The cabinetry for the laundry and bathroom was delivered today and is now stored in the walk-in closet. They are not much to look at in their cardboard boxes, but their arrival means that installation can’t be too far away, right?

Cabinets for bathroom and laundry.

In the bathroom, preparations for ceramic tile are under way. First comes a layer of DITRA-HEAT, a polypropylene membrane with multiple functions.

DITRA-HEAT floor mat.

First, it provides an underlayment for the ceramic tile. Second, the channels between the “studs” in the material allow easy installation of heating cables to warm the floor; no more cold feet!  Third, the flexible nature of the DITRA means that small movements in the foundation won’t cause the floor tiles to crack. And finally, the material is waterproof. Click the image above for a close-up view of the DITRA.

I tried to convince Lynda that the orange DITRA is a good look, and we should not bother covering it with ceramic tile. Amazingly, she declined!

Meanwhile the shower was also readied for tile today.

Shower prepped for tile.

Below are the 2″ x 2″ tiles for the floor of the shower.

Floor tile for shower — 2″ x 2″.

And the 12″ x 12″ tiles for the walls.

Shower tiles — 12″ square.

We’ll have an accent strip around the shower at eye level.

Accent strip for shower.

We finally addressed the difference in height between the old slab and the new slab in the master bedroom area. The old slab was higher at one end of the room than at the other, so the concrete contractor poured a thin layer where the two slabs meet to make up the difference.

In the photo below, the height difference between the old slab (left) and new slab (right) at the far end of the room was tiny, but nearest the camera, it was about ¾”.

Concrete was poured to make up the difference between the old and new slabs.

The small amount of concrete needed meant it could be mixed on the spot in a wheelbarrow. The job was far less messy than we expected.

A relative small amount of concrete was needed, so it was mixed on the spot.

At the same time, the contractor poured the base for the shower.

The contractor poured the floor of the shower at the same time.