The Sunny Lane Project

The Sunny Lane Project
May 2010

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Progress is Love

First, since I ADORE crossing things off a list, in the last post I left a weekend agenda:

Weekend agenda:

Buy dining room table
Clean mortar off brick
Entry way marble cleaned (in progress)
Thaw out (thank you higher temps!)
Maybe move some things from storage (please)
Pick paint color for living room (decisions, decisions...)

Okay - we didn't get to the last item but we DID decide on some version of lite blue. We just need to find that version....and figure out our bedroom.

I'm THRILLED about the dining room table (dinner party!) and the storage unit being 100% empty (no more storage bill!).

Okay, checkout the photos of the progress from above:

1st, the dirty (actually, unbelievable filthy, gooey, icky) entry way marble:


And the unbelievably clean, buffed, shining entry way marble:


We spent 3 or 4 days cleaning the mortar off the brick in our living room. Because we did much trial and error, I want to explain the process so other can hopefully save some time.

Pre-scrubbing:


We went to work with metal scrub brushes and a bucket of warm soapy water. Oh, and a LOT of elbow grease. A LOT.

A little more than 1/2 way:


At this point in the story we stopped to head to Pizzology for Valentine's dinner. Delicious!

Back at it we finished the metal brush scrub, allowed it to dry and we were left with a haze all over our bricks:


Loads of internet research and speaking to a "brick guy" along with some trial and error...and we ended up with a spray bottle of straight, white, distilled vinegar, and two buckets of warm water. The process went like this:

Scott sprayed the 100% vinegar mix on 9-12 bricks. He then ran a regular scrub brush over the bricks (metal bristles not required).
I took a damp rag and wiped the vinegar off and then a dry rag and dried the brick.
2 warm buckets were to keep the damp rag vinegar free. I would would clean the vinegar off, dunk the rag in one bucket and squeeze it. Then I'd dunk the rag in the other bucket and squeeze it out over the first bucket. Hope that makes sense.

We ended up with this:


Scott wants to touch up a few spots but otherwise.....YES! Clean brick!

Scott received his matching Eames for Herman Miller aluminum group lounge chairs he had been anxiously awaiting.

(Sorry for the shadow. The sun finally came out to play):


The back:


And, one other view:


We only have a typing desk left to receive. The bad news is I've cut off living room furniture buying. We need such things as: towel racks, toilet paper holders, more paint, a toilet for the blue bathroom and a master bedroom set. Oh, and we need to pay those pesky credit cards down.

Nothing new to add to the to-do list currently. We just need to pick some colors and save for paint.

1 comment:

  1. The fireplace and entry tile looks great! (I took some notes!)

    Can't wait to see the table and remaining furniture!

    ReplyDelete