laid out and situated like I wanted, I would remove a small section at a time and lay down my thin set with a 1/4" notched trowel, then reset the tiles. Once they are back in place you can float them around some to get them exactly where you want them and make sure that they are pressed down to about the same height. You don't want to press hard on the tiles, their weight will be enough to secure them to the thin set. Also, make sure your floor is very clean before you lay the tiles down because if there is even a small speck of rock or something under one and you step on it, you can break the tile. Obviously, when you set tile in sections like this you have to pay careful attention to which areas you have set and do not get on them!

I had to make several cuts around the toilet flange but that's easy. Make sure that at least some stone or tile is under the flange ( but don't get in the way of your screw holes) so that it is resting on top of the flooring.

I let this cure for almost 48 hours I guess before I grouted it. You could do it after 24 hours but that's just what worked out for me. I finally picked my grout color; what a pain, and mixed that up. I just flopped it out on the floor and then used a rubber grout float to squish it in the joints. Never use a metal float or something like that 'cause you will scratch the stone and drag it diagonally across the joints to screed off the excess. I let it sit for about 15 minutes and then went back with the first wipe down. With very clean water and a big sponge, wipe the excess grout off the tiles. I wiped it 3 times I think, letting it sit until it was starting to form a haze in between each time. At this point, it should be fairly clean but if you keep wiping you are just wiping grout out of your joints. It's going to form a haze but the grout has to cure. I'll go back tomorrow and clean it thoroughly. I thought it came out really well.

I got the paint for the bedroom today so I'll be working on that tomorrow and can soon start to trim out the windows there! Things are going great but I still haven't heard much about when I will go back to work. I love having this much time but I am anxious to start work also for the money. It won't be long that I will need some big bucks to buy material with.

What's Going On

I have started installing the plugs where we have hung Sheetrock just to have some more places to plug in tools and stuff. I wanted to show this because Allen says this is the commercial way of wiring plugs, not the way most residential plugs are done. I don't know much about electrical work but he has been teaching me some and how to do plumbing also. Anyway, he wires these little pigtails (what I am pointing to) at each plug and switch so that if the plug or switch is defective, it does not kill the whole circuit. This way the plug is sorta on it's own little driveway off the main road instead of a junction in the main road. I think I am explaining this correctly but if not please let me know. These are all 15 amp plugs in the bedroom and living room areas but in the kitchen and bath, I am using 20 amp plugs. They don't cost much more and just gives you a little extra coverage.

We finally finished hanging the clerestory wall and Allen has mudded it completely also. It will be my job to sand and prime it. We were trying to get this done before we took all the pick boards down etc. and not have to put that stuff back up again. I am going to set up a rolling scaffold in the living room now to finish this stuff because we need to ladders and pick board outside. We have hung more Sheetrock but I'll show that later.

I finally got my slate floor laid out the way I want it for the bathroom. This is the standard pattern but I didn't have ANY extra to try to do any kind of an unusual pattern. In fact, all those 6x6 holes in the pattern are going to have to be filled in with some other type of tile but I thought that would look cool. I want to have the Sheetrock in the bath finished before I put the floor down but I had to know what kind of tile shortage I was facing. I do have a little extra that you can see in the background but that will have to be used to do the cuts around the edges.

We are actually going on a little vacation to the beach this Wednesday so I may not post again until next week but I wil try to get one more up before we leave.

Floored

I am starting to pick flooring and some of the inside finishes now. This is the slate flooring that I will use in the bathroom. I picked this up off a job 7 years ago and have been storing this stuff all this time because I knew one day, I would be building a house. This was all leftovers and was going to be thrown away so I asked if I could have it and the flooring guys gave it to me. There is a lot more, I just couldn't get it all in the photo. It is going to be just about enough to do the bathroom floor but I may have to pick a tile that will go with it to fill in a few spaces. This flooring does have a definite pattern to it but because it was drop, I don't have equal counts of all the sizes so I am going to have to get creative with the layout. I am also in the process of trying to find a tile that will go with the slate to do the shower stall and tie it all together. I have cleared a space on the bedroom floor and chalked the outline of the bathroom floor there so that I can assemble the slate floor within this outline and move it around etc. and then when I get it like I want it, just move it a piece at a time into the bathroom. Hopefully, I can get this worked out soon.
I have been saving material off job sites for about 8 years now. Unfortunately, the construction industry throws away tons (literally) of good material. Not because we want to but because we just can't find places for it. I always encourage people to try job sites if you are looking for materials and it doesn't have to be a certain color or whatever. I mean, you have to take what's there but it can be some great stuff and with a little imagination you can make it work out fine. I got a good bit of marble flooring off one job that I might use to make a medallion in the kitchen floor. It is not near enough to do a whole floor but I have always wanted some kind of mosaic thing in the kitchen. And Karl, one thing we usually always throw away is rebar. That is one item that we almost always have too much of but not enough to sell for scrap and so it just gets chucked. For anybody that wants to look for stuff on jobs; always ask for the superintendent, be nice and obey their safety rules.