This was a lesson. And the lesson is: avoid white natural stone unless you pair it with a very light grout. Even then, dirt will settle into the stone and give it a dirty look over time. This Oakland Hills master bath floor was about 160 square feet, with a fair number of angles, in
Pebble Stone Master Bath, Oakland Hills, July 2021 Read More »
This was a multi-million-dollar Oakland Hills home, probably built in the 1950s. Building materials were better then, but the house had settled, and there wasn’t a right angle, a flat wall, or a plumb surface in the bathroom. The easy part Demolition went quickly. The old tile came off the walls without much fight. Behind
This Emeryville kitchen was getting a new backsplash, and the first step was taking out the old one. The existing backsplash was tile, which had to be demolished. Removing old tile from drywall almost always takes some of the wall’s paper face with it, so once the tile was off, the wall was patched and
This is the chimney inside the same El Sobrante home where we rebuilt the yard and patio. And like the yard, it was done on a budget, with the homeowner assisting with much of the work. Building a perfect box around a boulder The existing chimney was large and dated, and didn’t fit the ranch-style
This is one of two kitchens in an Oakland duplex, the same building where we put vinyl plank floors through both units. Both kitchens got the same backsplash, a soft seafoam glass tile with white grout, but the walls behind them were different. The other kitchen’s walls were cinderblock, a solid, stable base that made
Oakland Seafoam Glass Kitchen Backsplash (Second), 2016 Read More »
This Montclair home was getting ready for market. The owner was preparing to sell and move, and wanted the kitchen floor to help the house sell. She had already chosen the tile: a striated Italian 12″ x 24″ with a very high durability rating, the kind of floor that looks expensive and holds up to
