Caulk Talk

This pandemic has gone on so long that things we touched up at the beginning have already worn out. One example is the caulk that we lined our bathtub and sink with back in spring 2020. It was moldy and separating from the wall and time for a refresh. 

We realized one reason it may have worn out so quickly was that we didn't use a mold resistant caulk, so this time, we bought this stuff:

I also thought that being able to just squeeze it out instead of using a caulk gun would be useful, and the fact that it dried quickly would let us get back to using the tub--and especially the sink--quickly. These assumptions turned out to be wrong, as you'll see.

The one thing that did go right with this project was the caulk removing. It came out relatively easily with this $5 tool followed by a straight-edge to scrape off the rest.

Once I removed all the caulk, I sprayed a strong cleaner in there and scrubbed it with a skinny brush, then wiped it dry/clean with a Clorox wipe, a trick I saw on one of the MANY YouTube videos I watched to prepare myself for this project. That was a good way to clean it off without having to use water. Then I waited a while to let all that dry.

The videos also suggested that I tape the line in order to get a good edge. I did this diligently. It seemed like a good idea. The other suggestion I followed was to fill the tub to get a caulk line that would cover the gap even with that added distance between the wall and the tub caused by the weight of a person (or, in this case, a full tub).

And... go! Except - well, where to start. First, the tape did not actually stick very well. So as I was dragging the bead edge tool along, the tape started to crumple and move with me, which honestly had the exact opposite effect that it was supposed to, as it fell into the caulk.

Second, suddenly this "quick drying" caulk did not seem like such a good idea. It started hardening while I was still trying to smooth out the line, making it decidedly worse the more I messed with it. I tried to use acetone to clean up the line as quickly as I could. But at some point at around minute 20 or so, it started to cure enough that any time I touched it, it just got sloppier and sloppier. Oh well, too late now. The only way to fix this is to rip it out and start over....sight. The other problem was that pushing the caulk tube along without the caulk gun (which recall, I thought was a great idea), meant that I was working essentially with a tube of toothpaste. As the tube got emptier, it got much harder to push it out. Add that to the need to work fast and, well, less than ideal conditions. 

It is far from perfect, but at least it is mildew and mold free.

From a distance, it's not so bad...right?

And then, it was time for the kitchen sink. This one really needed to quick dry, since we use the kitchen constantly. Same steps as before, except no taping. Even if it had worked great on the tub, this was an undermount and would not have been possible to easily tape up that way.

Removal took a little longer and was definitely moldier than the shower:

This time, I tried to do the bead with a gloved hand rather than that little tool. It was, essentially, all the same problems as the tub. I keep hoping that the more I look at it, the more used to it I get. I wonder if it's worth trying again or if I'd end up with exactly the same result. Probably the latter. At least it's not moldy and gross anymore, just goopy looking:

And that was how I spent quite a few hours just before Thanksgiving week. I will admit begrudgingly here that when we re-caulked in spring 2020, D managed the process and I thought he did a crummy job. So this time I was determined to show him how much better I could do it. I didn't. Oh well, lesson learned. It might be worth finding a professional handyman next time, when it inevitably needs a redo in a few years.

The path less traveled

This update is a bit more of a slow burn - no big reveal or anything. When we had the patio redone last spring they redid the walkway that leads from our driveway to our backyard (of COURSE I forgot to get a before picture - imagine uneven and cracked pavers, many partially sunken under the ground, not as evenly spaced and many no longer close to square). It looked great, but what little greenery we had been able to grow in this area fully shaded by the garage and surrounding trees was just dirt by the time they were done (this was also the path they used to bring all their heavy machinery into the backyard, before they re-laid the path). The company that did the patio put down grass seed (you can just barely see it in the photo) but we were pretty convinced that wouldn't work. And with every rain, we could see the topsoil washing away.

We decided to take a different approach and try moss! We weren't optimistic, since we had moss on our stone wall next to his bare patch of dirt that never spread to it, so presumably the conditions weren't right. But moss does love shade and low-traffic areas, so it seemed the perfect place.

We showered common spaces in the neighborhood, asked neighbors, and ended up getting a few good bucketfuls to lay in place:

You can see in this picture how dramatic and quick the process was - just unfold and lay the moss and suddenly, it looks beautiful! Right alongside bare dirt:

We weren't sure if it would take hold, but the immediate effect was beautiful! We kept it watered and made sure to stay on the stones when walking into the backyard. At a minimum, it stopped the topsoil run-off right away.

Checking back over the spring and summer, we saw that some of the moss remained and other greenery had actually started to grow  in as well. Some of it is clearly weeds and not grass, but we aren't picky. Anything with roots to hold the ground in place and create a green space was fine with us.

And finally, here we are this fall - it looks like weeds overtook the moss, which is only just barely there. But I guess in the end, we managed to keep the dirt in place long enough for our natural landscaping (weeds, because we've given up) took over. I wish we could have maintained the soft, mossy look. But I'll take this too, I suppose.  

Dark and Loud and Stinky and Spooky

 

As if on queue for Halloween, our house decided to become haunted. Or at least act like it was. First, the boiler started making really scary sounds, like an engine turning over. It started doing that a little bit last spring, and we only had just turned it on--apparently the problem got worse. It sounded dreadful and definitely like we should immediately turn off the system, which is what we did.

Even though we turned it off right away, the basement started to smell like oil. I was downstairs doing a workout so I noticed and got quite uncomfortable (and also a little nauseous). I brought down our air quality monitor (long story, was planning to write about it in a different, future post - just roll with it). It did indeed reflect something gross in the air, since this number is usually in the single digits.

We had someone come out and look at it today and he said that either the top (gray) box or the bottom (black) box is busted. We have to remember to go down there next time it makes that grinding motor sound and figure out which it is, and then he can come by and immediately replace it. So that's good, I guess.

During that same workout, just 10 minutes later, we heard a pop and the lights went out. Some transformer evidently had blown down the block. I guess I'm glad it was a sunny day because this was how I spent the last 20 minutes or so of my workout. At first I was afraid it was related to the boiler, but then I realized that didn't really make sense. Fortunately the power came back within a couple of hours, but I did have to spend 20 minutes in the basement where, the night before, I had seen but failed to kill a spider cricket.

Spooky!

Now let's just hope we can sort out that boiler.