Well, that was less than fun

[jeriendhal]

So, yesterday the only thing left to do before the flooring guys came to day was to pull up the vinyl tiles in the kitchen. This proved to be more of a job than I expected. Taking up the ones under the stove that I had yanked on Friday had been easy. But the ones from the middle of the floor were glued down tight, and the tiles kept breaking up as I yanked them by hand. Eventually I ended up using my moom's garden trowel, which proved an effective prybar of sorts, being flat and wide. I got up about of a third of the tiles before it snapped at the handle though. So I went to the Home Depot to buy two more, one for my tile work and one for mom. Unfortunately they didn't have flat trowels, so I just bought my mom a new one and got a real tile remover. With a very wide, very sharp razor blade on the end.

You can probably guess where this is going...

I hadn't been working fifteen minutes before the scraper slipped in my hand, and I ended up tearing a three inch long gash in my forearm. I dialed 911 and the paramedics came and wrapped up my arm, then took me to the hospital to get four stitches. So as it happens, I'm going to have to pay the flooring guys extra to pull up the remaining tiles anyway, and I'm going to end up with a really Emo looking scar on my arm.

Things Jeriendhal is No Longer Allowed to Do:

#8 Play with anything that involves a razor blade. Ever

Comments

[hornedhopper.livejournal.com]

Blerk!

Man, you sure know how to have a good time with DIY projects! Glad the EMTs got there quickly.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Well, it's very nice when the fire station is just across the highway from my house. Came in handy the year we nearly burned down the house the day after Thanksgiving.

[wolfstormdancer.livejournal.com]

remember kiddies its down the street not across the road! If your going to slash yourself do it right! J/K. Sorry you got hurt but you really should get the right tools for the job. The tile remover I have is on a 4' pole and has a wide steel head (no razors). It works kind of like a jack hammer only muscle powered. I don't think they make them anymore... its kind of an antique.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

I remember that S*P comic. :) And actually it did "Go down the street" An inch lower and I would have been having a really bad day. 0_0

[wolfstormdancer.livejournal.com]

I am glad that you did not hurt yourself that bad. Next time Hire some one to do the job if you can. If not the WWW is a excellent tool to find out how to do something with minimal risk to life and limb. Google "Tile removal how to" sometime you will be supprised at the wealth of information.

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you got hurt. Removing tiles is not supposed to result in drama.

When I had to remove vinyl tiles several months ago, I ended up borrowing a propane heat gun thingy from a friend. (I forget what its proper name is.) I lit it and pointed it at the tiles for a while and they came up with very little effort after they got warm enough.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

If I'm ever dumb enough to try this again I'll have to give that a go.

Assuming I don't burn my house down...

[wolfstormdancer.livejournal.com]

Considering the way Royce hurt himself do you really think you sould be advocting him playing with fire???

Royce if you ever do use something like that.... make sure you know where the emergengy cut off is for the porpane and have 2 CO2 fire extingushers handy (as in right next to you) Just in case. :)