Those of you who are frequent readers of my blog know that I love to stay busy. Many times that need can be accomplished out in my yard. And, my yard is more than large enough to keep me going. But, you also know that I am NOT a lover of heat and Florida summers are not for the weak. Unless I am just doing a quick fix-up, floating in the pool or out there REALLY early, the outside will do nothing this time of year to help keep me occupied. And so, I am always looking for indoor projects.
And that brings us to this!
I can not tell you how many times these items have been in my cart at Lowes only to go back on the shelves before I checked out. Each time I considered the cost and the fact that I would really rather replace my kitchen counters than re-do them. And then there was yesterday. As I roamed the store looking for ideas, I realized that with all that was going on in the construction industry right now, new counters were probably not going to happen. I have two daughters in design work and the tales of how long it is taking to not only get supplies but to find people who can actually do the jobs, are scary and off putting. And so, this time the supplies made it home.
I am going to re-grout my tile kitchen counters. These counters were done many years ago and they have held up well. They have had a few mishaps - like the occasional can that has dropped and chipped it, the new sink replacement that cracked a tile or two, etc. - but for the most part are still intact and holding well. The only problem is the grout. I have cleaned these things so many times that I have pretty much worn away a lot of the grout and that means that they stain if you just look at them. I can spend a whole day with bleach and my little battery powered scrubber and get them looking like new and, literally, within a day of regular use, they are back to looking stained and horrible. I also painted the grout at one point. That lasted for a bit but not long enough.
I will admit that grouting is one of the few things I have never tried but, I have watched lots of people do it on HGTV and it looks easy enough. Lol I did just look at a short YouTube video and actually got a tip or two that I hadn't thought of...like DO NOT go over the cleaned out grout with anything even slightly damp or you have to wait a long time to make sure it is all dry again or the new grout won't hold well. Also, don't use the counter for about 36 hours after completing. That last one definitely put a crimp in my plans to knock this project out in a day.
Even though I thought I had worn out most of the grout in the heavy wear areas, I discovered just how much "sawing" I will have to do to just get started. It isn't a hard job...just tedious and a bit rough on my shoulder. Right now my plans are to start and do what I can and then just keep on keeping on until I get it done. If I remember to take pictures, I'll bring you along on the ride.
While I was at Lowes, I found some orange garden mums. They weren't what I wanted but I grabbed some when I saw them. And then, I had to hit WalMart for some chalk paint and found the color and size I really wanted...and for less. Of course, I grabbed some in there as well. And so, added to my to-do list today will be some planting of urns...in between grout sawing. Lol At least I will be busy! Lol Stay safe and stay tuned.
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