We have been busy lately with the school year winding down. There were banquets and trips and concerts and just lots of activities to round out the school year. There just hasn’t been time to do much of anything…including write anything on here. That changed this weekend! We finally got back up to the country and were able to work some on the executive deer stand. It’s a small cabin but we do not want to be without amenities. Mainly, by amenities, I mean a bathroom with actual running water. Awhile back, I cut holes in the floor for the shower and toilet drains to exit the building. We started to tile the floor but then winter came. This weekend, Isaac and I finished cutting and laying the tile one day and Emily and I grouted it another day. Finally! Progress!
Installing ceramic tile isn’t so bad…with a good helper!
We had originally planned on this place being pretty basic and not too pretentious. It is a deer stand after all. But, like all things with me, it comes down to price. It turns out that if you lay it yourself, ceramic tile is about as cheap as you can get. We found tile we really liked for a really good price. I mixed the thinset mortar and grout by hand so that keeps the price down as well. And dang! It looks great!
Tile near the shower basin
So, now with floor down and grouting done, I have no real reason not to connect the toilet and shower to the drain system. In a solid day’s worth of work, we could actually have a real pot to….well, you know what I mean. It would make our time at the cabin much more pleasant!
Deck framing is done on one side
We were not totally exhausted by tiling so we worked on the deck too. I don’t know if you remember but our place is built on posts and piers so it is well up off of the ground. Look back at this page and you can see that we had to climb a ladder to get up into the building. Of course, I know it sounds like a lot of fun, but we have grown tired of free-climbing our way up into the house so the deck is a welcome addition. It isn’t finished by any means, but we framed a 10′ deep deck on one side of the place that allows us access into the house from ground level!
One of four decks framed!
There is much debate among the wage earners in my house about whether to deck it with treated lumber or composite decking. Composite is 3-4 times the cost but should last a lot longer. We will need around 600 sq feet of decking which will be pricey either way. We’ll see what comes of it but at any rate, we can now get into the house without a ladder!
Yes, the bathroom is looking good. But really, won’t you miss the walk in the woods, just you and Mother Nature….And your roll of all purpose paper.
You’re right! I do my best thinking in nature! I will miss those times!
For the price of composite, you can replace your treated deck three or four times. If one is okay with the labor of doing that, I would go treated and just take care of the thing. Our cabin in the woods has a treated wood deck that is now approaching thirty years old and is still in great shape. But we scrub it down and restain it again every fall without fail. Once it starts to get away from you, there isn’t enough stain in the world to save it. The deck at my last house is a good example of that.
Saying all that, with a lot of deck, that means a lot of scrubbing and staining every year to keep it in good shape which is time not spent enjoying the surroundings. In that case, I suppose one could make an argument to go composite.
It’s really looking great. I love the rooms with tile – turns out it doesn’t show dirt much, which is excellent when you have a house full of boys 🙂
Hey, everything’s looking GREAT!! what, the romance is gone from BYO shovel?? ha We’re at that point. I’m about to institute the Camo Granny Potty somewhere surrounded by bushes but hopefully out of reach of a snakebite in a prime location, ha 🙂
The tile looks great. I need to grow me a helper like that. 🙂
Looks great! I’m not sure which way I would go on the decking material. I’ve yet to become a fan of the composite decking. Any time there is a special mechanical fastener involved I tend to run,
Tell Isaac that girls like a guy with skillz!!!
It’s looking real swell Warren, and I am very happy for Emily and Abigail. Girls also like a potty!