Turns out the leak punked some wood at the corner of the tub….
So we had to chisel that out. About a foot, foot and a half.
We now don’t know if we have enough tile to cover the patch when we get it. It’s going to be a squeaker—and Lowe’s has discontinued that tile.
And when we were hammering the wood chisel, it shook down some glassware downstairs in the basement, putting all my crystal at risk—but only breaking minor things, I hope: Jane didn’t let me see what went: she carried the survivors upstairs to wash, and while she was washing it, one dinged crystal glass—broke, and slashed her hand. She is now on painkillers. It’s almost good enough for stitches.
I swear to you, I can’t wait to have construction done with!
Heh. It goes to show what mischief you two get into when I take a long nap.
When was her last tetanus shot?
Has the bleeding stopped? Is there any compromise in range of motion or function (indicating severance of a tendon)?
Do you need me to come over? I don’t have sutures in the office, but I do have Steri-Strips (and suckers too, for those who don’t cry).
Thank you, OSG! I caught her in the bath whacking away at a chisel. The cut is beside the nail, very deep, a bit triangular. Thanks for the phone call!
Oh my. Oh my…. Take care of yourselves!
I just finished priming half of the molding to go around our “new”/remodeled dining room windows. Much, much easier on the psyche: a few spots of paint on the basement floor and my sleeve are the only “dings” at the moment.
Murphy was a carpenter.
Phil Brown
Ack! Wishing you both well, and especially Jane’s hand.
Sympathy too about the wood and tile and glass/crystal. Sigh.
My mom and I both have some Waterford crystal pieces, and my mom has some crystal pieces she’s had longer than she’s had me. She taught me always to use rubber gloves, the kind that are made for washing dishes. Soapy fingers are slippery! — also the rubber gloves minimize your risk of cutting yourself if something breaks. (Perish the thought!) Can Lowe’s call around to other stores to see who might have some leftovers of that discontinued tile?
How bad a slash? Will it compromise her guitar-playing ability? Will she still be able to type at a keyboard? I agree with Sharon, when was her last tetanus shot, if more than 10 years ago, time for another one.
I used to have 6 very nice Waterford wineglasses I bought at the Navy Exchange (in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba). They were the Powerscourt design, and unfortunately, they are no longer in my possession. It seems they’re tucked away in the house I used to inhabit with my then-wife. So, she’s got my Waterford and won’t return them. I don’t even know what they’re worth these days, but in 1981, I bought them for $21.00 per glass.
I’d guess that even if any other Lowes stores have that tile, that the lot number isn’t going to be the same, and so there might be a color mismatch. I hope you can get the underfloor dried out, and replaced, and then get the tile to match the rest of what you have there.
Both of you take care! Was Shu-shu supervising the dishwashing when Jane got cut? If not, why not? If so, would he have been a distraction that diverted her attention momentarily?
Here’s hoping that everything smoothes itself out: that the cut is superficial, the crystal losses minor, and the bathroom tile problem solvable.
I think it’s about time the world cut you both some slack and gave you no more nasty reno surprises, water damage, cuts, scrapes, bumps, problems, glitches or snafus for at least until you get the Foreigner book done and on its way to my little hot hands. . . .
The slash should heal quickly, from my experience with Sharp Objects. There may be a scar, but that’s not so bad.
(At work one time: ‘why didn’t you ask for help?’ (from boss who wasn’t present at the time of the accident) ‘it’s hard to ask for help when you’re doing [stick thumb and index finger into mouth]’ (me) – that was a brand-new single-edge razor blade that got tip of thumb and side of index finger on left hand)
Thanks all! She is doing very well today: we gave up using a Dremel on 50 year old plywood and went out and got a Rotozip ( http://www.tylertool.com/rotozip-rfs1000-20-7-amp-4-in-zipsaw-cut-off-saw/rtznrfs1000-20,default,pd.html?ref=froogle&origin={adtype}&zmam=31282435&zmas=41&zmac=478&zmap=RFS1000-20&gclid=CM_Kgcuw060CFasaQgodV1JdmQ ) that will make much shorter work of the floor we’re excavating, a 1×2 foot section at the drain-end corner of the tub that has to be cut out and replaced with solid new wood. We can cut through the problem that had the Dremel wheezing smoke.
If you have to cut into the floor, perhaps using a reciprocating saw, or what I’ve also seen done is to use a circular saw that is set to cut the plywood without cutting into the joists below. So, if you know how thick the plywood is, you can set the saw just a little bit less than that, and cut away. There shouldn’t be that much wood left in the cut that you couldn’t lift out the plywood with a lever, or knocking it from below.
Essentially that’s the way we’re going, Joe. We’re cutting 3/4″ red oak ply (the original floor) under linoleum—under our tiles. We’re not cutting into the 2×6’s that are the main floor decking above the basement. We have a Skilsaw, but trying to work that in a 1×2.5″ run with a curve on one side and a corner notch in the end is just too small an area—the Rotozip above is a little over a foot long and has a slightly adjustable bite. So we made a practice run with it (after assembly: would you believe the instruction that tells you how to put on a Rotozip blade the RIGHT way is there in the Spanish instructions, but not in the English ones. Our first turn-on had a whang and rattle that scared us: when we checked again, yep, the restraining nut/bolt thingie have some more particular instructions than they give you in English. Let me tell you, a Dremel spiral-saw-handtool cannot handle 3/4 red oak ply. It’s a shame they didn’t leave that floor, because it’s really pretty wood, same as used in our cabinets, but—that was half a century ago and a lot of water has happened to that board since.
Unfortunately, Dremel has NEVER been a reliable commercial brand, imho. The motor is just so underpowered, and the overall construction very cheap. I have one, a gift purchased with the though of woodcarving, but, eh, no. I use it for small jobs like trimming the dog’s toenails and occasionally buffing a project with very small details. I can’t imagine using it on hardwood without cringing and envisioning the smoke pouring out of the motor.
There are much more sturdy rotary tools on the market but you get what you pay for. Or rather, pay for what you get! My next purchase (if/when I need one for the construction job I have now) will probably be the Rotozip, although it’ll all depend on the actual NEED. A real rotary tool like the Foredom is the other option.
I meanwhile, have slept most of the day, since I did not sleep but an hour last night. Gut pain. Bad gut pain. If we don’t have a virus (Jane had a twinge herself today) it’s an overdose of magnesium: the new pills are twice the strength of the old, and I, thinking, well, I’ve skipped a few weeks of vitamins, took TWICE the usual dosage, for, yes, 4 times the proper dose.
Some of the worst stomach pain I’ve ever had was when my quack was trying to find an appropriate blood pressure med for me; the first pill he tried gave me classic contraindication stomach cramps. It was fun trying to convince my dr. that severe stomach pain almost exactly 12 hours after my first dose might not be coincidence.
If it’s stomach pain, I’ve found about a 1/2 cup of aloe vera juice can be very soothing… Doesn’t taste very good, but is very good at healing the stomach lining.
Sometimes though, what seems like stomach pain can be a stone stuck in one of the bile ducts of the liver. If it happens again, and just won’t ease up, try drinking a tablespoon or so of Epsom salts dissolved in a cup of water. (It does have a laxative effect so don’t wander too far, eh? 🙂 )
The Epsom salts allow the bile ducts to relax and the stone will be able to pass. If this does help, though, you might want to consider doing a liver cleanse.
This times are quite toxic, plus you’ve had a lot of stress in your life recently (not helping either), which could aggravate the liver/gall stone issue, but almost anyone past the age of 30 could benefit from one, I believe.
It’s only an over night process, but it is soooooooooo helpful! I was suffering severely with pain in what seemed my stomach area, and the liver flush ended that problem right away. (If I’d gone to the doctor about it, I am sure he would have tried to take out my gall bladder! *ack!*)
But anyway, if you’d like info on the liver flush I used, just let me know. I can email it to you if you like.
Ouch you guys really are in the thick of it 🙁
I had to fix a wonky fence at the weekend. The last of the lattice on top of the fence fell of a couple of years ago but the fence itself was hanging on. Then the post snapped at the base a week ago. Luckily with half a metre at the top no longer needed it was just a matter of upending it. Then I had the satisfaction of belting the wotsit out of it with a lump hammer. It’s the little things that amuse 🙂
Isn’t home ownership so wonderful?
p.s. “wonderful” doesn’t necessarily mean “good”, though that’s what most people seem to mean. Strictly speaking it’s “Full of wonderment”, as in “I never imagined I’d get into all this *&%#.”