After his adventures in the South of France my friend was collected at a bus stop not far from Leroy Merlin and as this is an hour from home I suggested we go to look at the flooring choice dilemma!
PART ONE: The Choice
It was weird because the final choice was something I had looked at last November but discounted the idea as too busy! I am drawn to this antique style. I am not sure if this precise one was there then but it certainly was when I went with a female friend in February. My eye was attracted but not the mind because I was trying to choose between REAL wood flooring and ceramic tiles that looked like wood. Somehow, the cost of real wood seemed obscene for a kitchen and modern-look-like-wood ceramic tiles seemed to not tick my box!! Why have false when one could have the real thing?
Having described my thoughts/ choices, we started to look at other options. Other tiles, Vinyl, Stratifiée etc..
When I showed him this, there was an IMMEDIATE, exclamation of "YES".
And so I came to purchase 16m2 of this lovely carrelage suitable for exterior and interior but also kitchens.
In case the link disappears the tiles are:
Carrelage gris & blanc effet terre cuite Villa l.20 x L.20 cm by ARTENS.
To my surprise I realised that grey was indeed going to look good with an almost white kitchen!
Pattern in a plain kitchen was good.
19th century French Provincial style appealed and though a little highbrow I thought it would suit the character of my house! VOILA!
Angst resolved.
I found this website after I had bought the tiles.
Lovely photos and a little history.
One cannot afford the real thing!
PART TWO: Opening boxes
Whilst the electrician and plumber were in the kitchen room we opened the boxes of tiles.
Not knowing the plan we decided to sort the 12 mixed boxes into piles of the same pattern. Each box contained 36 tiles.
Ah, it appears that the each box contains a different number of each of the NINE tiles that make the pattern.
After opening all boxes, each pile of one pattern was not the same height... hence oh oh oh!
Each pile counted between 41 tiles in one of the nine patterns and 51 of another.
See in the photo the nine piles of tiles all at different heights!
At the very end of the tiling exercise of laying the kitchen floor, there were no more tiles of the pattern which we had the least of.
At one time I was convinced we would need to order another box...but with careful planning at the cutting stage, the last of the least fitted a corner where I shall see it every day! Just to remind me!
We also tiled to the back linear wall under the cabinets because I absolutely hate unseen things being skimped on. I like to know it is clean and tidy behind the plinths. Also if ever the cabinets have to be removed it will still show a level floor!
Then we laid three more sets making a 6 x6 tiled square with the 3 x 3 square four times repeated.
Did we like that?
We re-arranged with always the lightest coloured one in the centre, whereupon we discovered that each tile has its own orientation!!!!!! GOSH!
Then we could see other patterns. For example one could see a 4 x 4 pattern within this!
Then one could see diagonal patterns. Oh help!!!!!! Too busy!
That took at least two hours!
PART THREE: Skirting board cut.
At some point in the kitchen renovation process, my friend sawed out with an adapted tool, a small gap off the base of the skirting board. I held the vacuum cleaner to collect the dust, scoured out the muck, 3 buttons. screws and a 1ct coin!
We had to do this or else the tiles would not have slid under the walls.
On another day he made a cover board to access the water pipes if ever necessary. A clever thinking man! I have loved him and not just for his practical skills! I probably still do love the man I met! People change. He has changed and so have I! We just didn't manage to maintain the togetherness.
PART FOUR: Laying floor tiles
After the artisans departed we started to think about where to start.
First of all find mid centre. We again checked the floor level. We found each straight line between the passage ways. Four door ways.. so how to centralise the pattern...
and as we progressed the nine pattern changed! Finally, the plan was decided so we lay the pattern without glueing to see an effect!
Into the grand salon...
into le petit salon called Oval Room
PART SIX: A halt in the proceedings!
When I phoned Leroy Merlin they asked for the bar code and without question said I should return it.
Various things then occurred to me and the detective in me emerged.
The system for dating building products of a powdery nature has changed. There used to be a date of fabrication which means it then has a certain shelf life. Now... the bags contain the date by which to use making it much easier to work out the age of the product whilst it is in the shop! Here is the jointing powder barcode with DLU - date de l''utilsation.
It should be OK but when we opened it, the powder was lumpy, not the correct powdery texture suggesting that it has been stored badly either in the store or in transit. BIT RISKY TO USE!
When we got to the shop we noticed that the new packets have the DLU ...
h'mmmmm only one month later in the shop than when I bought mine!
I asked for a reimbursement for the inconvenience of travel and a waste of a day's work when the problem with the adhesive was clearly not my fault. I asked after I had seen that the same bags that we'd bought only four weeks prior were being sold 'promotion'. They were within the correct date... but clearly I think LRM knew the problem! I suggested to LRM that I thought the regs had changed and was this true. They confirmed. I also suggested that in this case the product has been stored badly or damaged in transit. They said that it was possble! When they finally understood WHY we had bought the sacks back for exchange and not re-inbursement, they seemed to 'be aware" saying that they would remove all the sacks from promotion. I think they knew they had been sussed although I never returned to see if they kept them off sale!
I was offered 6e to cover the cost of a two hour return journey and petrol costs for 100km When I said that was an insult expecially as I have spent a lot of money with them over the last six years and more I was then offered 15e which I had to accept ... of course all three or four store staff wished me a good day and off they sped asap!!!!!!!
It was ome satisfaction but 'fait attention' one has to be cautious with large companies and stand one's ground!
I am glad my friend was with me otherwise I don't think I would have received any refund.
He verified as an artisan that the goods were not good and well done him as he kept patiently quiet, did not get upset and left it all to me!
The tiles look excellent and I think will provide the effect you've worked so hard to achieve. Well done for standing your ground. All to often we take the line of least resistance when we should stand firm!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the remainder of the work and we look forward to seeing the finished kitchen. :0)