Tadpole Position

Some of you have inquired about what my "tadpole position" is (referenced here). It's when I lie down and my back legs slide out. I can't stop them!

I guess it may be more accurate to call it "frog position", since tadpoles don't have legs. But since Mom and Dad have been calling it tadpole position for so long, we're going to keep doing it!

Week Three, Day One

Lots more progress!

Today the bathroom floor was tiled with honed 12" x 12" crema marfil marble. There will be a matching crema marfil threshold, and the walls will be tiled with matching polished crema marfil. It looks great -- we are very excited about the new floor!

Also, the electric work continued as new lines were run to the circuit breaker box and the walls were patched and plastered. This way there will be no wires in sight for me to chew.

Finally, the cabinet maker told us that he will have the final plans and door finish samples for us for approve on Wednesday! This Saturday, Mom and Dad are headed to a granite yard in Brooklyn to pick out the exact slab of granite to be used for the countertops. We're going to use polished 1 1/4" thick Virginia Mist granite in both the kitchen and butler's pantry area. Mom and Dad will have to tackle that one alone as I'll be relaxing out at at my country house (i.e., Grandma and Grandpa's house) for the weekend.

Week Two, Day Five & Recap

On Friday they finished putting down the slate floor in the kitchen. It looks fantastic! I can't wait to lie on it while Mom cooks. I think my paws will spread out into the tadpole position though. I hate when that happens and I can't stop it!

The tile installer left very thin grout lines, as we requested. We're going to use a light gray grout to complement the slate.

They've opened up the kitchen wall to install new light switches and an outlet. The old-looking metal conduit/box next it is the building's original intercom system which is no longer in service. However, the building requires that we leave in the wall. It's been there since the 60s - a lot older than me!

In the bathroom, the old toilet was finally disconnected and a waterproof membrane was applied over the concrete. That's the old toilet sitting on top of the bath tub. I assume they will dispose of it soon? Guess they will have to use wee wee pads for the next couple of weeks...

All in all, Week Two of the renovation was eventful! A quick recap:
Monday - WonderBoard was installed over the concrete in the kitchen and a cork underlayment was put on top of the plywood sub-floor in the other rooms and halls.
Tuesday - A waterproof membrane was applied to the kitchen floor and new plumbing was installed.
Wednesday - Mom and Dad met with the cabinet maker to create the kitchen cabinets, butler's pantry and medicine chest plans.
Thursday - Electric work was started and the slate floor was partially put down in the kitchen.

Keep checking back this week to see the new bathroom vanity and sink which will be delivered on Tuesday, tile work in the bathroom, and more!

Week Two, Day Four

They put down approximately half of the slate kitchen floor today. It looks great and I can't wait to see it finished tomorrow.


We purchased all of our tile at Complete Tile on 15th Street. They were very helpful to Mom and Dad in choosing the different materials for the kitchen and bathroom, although, unlike other stores where Mom takes me shopping, they don't have dog treats behind the counter. I did get to go to the store many times though and enjoyed lying down on the cold tile.

The electrician also came today and started moving the light switches (because we knocked down the kitchen wall) and running power to where the new appliances will be. I can't wait for my new stove to be set up! Mom and Dad picked a GE Profile slide-in range that looks like this:


More to come tomorrow before I take a break for the weekend. This blog is hard work for a little guy like me!

Week Two, Day Three

Mom and Dad met with the contractor today to finalize the kitchen cabinet sketches. They seem very excited about the plans and are looking forward to the new kitchen. Dad says the coolest part is the hidden drawer behind the baseboard in the butler's pantry. Dad will help me post the shop drawings tomorrow.

The slate for the kitchen floor and the marble for the bathroom were delivered today. The kitchen floor will be put down tomorrow. The slate looks really nice and we're all excited to finally see it on the floor. It's a steel gray color and will look something like this:


In the bathroom, we're using crema marfil marble on the floors and walls. In addition, there will be a white onyx mosaic border that goes around the room. Here's a picture of the crema marfil marble:


And here's the white onyx for the border:

Come back tomorrow for pictures of the finished kitchen floor!

Week Two, Day Two

Lots of news to report about the apartment today! Late this afternoon, Mom and Dad received the drawings for the cabinets in the kitchen and the butler's pantry. We have some revisions to discuss with the cabinetmaker, but they look good as a first draft. I have to make sure that everything is well planned out in my new kitchen!

Also, we have new plumbing! Today they drained down the hot and cold water risers in order to replace the shut off valves and the rough plumbing in the bathroom and kitchen. The shiny copper pipes are the new ones. I think they look nice and sturdy.

The contractor also seems to have coated the bathroom walls with some sort of blue stuff, maybe to prepare them for the cement backer board? I have no idea what it is. Dad says I can't lick it. I don't understand why not, I think it looks yummy.

Here's the kitchen floor. A waterproof membrane has been applied over the WonderBoard. Also, cardboard has been taped down over the cork underlayment in order to protect it until the hardwood flooring is installed. The new floors did not come in today, but hopefully it will be here soon. I can't wait to run around and chase my toys while sliding on the new wood.

Week Two, Day One

After a nice weekend with my grandparents (which included brunch outside and strolls around Soho and the East Village), today it was back to work at the apartment. WonderBoard was installed over the concrete in the kitchen in order to raise the floor level. This way, the slate kitchen floor will be level with the hardwood floors and I won't trip when I run into the kitchen when the oven timer goes off.

The contractor also put down a cork underlayment over the plywood sub-floor. The maple floors should be delivered to the apartment any day. I can't wait to see my new floors! Mom and Dad say I can't dig in them, but I think I can win them over.

In the bathroom, the old shower wall tile backer has been removed and a cement board backer has been installed. Hopefully my days of baths in the tub are long gone!

Metal studs have been put up in the wall where the shower plumbing will be installed. They also moved the temporary sink from the kitchen into the bathroom so they can work on the plumbing and electric in the kitchen.

Tomorrow they're shutting down the hot and cold water risers in order to change the shut-off valves. This should prevent any future floods. Hopefully we'll get the kitchen plans as well and I can start to plan how to get into the new refrigerator!

Week One Recap

We had an eventful first week of apartment renovations!
Monday the old parquet floor and baseboards were removed.
Tuesday the kitchen wall, most of the old kitchen cabinets and half of the bathroom was demolished, and we found a second tile floor.
Thursday we met with the contractor to go over the new kitchen plan. The kitchen demolition was finished, the shower rough plumbing was removed and the plywood sub floor was put down.

Next week: we'll look at the cabinet plan and the plumbing and electric work will start. Keep checking for updates this week!

Day Four

Today was a big day in the renovations! Mom and Dad arrived at the apartment early this morning with coffee and donuts for the workers (but no coffee for me because it stunts my growth). They met with the cabinet maker and finished deciding on the kitchen cabinets. We will get the cabinet drawings next week so I can see where all my food will be stored. The kitchen and bathroom now are completely gutted except for a toilet and make-shift sink. I don't understand why the workmen don't use wee wee pads.

Here's where the shower used to be. All of the rough plumbing has been removed.

They also put down most of the plywood subfloor on top of the concrete. This will make it nice and secure when the new maple floor comes in. The next steps are to work on the new plumbing and electric. We want to make sure all the pipes and valves work well so we don't have any more floods!

This weekend my grandparents are coming to visit so I might not have time to go to the apartment. But don't worry, I will post another update soon.

Woof!

Day Three

Mom and Dad had very busy days at work today and couldn't take me to the apartment. Supposedly they finished demolishing the kitchen and bathroom. I am very sad that the kitchen is completely gone, but at least I have Whole Foods nearby. More to come tomorrow!

Goodbye Kitchen & Bathroom!

My arch nemesis the bath tub is still intact, but the rest of the bathroom is pretty much gone! Today they ripped out most of the tile from the walls, the sink and the medicine chest. We even discovered a second tile floor under the one we had. Who knew?



Sadly, the kitchen came out today too. The kitchen was my favorite room. I helped Mom cook and staked out the refrigerator often. Mom promises we are going to have an even better kitchen with a fancy big stove and fridge soon. All of this means more food for me I hope!

Here's the old kitchen:

And here's what it looks like now:

In the most exciting news of the day, they removed the wall between the kitchen and hallway. It's much brighter now and easier for me see what's cooking!

Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. Until then I will be playing with my toys in my East Village second home. Thanks Dan, and don't worry - I'm taking good care of the apartment for you!

Day Two

This evening we will go to check on the kitchen and bathroom demolition and I will post an update. Fortunately, until then, I can relax on my favorite chair -- my temporary digs has the same Room and Board Quinn Chair as my apartment!

Day One

My saga began on January 17, 2009, around 10:00 in the morning. I woke my mom and dad because there was water on the floor and I hadn't peed on it (this time). Much of my apartment and stuff was damaged, including my dog beds and cat toy. It meowed non-stop, which drove me crazy.

It has taken my mom and dad three and a half months to battle the insurance company, pick a contractor and get the work approved by the coop. This blog will chronicle the process of renovating our apartment in Manhattan so that I can get back home soon.

The apartment construction has finally begun today! This morning demolition started. The original parquet floors and baseboards have been removed and the concrete sub-floor has been exposed.

This is the living room before:

Here's the living room after:Goodbye ugly parquet floors!


Tomorrow they rip out the kitchen and bathroom. On Thursday the fun part starts: we get to design the kitchen cabinets!