Marble Maintenance: Sealing Marble Is No Big Deal

When I designed the bathroom in our 1940s home, I wanted it to look classic and timeless. It didn't have to be a slavish nod to 1940s era bathrooms, but I wanted it to fit the period of our building, to feel as if it had always been there. 

Fixer Upper Friday: Cost of Renovations $0

Our $0 renovation

This isn't going to be a post about scouring the internet for the best deal on fixtures. Or how to find upcycled goods at salvage yards. Or even how to cut your contractor costs by doing some DIY yourself. (Though, I can readily get behind any one or all of those things.)

This is about something very real that you don't hear too much about in the home blogs. How to buy a home that's equity will pay for your renovation.

If I were to add up the cost of the renovations to our new home - contractor fees, materials, and fixtures - it totals more than $40k. But it didn't cost us a cent.

Wa-wa-what what? That's right. Here's how we did it.

Installing a Statuary Marble Bathtub Surround and Deck

The marble arrived and it is a thing of beauty:

Though warned by multiple sources, I stuck to my guns on a honed finish. I just don't like ultra shiny marble. Empire covered sealing upon fabrication, and again after installation. And I will take their advice to reseal it myself every couple of months (I'll let the "water test" be my guide).