TRANSFORMATION PROJECT! the man's a saint!

I am going to try to do this quickly as it deserves a post of it's own, lol.

We have lived in this house 7 years now.  When we moved in we put ceramic tile in a GREAT deal of the house!  The entry way which leads into both the kitchen, and the large family room.  Then there is a fairly large "kitchen eating area" (which is connected in a big room to the family room - that is my sewing area!) that is also tiled.  Then there is the utility room and both bathrooms.  Soooo lots and lots of tile!  My brother did it for us mainly while I was laid up from my mastectomy surgery.  Well, he used a color of grout that while it went BEAUTIFULLY with the new tile I would have never chosen as I KNEW it would get dirty, and probably pretty easily.  I have been fighting it for years! lol.  But of course slowly over the course of 7 years it has become.....well, the only word for it is filthy!.  It drives me wild!  I have this thing about floors.  Just ask any of my kids.  I have tried to pretend it wasn't there.  Told myself the tile was thoroughly mopped once a week, (and it usually was!) and it was swept a couple of times a week (ok, MAYBE only once...but usually twice, lol) and there have even been a few times of my hubby on his hands and knees giving it a GOOD cleaning as well.  But it is what it is......It was sooo dirty.  And rather I should have been or not, I was HATING it!  Sooo I of course began complaining, whining, flipping out, asking hubby if we couldn't figure out a way to FIX it.  Clean out that grout.  Either professionally, or by ourselves....but some way!  OR! honestly I wanted to rip it all (including our living room and formal dining room carpet) and RE tile it all in a wood tile with DARK grout! Nothing 4 or 5 thousand dollars wouldn't solve, lol.

Well hubby I am sure was beginning to tire of my constant nagging mentioning of this so he decided he would go ahead and do it himself!  OH MY GOODNESS!  What a project!  I honestly feel really bad I ever said a single word.  Sooooo much work!  But!  It has just come out beautifully! and this gal couldn't be more pleased.  Though!  After 2 and half days of work, all that is completely done is the entry hall! The family room is completely prepped and ready for the painting/sealing part, but the rest of it looms.  How will he ever bear it??  I am pampering him as best I can, but honestly I really am not much help.  I got down on the floor for a while, but almost couldn't get back up!  lol  And I am not kidding.  But I did, and truthfully I paid for that the rest of the day!  But what he has done looks sooooo good, I am almost giddy.  Better then when it was new and that is not an exaggeration!  This is going to take weeks of week-ends to complete, but I have promised myself nary a word will be spoken to speed it along.  No matter how anxious I am to have it all done.  I'll let the pics tell the rest of the story!

BEFORE

PART OF OUR MANY "TREATMENT" PROCESSES

AFTER TREATMENT WAS APPLIED IT ALL HAD TO SCRUBBED WITH A STIFF BRUSH ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES....AND THEN!  CLEANED THOROUGHLY WITH OUR STEAM CLEANER

AFTER CLEANING PROCESS, BUT BEFORE SEALING AND PAINT

PAINT/SEALER HAD TO BE APPLIED WITH AN EYELINER BRUSH!!

THIS PROCESS TOOK FOREVER!  6 HOURS ON JUST THE ENTRY HALL!

HE DID THIS TO QUICKEN THE PROCESS BETWEEN THE TWO COLORS WE DECIDED TO USE ON THE GROUT.  FIRST A SNOW WHITE TO HELP COVER EVERYTHING, AND THEN A SOFT LINEN.  I "TRIED" TO GO DARKER WITH A BROWN AND ONE CALLED HAYSTACK, BUT IT JUST GAVE THE APPEARANCE OF ALREADY DIRTY.  JUST DIDN'T GO.  I HOPE I DON'T REGRET THIS LIGHTER SHADE.  I AM HOPING WITH THE SEALER IT WILL GREATLY HELP!  TRUST ME....THIS IS NEVER HAPPENING AGAIN, LOL

FINISHED PRODUCT.  AND THIS PIC DOESN'T REALLY DO IT JUSTICE!  THE TILE ITSELF IN ADDITION TO THE GROUT WAS SOOO MUCH CLEANER AFTER THE STEAM CLEANING!

MY VIEW THIS MORNING!  

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FINISHED ENTRY HALL AND KITCHEN!!  OH MY!  NOT A VERY GOOD PIC BUT IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN EVEN SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TILE ITSELF AND NOT JUST THE GROUT!