02
May

Log Rhythms: Floors, Part I…

After all that sanding and staining, it was time to work on the fireplaces. To do that we needed rock (or a reasonable fac simile) and after visiting several stone and brick places in our area, we decided that East Tyler Brick in Tyler, TX was the best place to get a quality product for the least amount of money.

East Tyler Brick has far more than just brick and stone. They have pot belly stove replicas, “throw-back” appliances, and outdoor living furniture and equipment. While the hubby was finalizing the stone order, I noticed a patio table off to one side. It had a wooden top on it, but also had a metal base. The wood grain was amazing and very polished. It puzzled me, quite frankly.

I went over to the table and when I examined it further, I realized it was actually STONE! I fell in love with it, instantly. My mind raced and I checked myself quickly with this thought: “We’ll never be able to afford it.” But the next thought was: “Maybe we could do the bathroom counters in this?”

Once the hubby was done with the stone order, I showed him and he, too, was instantly in love–it looked so much like wood! We asked the staff there about it and they told us to go to eastern Oklahoma to where this stone was quarried to get more information about it.

At the next available opportunity we went on a little road trip to eastern Oklahoma–so far east that the Ozark foothills are in full view. While a scenic and pretty drive, the quarry area was in the middle of nowhere! As we checked into our hotel for the night, the desk clerk asked us why we were there (I don’t think they see too many out-of-state license plates there!). We told her and she asked if we were going to see her friend at Bluebird Stone.

I replied that I didn’t think that was the name we had been given, but she urged us to see her friend and instantly put us on the phone with him. It was a Sunday night and he said he was leaving town in the morning and that it was much more convenient to see us that night.

So, we drove down a dusty, windy road and after spotting cows in a pasture across the road, we came upon a mammoth (And mammoth doesn’t begin to describe it.) plant. We had arrived at Bluebird Stone. The desk clerk’s friend, the plant and quarry owner, was mowing the lawn!

We shook hands and even before we toured his plant, we were stunned to see that incredible stone all over the place. Not only were there massive, beautiful slabs everywhere, but he also had it floor planks of various lengths. I could not keep myself from oohing and aahing over all of it. But again, I wondered if we could even afford to put it in our bathrooms.

Finally, the hubby asked if this gentleman even wanted to sell to us for such a small project as a log cabin. He smiled and said, “I’ll sell it to you like I sell it to everyone else.” When we nervously asked the price, it was half the cost of the marble and granite slabs we had been pricing for the kitchen and bathroom countertops! The only hitch? We had to get it from Eastern Oklahoma to Texas and had to have the countertops fabricated ourselves.

I thought that might get me a “no” from Mr. Engineering (aka the hubby), but he seemed undaunted. So much so, that we wound up buying the floor planking for our kitchen, dining area, laundry room and bathrooms in addition to all the countertops! In addition, we ordered enough of the floor planks to do the entire master shower!

We borrowed a truck and trailer to get the stone to Texas and then my very kind father-in-law lent us his talent and expertise to get the flooring installed everywhere, plus design and install the master shower tile. The family even came in for a long weekend to get the project started.

I’d love to tell you that we got it all completed in that one weekend, but the reality is that even once it was installed, the hubby and the father-in-law spent a couple of months’ worth of weekends getting everything installed, grouted, and sealed.

When the fabricator arrived with the counters, he said, “I think I can get pretty much all of your windowsills out of the remnants from the slabs. Would you like me to do that?” I think it took us about 2 seconds to say yes to that idea!

But it was so worth it…whenever anyone new comes to the cabin, they marvel at its beauty. The best part? I can clean all of it with any kind of liquid cleaner I want and it often fails to show that it’s dirty! The name of this stuff? Wild Horse Sandstone.

And it all started because I looked at a patio table.

Friday’s Post: Maizie is Musing

You Might Also Like: Log Rhythms: Sanding and Staining; Log Rhythms: Spring Fling; and Log Rhythms: Semi-Camping

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018 at 6:51 am and is filed under Log Rhythms. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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