#1. i have a room inspection next week and don’t want a stained sink for that

[ghostbusterscantcatchme]

fighting demons (the urge to dye my hair)

[when-a-humble-bard]

the driftwood and the rift (p.2)

Read part 1 here!

Read on AO3 here!

Warnings: blood/injury; strong suggestions of past torture; feelings of guilt; everyone feels guilty for different reasons; they are bad at feelings but they are both trying

A/N: part 2 is here! This chapter was like pulling teeth to get them to talk to each other but we kinda got there. Heh. Hope you enjoy!

Tags: @thuriweaver

…

They take the last room at the tavern that’s available. Geralt accepts the key from the innkeeper—who stares at the mess of the two of them, beaten and bloody, with wide eyes—and half-helps, half-carries the bard up the stairs to the last room on the left. Geralt pauses only long enough to ask the barmaid to send up a basin of hot water.

He drops Jaskier onto the singular bed in the corner. He hates the silence. It had been grating in the months since their parting at the mountain top, but now that Jaskier is here… Geralt hates it. Almost as much as he hates the way Jaskier won’t meet his eyes.

Geralt busies himself with getting a low fire going in the hearth and pulling out strips of linen and vials of oil. He can feel Jaskier watching him, his bright blue eyes following his every movement. His initial panic seems to have abated, as much as Geralt can tell from his scent and the beating of the bard’s heart, but there’s something that lingers around him that Geralt can’t quite place. Something that reminds Geralt of burnt grass and smoke.

The Witcher turns to face the bard, opening his mouth to say something when he’s interrupted by a knock at the door. Geralt quietly thanks the young woman that hands the wash basin to him with a hesitant smile. When he turns back, Jaskier is standing. He’s got one hand braced against the headboard.

“Jaskier,” Geralt says softly. The bard’s eyes flicker up. “Sit down.”

Jaskier shakes his head. Some of his hair—it’s longer than Geralt remembers—falls across his eyes in the process. “Your shoulder,” he says. “It needs to be cleaned and we both know your scars heal more evenly if someone else sews them up.”

Geralt sighs. “I don’t care how evenly—”

“For fuck’s sake, Geralt, just… let…” Jaskier blows out a breath. “Let me do this. Please.”

Geralt knows first-hand just how insistent the bard can be. There was a certain fire that always lit up in those blue eyes of his when he got this way, and Geralt can’t help but feel an odd note of relief at seeing it back. The look always managed to exasperate the Witcher—honestly, Jaskier chose the most trivial things to put his foot down over—but it’s an improvement over the distant, haunted look that had shadowed his expression since the forest. Perhaps that’s why he relents.

Geralt’s lips press into a thin line before he sets the basin on the floor and sits on the edge of the bed. Jaskier is quiet again as Geralt shrugs off his armor and sheds the shirt underneath. The silence twists Geralt’s stomach. He is desperate to fill it.

“You were in Blavikin.”

It’s not a question, exactly. The hooded figure had told him as such, after all. The gentle splash of water as Jaskier dips one of the strips of linen into the basin fills the beat of silence that meets the end of the statement.

The bard’s gaze flickers up briefly to meet the Witcher’s golden one. “Yes. After we, ah, last parted, I found myself passing through Blavikin and the people of Blavikin found themselves in need of a bard.”

Geralt watches closely as Jaskier swallows before gingerly pressing the linen to the stab wound, far more gently than necessary, beginning to clean the blood that had dried against Geralt’s skin. The admittance from Jaskier leaves Geralt with more questions than answers. He wants to ask why—of all places Jaskier could have headed—the bard decided to go there. But Geralt doesn’t ask, swallowing the question down.

He thinks he knows the answer, anyway. Despite the bard’s ballads and songs sweeping through the Continent, plenty of contempt directed towards him lingered around. He had no doubt that Blavikin would harbor the worst of it. Butcher of Blavikin wasn’t a name so easily wiped from memories, even if White Wolf had started to worm its way into people’s vocabularies with increasing frequency.

Geralt had not returned to the town since Renfri. He did not plan to ever go back. Geralt looks up as Jaskier continues to clean at the wound in his shoulder. He wonders if perhaps Jaskier knew that. If that’s exactly why the bard decided to go there.

It’s another question that Geralt can’t bring himself to ask.

“I don’t think I’ll go back,” Jaskier says suddenly, studiously avoiding Geralt’s watchful stare. “Can’t say Blavikin really does it for me much anymore.”

“Hmm.” Geralt wants to ask why, but Jaskier presses on.

“Although, I’ll have to go back to retrieve my lute. If it’s even still there. I suppose that’s unlikely, given that it’s been a month, but you never truly know. Perhaps Adelaide rescued it. She’s just as likely to sell it, and that would be quite the travesty. Filavandrel would never forgive me. Although, to be fair, I haven’t performed quite as much as I used to, so perhaps there’s a certain level of irony to be found.”

As he rambles—for which Geralt is oddly grateful to hear, even if Jaskier’s voice is thin and shaky—he finishes cleaning the wound. It’s stopped bleeding, Geralt realizes, and Jaskier turns away from the Witcher and begins preparing what looks like a poultice. Geralt’s gaze still doesn’t waver from the bard. Jaskier’s hands are shaking. He drops one of the vials and it shatters against the dark wood floors.

“Fuck.”

Geralt stands up slowly. “Jaskier.”

“I’ll replace it in the morning, Geralt.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

Jaskier is standing frozen by the table next to the bed, dropping his hands beside the poultice and dragging a breath into his lungs as if it takes a certain amount of focus. It’s the first deep breath Geralt has heard the bard take tonight, but he doesn’t miss the hitch nor the slight grimace of pain that passes through Jaskier’s face. Geralt swallows.

“Sit,” he says, and this time, Jaskier doesn’t argue with him.

The bard sinks down onto the side of the bed where Geralt had been sitting a moment ago, his gaze distant as he stares absently across the room. Jaskier blinks, breaking him out of whatever momentary trance he’d been in, and drags his gaze back to Geralt. It settles squarely on the wound in his shoulder. That scent of burnt grass and smoke that lingers around the bard gets stronger.

Geralt sighs, glancing around the room before he finds the spare change of clothes he’d brought in from Roach. He slips the shirt over his head, gritting his teeth as the move tears a bit at the stab wound. He just wants Jaskier to stop staring at it. Especially since the bard looks like he’s about to keel over at any moment.

Geralt busies himself with picking up the shards of glass he can find while he waits for Jaskier to shed his doublet and the shirt underneath. Except by the time Geralt has finished cleaning up the glass as best he can manage, Jaskier hasn’t moved.

Geralt sighs. “Jaskier.” Jaskier blinks up at him expectantly. Geralt arcs an eyebrow, then motions to the bard. “Your shirt.”

“What about it?” From the quick aversion of his gaze, Geralt has the feeling that Jaskier is stalling more than expressing a genuine lack of understanding. Geralt doesn’t respond, crossing his arms over his chest and staring the bard down.

Jaskier lasts all of about ten seconds before he releases a breath and Geralt sees his cheeks flush slightly. “I… may need some help,” he says quietly.

Geralt softens and crosses back to him, sitting beside the bard and helping him ease his blue doublet off his shoulders. The stench of copper grows stronger, and Geralt can see stains of red bleeding onto the off-white shirt he wears beneath. Geralt folds the doublet and sets it aside as he hears Jaskier suck in a deep breath before tugging the hem of his shirt out of his pants and continuing the momentum up and over his head.

Geralt doesn’t miss the tight clench to Jaskier’s jaw at the movement before the bard balls the shirt in his hands. Geralt glances at the bard’s back and freezes.

It’s… a mess. Mottled bruising—some fresh, some old—offers a sickeningly colorful backdrop of greens, yellows, and blues to the slashes that carve through his skin. Some span most of the bard’s back, others are smaller. A few are red, barely scabbed over, while others are most of the way to scarring.

 He lasted nearly three weeks before he screamed for you.

Geralt closes his eyes against the roll in his stomach. “Fuck, Jaskier.”

“It’s like I always told you,” Jaskier says, and the attempt at levity probably wouldn’t have worked even if Jaskier’s voice didn’t tremble just a little, “ladies love some scars. Though I’m afraid the stories behind mine are, ah… well. Safe to say I probably won’t be composing songs about them.”

Geralt swallows thickly. He doesn’t know where to start, his golden gaze flickering over the far-too-many injuries that splay across the bard’s back, over his shoulders, wrapping around his ribs. Geralt leans forward slightly to inspect the bard’s chest, and Jaskier turns his head away like he’s ashamed. His chest looks to be in just as bad of shape, and the fact that the bruises continue down around the bard’s hips and disappear beneath the waistline of his pants doesn’t escape the Witcher’s notice either.

“What did they want?” Geralt asks in a careful voice, tearing his gaze away from the colorful and painful display of Jaskier’s chest to the bard’s face.

Jaskier’s light blue gaze flickers to Geralt before looking back to the fire in the hearth. “Nothing.”

“Jaskier.”

“Geralt.” Jaskier finally meets his eyes in a brief flair of defiance. Something wavers in Jaskier’s expression before he tears his gaze away. It grows distant as the bard’s voice grows softer. “They didn’t want anything I was willing to give. So what does it matter, really, what they wanted?”

It matters because Geralt didn’t really need Jaskier to tell him what they wanted from him. The hooded figure in the forest had been pretty damn clear. He was resolute in withholding information about you. Loyal to the end, it would seem. Plenty of people wanted the Witcher dead—plenty of people want Witchers in general dead. None, as far as Geralt knew, had gone to such lengths to glean any information about him in particular as to do this. He knew his lifestyle was dangerous, and put those who chose to join him in harm’s way, but… that was because he hunted monsters. Not… not this. Fuck.

Nobody deserved this, but Jaskier least of all. Jaskier, who had done nothing but care for him and be the singular most steadfast person present in Geralt’s life. Loyal to the end, it would seem. Geralt’s stomach gives another uncomfortable roll, his throat growing tight.

Geralt’s own thoughts trail off as he sees the pained hitch in Jaskier’s breath as he sighs just a touch too deeply.

The Witcher busies himself with kneeling in front of the bard, dipping the unused strips of linen in the wash basin that is now slightly tinged with the red of Geralt’s own blood.

“You should have told them,” Geralt says without looking at him. “Whatever they wanted to know, you should have…” He trails off.

Jaskier releases a breath that sounds almost like a laugh, laced tight with pain and something else that Geralt can’t place. “You really think so little of me? After all these years?”

Geralt’s brow furrows as he wrings out one of the strips. Jaskier looks back at the Witcher, seems to recognize the confusion, and shakes his head a little. “For fuck’s sake, Geralt. You think a little pain is all it would take for me to sell out on you?”

“This,” Geralt says between clenched teeth, nodding to Jaskier’s battered form, “is more than just a little, Jaskier.”

And gods fucking damn it, because it’s his fault. They didn’t want Jaskier, they wanted Geralt, and had thought that going after the bard would be the fastest way to get to him. It was well known across the Continent that Jaskier was the bard who sung the praises of the White Wolf, tagged along with him on so many adventures. An easy target. But the bard was nothing if not steadfast and loyal—to a fault, it would seem to Geralt—and his will had never been as easily broken as his body. If Geralt had just… been there, then Jaskier wouldn’t be fighting back a pained wince with each inhale of breath he dragged into his lungs.  

Geralt sighs. He lifts the damp cloth towards the gash on Jaskier’s shoulder. One of the fresher ones, by the look of it. That, or the fight in the woods had torn an old wound back open. Geralt’s hand hesitates before making contact, looking to Jaskier for permission.

Jaskier doesn’t look at him, but he offers a subtle nod and swallows. He shuts his eyes, holding his breath as Geralt gingerly dabs at the fresh blood there. Jaskier releases the breath slowly a moment later. Geralt pretends not to notice just how badly it shakes.

There’s a long stretch where neither of them says anything. Geralt pays close attention to Jaskier, giving him a moment to brace each time he begins to tend to a new wound. The Witcher tries not to let his mind wander too far from his job, careful to not touch Jaskier anywhere he doesn’t absolutely have to. The bard’s fallen silent again, and there are brief moments where Geralt can feel his quiet gaze on him. Any time he goes to return it, Jaskier’s blue eyes flicker back to the fire, crackling in the silence around them.

“You don’t have to do that, you know,” Jaskier says when Geralt hesitates for the fourth time.

“Hmm.”

“Any of it,” Jaskier adds. “I did pick up a few things from our travels together, you know. I… I can do this myself.”

Geralt lets his hand drop from Jaskier’s ribs, his gold gaze searching. Jaskier won’t meet his eyes. “Do you want to?” he asks, because as much as Geralt wants to feel like cleaning Jaskier’s wounds would at least begin the recompense he owes the bard, Jaskier’s comfort and sense of security take priority.

“I can.”

Geralt frowns. “That’s not what I asked.”

Jaskier is silent again. As much as the Witcher knew the bard could read him, he’d learned how to read the bard over the years in kind. Something was pressing on Jaskier’s mind. He could tell from the unusual silence. The distant gaze. The way that his hands wringed in his shirt—usually, he’d be plucking absently on the strings of his lute, but with the instrument’s absence, Geralt figures that the bard’s hands would remain restless when he was turning something over in his mind.

Still, Jaskier doesn’t give voice to whatever thoughts are evidently flickering through his mind. And as much as Geralt wants to ask him, he can’t bring himself to. He doesn’t want to press. He’d been pressed for information enough over the past month.

The Witcher has cleaned most of the fresh and re-opened wounds on Jaskier’s ribs when the bard finally breaks the silence.

“Geralt.”

“Hmm?”

“In the forest.” Jaskier looks at Geralt kneeling in front of him. There’s a flood of that burnt grass and smoke scent and only now that Geralt is fully looking at him—his eyes wide and pained—can Geralt pair the scent with the emotion. Guilt. “Did you know it would work?”

“What would work?”

“Throwing the knife.”

Geralt’s hands still for a moment. “Mages are conduits of chaos,” he says quietly, recalling what Yennefer had told him once. “Destroy the conduit, you break their hold on whomever they’ve enchanted. Usually.”

“Usually,” Jaskier repeats. “So you didn’t know.”

“Hmm.”

“You could have killed me. You should have.” The statement makes Geralt’s eyes flash up to the bard’s again. “Why didn’t you?”

Geralt shakes his head, hating the way the smoke scent starts to radiate off Jaskier so fully that it nearly drowns out the smell of honeysuckle entirely. “You were under a spell.”

“I was a threat.”

“No.” Geralt’s eyes flash. “You were a victim. There’s a difference.”

“I wanted to hurt you.” Jaskier looks squarely at Geralt now, his blue eyes bright with pain. “I did. When that spell was winning, I wanted to hurt you, Geralt, and gods on high it terrified me. I mean—fuck.” Jaskier drops the shirt in his hands as his voice breaks and buries his fingertips in his hair.

“Jaskier,” Geralt tries, ducking a little in an attempt to get the bard to look at him again. Jaskier’s eyes are screwed shut. Geralt purses his lips. “I’ve sustained injuries far more serious than the meager ones you inflicted in the forest. And regardless, that wasn’t reflective of your desires. It was the bloodlust of the spell.”

“But I felt it, Geralt. I…” Jaskier shakes his head. He scrubs a hand across his watering eyes. He offers a thin, shaky, self-deprecating smile. “Add it to the pile of shit I shovel, huh?”

It’s Geralt’s turn to avert his gaze. Jaskier doesn’t mean it as a jab, but it rips open old well-deserved pain in Geralt’s chest. He’d regretted his words on the mountain less than an hour after he’d spoken them. But he hadn’t known how to take the words back in a way that would mean anything. He’d still said them. And Geralt had long ago gotten in the habit of not saying much of anything when he didn’t know what to say. So instead, he’d taken his time going back down the mountain, turning over the thousand ways to make it up to the bard should they ever cross paths again.

Here they are, months later, and Geralt still doesn’t know where to begin.

“I wasn’t fair,” Geralt says, knowing and hating that all he can think to say is a distant echo of what Jaskier had said himself on that mountaintop months ago. “After the dragon. You were right.”

Jaskier’s eyes open, blinking in evident surprise as he glances up at the Witcher. Geralt can feel the gaze on him, searching and confused, but he can’t quite bring himself to meet it. He busies his hands and his attention, instead, by returning to the gash under Jaskier’s collarbone that still looks red and painful.

“I get myself into shit,” Geralt continues quietly, “and the fact that you happen to be there more often than not does not mean you’re the one who…” The Witcher huffs a frustrated breath, fumbling for some semblance of words that won’t fall short of what he means. He dabs gently with the damp linen cloth against the wound and Jaskier’s breath stutters for just a moment.

He tries again. “You’re a loyal friend, Jaskier.”

And fuck if that doesn’t fall short in a million other ways. The extent of Jaskier’s unyielding, relentless loyalty was painted all over the bard’s body as a painful reminder. Loyal felt like such a massive understatement, and friend didn’t fit well in Geralt’s mouth as a descriptor of Jaskier either. It never had.

But Geralt doesn’t know how to bridge the rift between the words he says and the meaning behind them. The words that leave his lips feel like grasping at driftwood while drowning.

“Fuck,” Geralt mutters under his breath.

Jaskier’s hand stills Geralt’s over his wound before pulling his hand away and enveloping it in his own. “Geralt?”

The Witcher stops and swallows. “Forgive me. Please.”

And in truth, Geralt doesn’t know what exactly he’s referring to. If it’s the long overdue plea for what he’d said on the mountain or for the pained wince that Jaskier kept trying to mask or for all the other ways that the Witcher continued to fail Jaskier. There are far too many things, too many ways, that Geralt had fallen short. Too many things he needs Jaskier to forgive him for.

“I’ll do better,” Geralt murmurs, and Jaskier leans forward until their foreheads are touching. Geralt takes a breath, enveloped in the scent of cedar and honeysuckle and rose. The copper scent is mostly gone now, and the Witcher counts it as a small mercy on the aching in his chest.

“My dear Witcher,” Jaskier breathes in the space between them, “Of course.”

The ease with which Jaskier says the words is a grace that Geralt does not deserve. He releases a breath as the knot in his chest loosens before swallowing thickly. He feels Jaskier squeeze his hand softly. Geralt pulls back despite the sudden desire to press into the bard’s aura of warmth and wildflowers.

Jaskier is still battered and bruised and in pain. I’ll do better. That begins with easing whatever pain of Jaskier’s he can in the moment.

The Witcher clears his throat slightly as if it will ease the tightness of it. Jaskier seems reluctant to release his hold of Geralt’s hand, but he does after a moment. Geralt goes back to cleaning the gash beneath his collarbone. It’s the last of his wounds that necessitate cleaning before he’ll offer a salve that should help with the inflammation. Hopefully, with some pain eased, Jaskier can get a decent night’s sleep. Gods know how long it had been since the bard had been able to do that.

Geralt stands to do just that, turning towards the bag he’d hauled in.

“Where do you plan to go, come morning light?” Jaskier asks suddenly.

Geralt turns back around to look at the bard. “With you,” he says, his brows furrowed. Hadn’t that been obvious?

The Witcher sees the faintest hint of a smile tug at the corner of the bard’s mouth and the lingering knot in Geralt’s chest loosens just a touch more. “To the coast?”

“Hmm.” That did sound… nice, actually. Getting away for a while. It had been a long time since Geralt had been to the coast. He turns back to the bag and rifles through the contents, searching for that salve.

“I’ll need to get my lute first.”

“We can stop on the way.”

“Been too long since I last played,” Jaskier is saying, his voice getting softer and heavier. “Though if we’re going to the coast, I’ll have ample time to work on some sea shanties. Been ages since I’ve sung a sea shanty. Do you know any, Geralt?”

“No.”

“Hm. Shame. I’ll have to teach some to you.”

Geralt huffs a breath. Jaskier would be hard pressed to get Geralt to sing much of anything, but there also wasn’t much that Geralt would refuse Jaskier right now. He turns back to the bard, his brow arched, and finds the bard slumped over in the bed. Fast asleep. The corner of the Witcher’s mouth tugs up into an almost-smile.

He sets the salve that he’d dug out of the bag on the table with a quiet click, easing an arm under Jaskier’s knees and one under his neck. He lifts the bard easily—he’s far lighter than he ought to be—and repositions him more fully onto the bed. He couldn’t have the bard aggravating his injuries further. Jaskier stirs slightly, and Geralt holds his breath before the bard sighs softly and seems to drift back to sleep.

Geralt sets his bedroll on the floor. In the morning, they’d set off for the coast. For now, Geralt drifts off to sleep to the crackling fire in the hearth, the bard’s steady heartbeat, and the faint scent of wildflowers in the air around him.

[split-n-splice]

i’m too lazy to make a new header yet oh well

[Chapter Guide]

13. The Nature Of – 1

No arrangements had been made, so Dr. Drakken didn’t count on a visit over the weekend, much less hope for one. Not after the cold shoulder he’d given when he’d locked her out of his quarters while he stopped a bloody nose, and later grunting in wordless dismissal when she popped into his office to inform him she was borrowing Lux and his Beetle for burgers and a ride home.

She’d given him a fleeting opportunity to take her instead, jokily recommending a liquor store and movie rental, and like a fool he turned her down with a scoff that he was in no mood to abet in her underage drinking. His face was still sore from the wrench, and he didn’t need her finding a way to bruise his ego further.

He went to town that Friday evening anyway, long after dark, to do his shopping for fresh ingredients as the phantom voice of his mother insisted. A balanced meal for a change didn’t lift his spirits as long as he was slumped alone at the kitchen island though. His appetite was too far gone to finish his plate. The extra serving was wrapped up in foil, bound to be forgotten at the back of the fridge until he threw it out next week.

Given he’d braced himself to spend his weekend in his usual solitude, Drakken was in for a surprise Saturday morning. Whether it was a pleasant surprise was debatable.

Slumping out of his bedroom, bundled up in a soft navy blue robe, he paused on his way to the kitchen and snapped his head toward the living room instead. The television was on. He just barely recognized the blurry colors and shapes of Scamper and Bitey on mute. He never tuned into that channel, and he was certain he hadn’t left the TV on.

He blinked blearily to a figure clad in all black on his couch, fetched his glasses he’d forgotten on the kitchen counter last night, and crept over to take a better look.

It was Shego, of course, so not a total surprise. She was roughed up. Dirt on her cheeks and clothes, autumn leaves in her hair. One pant leg was rolled up to just below the knee, paper towels wrapped around a bloodied ankle which left a stain on the corduroy couch cushion he might never get out. A paper sack of cash and coins had been dumped out on his coffee table, some of it counted and stacked, but most of it in a loose pile and spilling onto the floor.

He had half a mind to shove her awake and demand answers.

He made coffee instead.

A few minutes later, he was given a start, as he hadn’t heard her get up. She brushed by behind him as she sidled into the kitchen, and popped up onto the counter nearby to put her dirty foot in the sink, hissing as she peeled away crusted paper towels that had dried to her ankle. From his spot by the stove, Drakken cast a wary glance back at her rinsing away dried blood and stuck tissue.

Watching her tend to the injury wasn’t conducive to making breakfast, and it sure didn’t help his appetite. It was the ingrained voice of his mother compelling him to cook at all, and if he didn’t have company, he likely would have skipped the most important meal of the day entirely.

He wanted to snap at her to take care of herself in the bathroom – he put eating utensils in that sink, for crying out loud – but she spoke before he could find the nerve to tell her off.

“Smells good,” she said blithely without looking back at him, as if she weren’t picking at scabs. “Whatcha cookin’?”

“Omelets.”

“Can I get extra cheese?”

“I didn’t say I was cooking any for you,” he bluffed, and flinched as cold water was flicked at his cheek, some of it sizzling in the pan. Cross-contamination crossed his mind and he grimaced, giving her a curt, “Fine,” in the hope she wouldn’t do it again.

“And extra mushroom.”

“Only if you tell me what you got up to last night.”

“I dunno. I got high,” she answered airily. Her tone was hard to read and he saw her shrug in his peripheral.

Drakken turned to her now to study her drying off with yet more paper towels, but, “High on what?” somehow took precedence over his uneasy curiosity of how severe the lacerations were even as his eyes darted down to her ankle. He could think of only one medical clinic in this town, and it wasn’t open on weekends. Otherwise, it was a forty-five minute drive to the nearest hospital if she needed stitches from a licensed professional.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said.

But he did. He even screened his henchmen every so often. Thoughts of the newspaper clippings came back to him, the nasty rumors of meth use and other dubious substances in particular. He narrowed his eyes at her. “If you don’t remember what you did last night, then I feel I should worry about it,” he retorted as he stepped over to inspect her ankle for himself. “It’s not going to get in the way of—?”

“Chill out, dude. It was just weed,” she swore irritably, and it was a wonder she didn’t kick him for grabbing her leg to take a look. He swore he caught a trace of the odor on her then, and crinkled his nose. She shot him a dirty look in return and yanked herself free. “It’s not a big deal.”

Whether she meant the lacerations or the dope, he wasn’t sure if he completely believed her. As he glowered at the sheepish girl slipping down from the counter beside him, favoring one foot, he had the sneaking suspicion what half of her too-high-to-remember claim had been a lie. “How did that happen anyway?”

“You really need to give me a key to the gate,” she grumbled.

“You tried climbing the fence, didn’t you?” he guessed, and took it as a yes when she quickly shoved away from the counter to keep her back to him while she got into the fridge. He shuddered to think of her getting snagged in the barbed wire topping the fence, but it didn’t explain the leaves in her hair or why she was barefoot with dirty feet. He sighed and unthinkingly picked out some debris from the snarls of hair as she set about slicing creminis, at least until she shot him a testy sidelong glance that reminded him to keep his hands to himself.

Shego came clean on her own as he went back to tending to the stove, though Drakken had the sense she wasn’t telling the whole truth. She regaled getting high with her new posse from the café, eager to explain how they’d dressed up in black, complete with balaclavas, and worked as a team to rob a convenience store. She only came away with a couple hundred dollars, but she was content with it, while her friends had been high enough to be content with armloads of snacks they’d looted. Following the heist, she’d lost her shoes in the dark and fell in the woods while avoiding the road. When Drakken tried to scold her for making trouble, she cut him off, quickly blaming him for putting the idea in her head in the first place and justifying the mischief by accusing the 24-Seven clerk of being a creep and a pig. Then she chastised him for not being there for her when she needed a getaway driver.

The account didn’t ease his worries much.

Nonetheless, Drakken fetched her the first-aid kit from his bathroom after breakfast and left her to tend to herself properly and crash on his couch again as he started his day in the tech lab.

Just having her asleep a room away on his couch was enough to ease the loneliness somehow. It was better when she woke up and migrated to the chair behind him as he worked.

It was a shame it only lasted for the day.

Setting her up outside the lair was feeling like a mistake, Drakken decided as he took her home that evening. He reminded himself like a mantra that it was for the best. He had to protect himself, although chaperoning her so often was bound to be counterproductive. Her do-gooder superhuman family was bound to show up sooner or later, and it was best he kept them as far as possible. Which meant her too, as much as he was coming to hate the very thought.

When it came time to drop her off in front of the apartments, she offhandedly promised to see him Monday, but Drakken involuntarily let yesterday’s soreness show in his tone as he asked if she’d be waiting for him behind Buckley’s. He knew he’d made a mistake when she narrowed her eyes at him before giving an ambiguous shrug and jumping out.

Keeping her at a distance may have been his idea – but all reason and logic aside, he was certainly regretting it as he was left by his lonesome once again. He had to pull off a glove to be sure he hadn’t turned a shade bluer.

Technically, he did see her Monday – just not at the usual meeting place. She was already walking down the sidewalk a block away from Buckley’s Brew, walking a happy-go-lucky brown dog all but dragging her along and chatting with a scrappy young fellow with bad teeth and patchy stubble. Drakken tried coasting slowly as he passed, but the civilian Shilo shot him a dirty look and a rude hand gesture. Grudgingly, he took the hint to bug off. She didn’t turn up later, much to his disappointment.

The next day, he debated even bothering to make the trip to pick her up, as per their agreement. But he was glad he did, because she was waiting for him this time. She was with one of her café girlfriends again. It was decidedly a better sight than yesterday’s, and he was rewarded for his effort this time when she climbed in, though she didn’t bother to put out her cigarette this time, choosing instead to wryly hold it out his way as if to offer him a drag. He glared and shoved her outstretched arm back to the passenger side.

Back at the lair, she performed the task she was given of honing his henchmen’s skills and keeping them sharp, although not very professionally today. Drakken was working on plans in his office when he glanced up to the CCTV across the room for the umpteenth time, spotting a commotion on the screen dedicated to the gym. He was surprised it took her this long to give one of the new henchmen a black eye and a knee to the groin.

Before he could consider going to the gym to break it up, the video feed informed him she was already making a hasty departure. So he sat back down and scooted up to his desk to resume working on the blueprint for his latest pet project – or at least pretending to do so. His feigned focus didn’t last long.

Drakken didn’t hear her enter, but remaining oblivious to Shego’s presence beside him was impossible when she grabbed him by the arm and hoisted him out of his seat at the risk of stretching his sleeve.

“Come on. I wanna get out of here,” she said coldly as she all but drug him from his office.

It didn’t sound like he had a say in the matter. He pried her fingers from his arm to give himself a little more dignity as he strode along behind her. “Did something happen?” he pressed, throwing a glance back down the stairwell. Reviewing security footage for misbehavior wasn’t an option right now.

“No,” Shego scoffed. “I’ve just got somewhere to be.”

“But—”

It came out whinier than he’d meant, and she shot him a glare over her shoulder, interrupting, “But what?”

Drakken cleared his throat and slipped around her to the step above. “It’s not time for you to go,” he said, straining to keep his voice level.

Shego offered a mere shrug as she pushed him aside to pass. “The boys and I came to an agreement to take a break for a few days,” she explained. “They’re sore, and I’ve got better things to do than spend my afternoons beating them up.”

“Like what?” slipped out in a scoff.

“Like hanging out my friends in the park and being a hoodlum,” she offered as if it was the obvious answer. “You never want to do anything fun, Doc. It’s boring here. Call me when you’ve actually got something for me to do.”

Recoiling from the sharp sting of her words, Drakken shied back as she finished her ascent up the stairs ahead of him. He wasn’t boring – he was blue for Pete’s sake – and – and he squeezed his eyes shut, recalling the amount of time she spent idle and lounging around. He supposed he really hadn’t given her much fulfillment lately.

Treading slowly after her, he scratched the nape of his neck with a frown as he considered viable avenues to appease her.

Shego was quiet on the ride into town, and he himself was a little too sore and deep in thought to be much for conversation either. An autumn thunderstorm loomed, owing to the thick humidity, which didn’t make the silence any less suffocating. As the first raindrops hit the windshield, Drakken was momentarily glad he hadn’t been so cross as to tell her to walk, though he was still inclined to give her a cold shoulder for the earlier insult.

He doubted the cold shoulder was all that effective though when he was the one feeling snubbed and chilled.

When the civilian Shilo finally piped up, waving a hand out toward him to signal him, it was to tell him to stop the van – and then she was shouldering her go-bag and hopping out, something down the street ultimately more important than a courteous goodbye or thank you for the ride. As the door slammed behind her, thunder cracked with a dazzling flicker of light, and Drakken had half a mind to order her to get back in the van as he blinked away the spots.

It was just his luck she was jogging down a one-way street in a direction he couldn’t follow. He idled a moment too long, watching her go, and the honk of a horn behind him alerted him he was holding up traffic. He just barely caught a last glimpse of her ducking into an alley as he drove on.

Back at the lair, he got back to business, a new determination fueled by her insult urging him to work overtime. He impatiently ordered his scant crew of henchmen to do the same, visiting the workshop in the basement himself to hand over documents detailing precisely the parts he needed to complete an order.

The behemoth Lars overseeing the shop was none too impressed by Drakken’s deadline. He turned away with a howl of laughter that reverberated through the room and gave him a dismissive answer, “You’ll get ‘em when you get ‘em.”

As the head honcho, it wasn’t the treatment he was used to. He left with his face hot and hands balled into fists, and with the creeping suspicion that his closest subordinate’s presence of late had been gradually undermining his own authority worse than he could have anticipated. It was high time he quit letting her push him around and regain some control around the place. Keeping her at a distance was all-around for the better.

Regardless of whatever pep talk he gave himself as he straightened his spine and squared his shoulders to assume a respectable posture, he still found himself out of the lair first thing the next morning. He’d thought it through. It had been hard to sleep with the storm outside raging, the thunderclaps heard all the way in his bedroom in the lair. The resonating booms had echoed through the ventilation system all night, a good portion of which he’d spent in the lab plucking away at the latest ridiculous order that ought to earn him a small fortune.

Though the thunder had moved on, the rain illuminated in his headlights came down in sheets, quenching the parched landscape. By the flow of water on the road, washing away mud and debris, Drakken didn’t doubt the flashflood warnings broadcast on the radio. He was surprised the ceiling back at the lair hadn’t begun to drip yet, and could only cross his fingers for another year that the architect’s guarantee was worth anything. He hoped to be out of the hole soon, and idly contemplated the sort of lair he might invest in next. He wasn’t much of a beachgoer, but an island in the tropics sounded awful nice about now.

It was still dark out – especially dark given the unyielding cloud cover – which made the single front window of Shego’s studio apartment in the upper right corner easy to spot despite the distortion of the rain streaming down his windows. The light was on, which he hoped meant she was home and awake.

He weighed the options of waiting for her and going up to fetch her. He supposed he should have called, but if she had phone service yet, she’d yet to give him her number, he realized.

A minute later, he was ringing her doorbell. He really hadn’t thought it through. He’d taken a leap out of the van and made a mad dash through the driving rain, soaked through by the time he reached the staircase. The breezeway roof above offered no protection from the rain blowing in sideways, and for a second he was relieved his accomplice answered the door so quickly.

She was buttoning up a clear plastic raincoat, uttering, “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” when she suddenly leapt back and stared at him as if she’d seen a ghost. “What are you doing here?”

What was he doing here? He stood staring at her slack-jawed for a moment too long, a cold gust of rain striking his back making him jump forward. Civilian Shilo stepped aside to let him take shelter in her doorway, but waited for an answer. He cleared his throat to kick-start intelligent thought again. “I thought I’d give you a ride to Jackass – I mean, to Buckley’s,” he said, and tacked on the excuse, “I was in town anyway for, uhm. Some parts.”

“That’s…nice,” she said warily, and flipped up her hood. She peeked past him into the dreary morning. “But I already have a ride, so…”

Drakken glanced back. The only vehicle in sight was his old white cargo van. “Really? Because I don’t see it.”

“Well, yeah. He’s not supposed be here for another five—”

Suddenly he was very cold, and sodden clothes weren’t to blame. “He?” slipped from his mouth before he could think to respectfully excuse himself for impeding. “Who’s he?”

“My getaway driver,” she answered curtly with a roll of her eyes. Her hand clasped around his wrist then, and he was being towed back out into the rain.

“I thought I was your getaway driver?” he uttered stupidly as she turned to lock the door.

“Only when you need me to be your errand girl,” she reminded with a note of resent, voice rising above the clamor of the heavy rainfall.

“Oh.” Drakken blinked at the blurry shape of the girl in the clear slicker ahead of him as she let go of his wrist so they could both safely descend the slick staircase. He couldn’t accurately recall the number of times she’d tried coercing him out to do something, particularly activities that could get them into trouble. The image of her lying across his couch last weekend came to mind, her ankle torn up but the thrill involved in obtaining the meager sack of cash evidently worth it.

Whoever this getaway driver of hers was, it was evident to Drakken he’d need to step up his game if he wanted to compete.

He couldn’t shut down the anxious tumult at the thought any easier than he could the stir of warmth nearly blotting out the cold rain chilling him to the bone as he watched her take shotgun of his van. He told himself hypothermia was to blame for the odd sensation, but his companion negated the thought just as quickly.

As he climbed in behind the wheel, she plucked the glasses from his face and wiped them dry with a rag from the console before he could fuss with his own impaired vision himself. He thought his, “Thank you,” came off as polite and genuine, but he might as well have insulted her by the way she crossed her arms and huffed.

It could still be hypothermia, he decided with a nod to himself.

Before turning a corner ahead, he couldn’t help noticing a pair of headlights stop where he’d been parked moments ago. He cast a glance to Shego – she was watching the side mirror, her mouth quirked into a wry smile, and he swallowed bile and kept his mouth shut to keep curiosity to himself. Even if he did feel entitled to know what game she was playing with him.

“Shall I pick you up today?” he wondered as he pulled up to the curb in front of the corner shop café. The windows of Buckley’s Brew were already lit up as the large baker and a couple of girls moved about inside, setting up shop.

Shego hummed, but then she shook her head dismissively. “Not unless—”

“Unless I have a job for you,” he predicted, and gave a nod. “Roger that.”

“I will literally take anything,” she practically groaned. “Even sneaking into a movie or spray-painting the welcome sign into town.”

“That’s too juvenile,” Drakken whined back at her. “It’s not even that evil—”

“Fine!” she said, throwing her hands up. “Be a stick in the mud.”

“I’ll have something for you!” he blurted out just as she popped her door open. She glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow, and it took all his resolve at that moment not to shrink back under the weight of her inquiring stare. “I’ll have it finished – you’ll – look, you’ll just have to wait, okay? That whole downsizing thing really set me back. So just be patient, Shego.”

She stared for another moment as if sizing him up before giving an indignant huff. “Well, you know where to find me. I’ll be waiting.” 

[artificialqueens]

Something Borrowed 2/? (Witney) - Miss Bianca & jazz

Summary: This was going to be Courtney’s first visit to her childhood home in five years, and she’d made a lot of plans. Obviously, none of them had included falling into a whirlwind, summer love affair with her father’s 28-year-old fiancée, three months before the planned wedding. But sometimes, things just happened.

Miss Bianca’s A/N: Aaaaaaand, we’re back!! Writing this is just what we do in our spare time, now - particularly after all the great feedback we got. Y'all ain’t ready for this chapter.

jazz’s A/N: So much sexual tension!!! Have fun with this one, friends <3 If you missed Chapter 1, it’s here! As always, let us know what you think!

Willam was everywhere, and Courtney had just about had it.

She was in every song Courtney heard on the radio, in every lipstick-stained glass left scattered around the house. Courtney found her discarded acrylic nails inexplicably abandoned on countertops, and strands of her bleached blonde hair on all the furniture.

Every time Courtney turned a corner, Willam was behind it, ready to make some snarky comment. Whenever Courtney entered a room, Willam appeared shortly thereafter to annoy her. No matter where she was in the house, she could hear the clicking of Willam’s heels, muted, off in the distance.

She tried to keep herself above it all, but Willam seemed determined to drag her down into the mud, making sure to provoke her at every opportunity.

And as if all of that wasn’t bad enough, Willam had made it her personal mission to take up more and more of Courtney’s closet space, despite all of the room she had in her own. First, there were the shoes, which Courtney had found again in the bottom, as if she’d never carried them to the master bedroom that first day when she’d arrived. Then, there were jackets, and robes, and finally, a huge fur coat that Courtney proceeded to carry out of her room and throw over the banister into the foyer. She loved watching the way the coat billowed in the air as it tumbled to the tiled floor.

“Hey, that was fucking expensive!” Willam had yelled, when she found it.

“I’m a fucking vegan!” Courtney had yelled back.

The fur coat had appeared back in her closet the next day, and she’d left it on the floor by the front door.

Her father didn’t get it, didn’t understand Courtney’s incessant bemoaning, why she’d been so jittery and on edge recently. But then again, there were a lot of things about him that Courtney didn’t get, either.

For one, why he – or anyone else – would meet Willam and want to put a ring on her finger.

“She’s not as bad as you’re making her out to be, Courtney,” was Dave’s distracted response.

“Even if she wasn’t, why did you ask her, of all people, to marry you?” Courtney asked, her arms crossed. “You’ve dated plenty of perfectly nice women in the past seven years, I’m sure. So why her?”

Dave set down his phone on the counter with a sigh, and turned to face her.

“I’m not getting any younger,” he said. “Women like Willam aren’t always going to be lining up to date me.”

“Well, good. Maybe there’ll be some friendly, civil women lining up instead.”

“Courtney,” Dave sighed, seeming exasperated. “It’s time for me to settle again. I don’t have the energy to keep playing the field, and with you coming back to stay here, it seemed wrong to not have someone else around to keep you company.”

“Wait, you’re saying she’s here because of me?” Courtney gaped at him, her hands clenched into fists. “Well, you can take the ring back, then, because I don’t want her around.”

“You’re being dramatic, Courtney.”

“Oh, am I?” Courtney could hear her voice getting louder, wondered if Willam was listening. With her luck, she probably was.

“She has expensive tastes, and I have the money to spoil her,” Dave said, his voice low and even, “And she’s always very… appreciative.”

“Dad!” Her face contorted into an expression of pure disgust. She’d heard enough. “Just pay for a hooker, for god’s sake! Then I won’t have to deal with her.”

“Hey,” he said warningly. “Just give her a chance.”

“It’s been a week. I’ve given her plenty of chances.”

“Well, she seems to like you just fine,” Dave said, throwing up his hands. “I think you two need to spend some quality time together outside of the house.”

“No time with her is quality time, Dad! She’s –”

“That’s enough,” he cut her off firmly. “You two are going to go somewhere together, tomorrow. I don’t want my girls fighting anymore.”

“But, I –”

“End of discussion, Courtney.” With that, Dave turned and walked away, leaving Courtney standing by herself in the kitchen, practically vibrating with frustration.

As soon as she heard him walk upstairs, she slammed her fist down on the counter angrily, wincing as her hand collided with the marble.

“Ooh, careful there, princess.”

Courtney rubbed her forehead, sighing deeply, and looked up to see Willam leaning against one of the archways that led into the kitchen. She seemed to have just come inside from tanning, wearing one of her seemingly endless supply of bikinis with a sheer robe, sunglasses dangling from her finger.

“You heard that whole conversation, didn’t you?” Courtney said.

“No,” Willam replied, glancing upwards. “Just most of it. Loved the part where you told your dad to hire a hooker, though. Real classy.”

“It’s not my fault that he decided to marry one,” Courtney shot back, massaging the side of her hand, which was now sore.

“I know how to manipulate people, and use sex to get what I want,” Willam said calmly. “That doesn’t make me a hooker. Not that there’s anything wrong with being one.”

Courtney just stared at her, irritated but unable to come up with a witty reply to something so truthful, and fully distracted by the way Willam was playing with the front of her robe. She tugged absentmindedly on the satin tie holding it closed, and the front fell open, sliding down off the tops of her shoulders. The bikini top was pink and halter-neck today, pulling her breasts up and together, and Courtney wondered why she’d never worn it before. It looked awfully easy to take off.

“See?” Willam said, and Courtney’s gaze shot up to meet hers again. “Now you’re thinking about having sex with me again, aren’t you?”

“I – well, I –” Courtney stammered, her face flushing. Willam had an extraordinary knack for rendering her speechless, and even though it had been a week, she still wasn’t even close to being used to it.

“It’s fine, kitten,” Willam said, smirking. “I don’t mind. At least you’re cute.”

Courtney opened her mouth, her face feeling even hotter now. She couldn’t believe Willam had the nerve to talk down to her like that. Her pulse quickened inexplicably, and she wanted to tell off her heart for misbehaving.

“Don’t call me that,” she managed to say, hating how whiny and childish her voice sounded, how she wished she weren’t standing so far away from Willam.

“Relax, girl,” Willam replied, rolling her eyes. “It was supposed to be a compliment.”

Courtney shook her head, frozen in place as Willam wiggled her fingers at Courtney and turned to head upstairs, apparently deciding that her work was done here. She threw an upbeat, “See you tomorrow,” over her shoulder before she disappeared from view.

Groaning, Courtney rested her elbows on the counter and buried her head in her hands. She could still feel how warm her face was from blushing, despite her annoyance.

See you tomorrow. The words echoed in Courtney’s mind, an unpleasant guarantee that caused a lump to rise in her throat.

She could barely tolerate Willam in small doses, let alone for an entire afternoon, trapped in public without any viable options for escape. Courtney didn’t even think she was capable of holding a conversation with Willam for longer than ten minutes, and she certainly didn’t trust Willam enough to not push the boundaries, just to see how hot and bothered she could make Courtney in the presence of other people.

And who knew what Willam might wear, or decide not to wear?

When the telltale clicking of Willam’s heels ceased, Courtney knew it was finally safe to trudge upstairs to her room. She resisted the urge to slam her door behind her, not wanting to inform Willam of her whereabouts, just in case she decided she wanted to pay a visit.

In the safety of her room, Courtney let out a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in. Reluctantly, she gravitated toward her closet, opening its door to see what Willam might’ve left inside, a habit at this point.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she muttered. It was the fur coat, again, giant and fluffy and mocking her.  

Pulling it off the hanger, she stomped back over to her door, about to open it and throw the coat down the stairs again, just as one last ‘fuck you’ to Willam.

There wasn’t a point, she realized. Charging back out in the hallway was likely to draw attention, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Her hand slid off the door handle, and she padded over to her bed instead, flopping down dramatically and laying the coat beside her.

Keeping up with Willam’s exhausting games was taking its toll. Courtney felt spent, physically and mentally. She let her body sink into the mattress and stared at the wall across from her, studded with old posters, postcards of places Dave had traveled for business, and glossy, framed photos. She inspected the pictures with a tired smile – the one of Courtney and her mom from their family vacation to Australia, hung next to a photo of Courtney plastered between Alaska and Adore in a hug, all glowing in long gowns before senior prom.

Things were so much simpler then.

Courtney pulled her phone out from her back pocket, struck with the sudden urge to call Alaska, to talk to someone sane about the crazy week that she’d had. She desperately needed to vent, or she thought she might scream – either that, or fling Willam’s fur monstrosity out her bedroom window, once and for all.

Alaska answered on the third ring, and Courtney wanted to hug her through the phone.

“I’m being punished for something,” Courtney began, in place of a greeting. “I don’t know what I did, but I think I’m currently paying for it.”

“Well, hi to you, too,” Alaska replied.

“Alaska,” Courtney whined, dragging out her friend’s name for much longer than was necessary. “This is serious. Help me.”

“I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong, can I?”

“My dad is getting married,” Courtney said.

“Oh,” Alaska said. There was a pause. “How old is she?”

“28.”

“God. That’s fucked up.”

“I know. I need some good news. Distract me.”

“Well, my internship is going really well,” Alaska started slowly. “It’s not the most thrilling thing in the world, but I guess you have to start somewhere if –”

“You know, I feel like a prisoner in my own home,” Courtney complained, cutting Alaska off completely.

“You poor thing,” Alaska said indulgently, with a sigh.

“Willam acts like she owns the place,” Courtney fumed. “Oh, her name’s Willam, by the way.”

“The nerve,” Alaska commented dryly.

“And half the time, she’s hardly even wearing any clothing! It’s like she couldn’t care less that I’m here, and that it’s my goddamn house, too.”

“Mmhm.”

“She uses my closet space for her shoes and her robes and her stupid fur coat,” Courtney continued. “I hate that thing, I wanna set it on fire.”

Pausing for a few seconds to catch her breath, Courtney looked at the coat next to her, and realized she had a fistful of the fur in her hand, squeezing it tightly out of frustration. She let go immediately, her hand jerking back to rest on her stomach as if she’d been burned.

“So, I take it we don’t like her.”

“We hate her, Alaska,” Courtney corrected. “She’s irritating, and bitchy, and tacky.”

“Sounds terrible.”

“I bet she’s had work done,” Courtney mused. “There’s no way her boobs are real.”

“What, are they like balloons or something?”

“No, no,” Courtney shook her head. “They’re just really… really perfect.”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

“You there?”

“You should probably stop staring at your dad’s fiancée’s tits, Court.”

“I don’t – well, I don’t try to stare at them!”

“How about her ass, do you stare at that?”

“Alaska!”

“What? It’s a valid question.”

“Well, she has really nice legs,” Courtney admitted after a moment. “And she’s a big fan of stilettos, so…”

“So, do we hate her?” Alaska asked. “Or do we want to fuck her.”

Courtney opened her mouth, indignant, and then closed it again, staring up at the ceiling. She chewed on her lower lip, absentmindedly running her fingers through the fur of Willam’s coat. It smelled like her, Courtney realized – her perfume, her shampoo.

“Um,” she said.

“Is it both?”

“I think it might be,” Courtney sighed.

“Can you send me a picture of her?”

“I don’t have any.”

“Then go to her Instagram and get one,” Alaska said. “And don’t try to pretend you haven’t stalked her.”

“I have not!” Courtney protested.

“Courtney, I know you better than that.”

Rolling her eyes, Courtney put Alaska on speakerphone and went to find a picture. Her best friend was, of course, right. She’d stalked Willam’s social media for the third time the night before, and she knew exactly which picture to send.

“Check your messages.”

“Um, holy crap,” Alaska said after a moment. “Does she walk around the house like that?”

“Usually it’s in bikinis, not lingerie, but it has the same effect either way.”

“Okay,” Alaska exhaled. “Well, I can’t in good conscience tell you that you should fuck your dad’s fiancée.”

“Of course not.”

“But that doesn’t mean that I’d, like, judge you,” she continued. “If you did.”

Courtney pictured Willam down the hall, sprawled out naked on her own king-size bed, and her stomach twisted. She was only about twenty, twenty-five steps away, probably, and that knowledge alone was enough to make Courtney want to jump out of her own skin.

“Alaska!” Courtney exclaimed.

“What?”

“I’m not gonna fuck Willam!”

“Okay, okay,” Alaska said with a chuckle. “I’m just saying, if you do, you can tell me about it.”

“There won’t be anything to tell,” Courtney insisted.

“I’m sure you’re right.”

“I’m hanging up now,” Courtney announced, rolling her eyes. “Love you.”

“Love your pussy,” Alaska drawled, and then the line went dead.

Courtney dropped her phone on the bed, and sighed heavily. Alaska seemed pretty convinced that something was going to happen between her and Willam – and she’d be lying if she said that just a little part of her didn’t hope that her friend was right.

—–

It was noon before Courtney finally managed to drag herself reluctantly out of bed the next day. She’d woken up a couple of hours earlier, and sat up lazily to see Willam’s coat still lying near the foot of the bed, an unpleasant reminder of what the day had in store for her. There was only so much longer she could delay the inevitable.

Downstairs in the kitchen, she was greeted by the sight of Willam in an almost-sheer white silk robe and nothing else, picking at a small bowl of fruit in front of her.

Instantly, she regretted ever getting up in the first place. The other woman was standing at the bar, her back to Courtney, and Courtney’s mouth was dry.

“How about her ass, do you stare at that?” Alaska’s voice rang in Courtney’s ears mockingly, and she managed to tear her eyes away from Willam, walking past her and opening the fridge.

“Good morning to you, too,” Willam commented.

“Kind of a shitty one, actually.” Courtney slammed the fridge shut, and went to get some water from the sink instead.

“I haven’t gotten dressed yet,” Willam said.

“Oh, I thought you were going out in that,” Courtney replied dryly.

“Nah. Not tight enough.”

Courtney made the mistake of turning to look at Willam again, and squeezed her water glass tightly. Willam’s forearm was resting against the countertop, pulling the robe tight over her chest, and Courtney could see the darker outlines of her nipples through the light, insubstantial fabric.

Willam was watching her with an amused expression, and Courtney wanted to press her against the counter and wipe the look off her face. Breathing slowly through her nose, she took a sip of water, attempting to calm herself down.

“Dave gave me the Amex,” Willam said, tapping the credit card on the counter with a nail. “We’re going shopping.”

If her father was about to force her to spend time with Willam, at least he had the decency to fund the outing.

“Is there a cab coming or something?”

“Nah, I’m driving,” Willam said, standing upright and adjusting the robe on her shoulders. With effort, Courtney kept her gaze on Willam’s face.

“What, he didn’t wanna pay for a taxi?”

“I told him I didn’t want one,” Willam shrugged, before pushing the bowl of fruit away and heading out of the kitchen. “Driving’s fun.”

Courtney struggled with the image of Willam sitting behind the wheel of a car, figuring Willam must drive some tiny convertible, probably in bright red. Suitably obnoxious for someone like her.

Courtney was shocked to find Willam a half hour later, fully dressed in something only slightly more appropriate than the sheer robe, dangling keys to a Jeep from her pointer finger.

“You drive a Jeep?” Courtney asked, following Willam out to the parking pad.

“What did you expect, a Prius?”

“I don’t know, something small and shiny and expensive looking,” Courtney shrugged.

“Small cars are for pussies.”

Unsure how to respond to that, Courtney opened the passenger door of the Jeep and climbed inside. The sight of Willam in the big driver’s seat was almost comical, with her glittery makeup and tiny dress, popping her gum and lowering her sunglasses over her eyes.

Once she turned on the car and started driving, though, the urge to laugh vanished. Willam drove almost carelessly, like she could do it in her sleep, one hand resting lazily on the top of the wheel while the other fiddled with the radio.

Watching out of the corner of her eye, Courtney noticed Willam’s thigh flex as she pressed on the gas pedal. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the leather hot against her skin.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Courtney asked, in an attempt to distract herself.

“Santa Monica,” Willam replied. “It’s a great place to blow all your future husband’s money.”

Rolling her eyes, Courtney glanced down at her phone. There was a text from Alaska, consisting only of side-eye and smirking emojis.

The trip passed slowly, punctuated by a few choice expletives thrown out the open driver’s side window and the predictable popping of Willam’s gum. Courtney was grateful when they finally reached their destination, even if only because leaving the car meant she’d have something to think about other than how unexpectedly attractive Willam looked while driving.

“Lead the way,” Courtney offered with a grimace.

Willam was in her element, Courtney could tell. She may as well have stayed home – Willam was much more interested in the strappy wedges and the chunky belt she’d scored than she was in Courtney’s company. Every once in a while, Willam would toss out an, “ooh, pretty,” or a, “gimme that,” but Courtney figured the comments weren’t meant for her response, not really.

Courtney thumbed through a rack of shirts, wondering how long she’d have to keep this charade up before her father would be satisfied that they’d “bonded,” whatever the hell that meant. She pulled out a blouse to inspect, red chiffon and off-the-shoulder.

“You’d look good in that one,” Willam noted, appearing behind Courtney with a few garments folded over her forearm, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. “Try it on.”

Willam motioned toward the fitting rooms with a nod, and Courtney swallowed hard, feeling compelled to follow.

They passed through a set of velour curtains and into the softly lit changing room, an ornate, oversized mirror propped against the adjacent wall and a chandelier hanging daintily from the ceiling. Courtney made a beeline for the first open stall, closing the curtain behind her.

She removed her top and slid the new blouse over her head, its tags poking her ribcage. She appraised herself in the mirror for a moment, giving a slight twirl.

Courtney heard the clamoring of hangers and zippers from the stall to her right, accompanied by a muffled “damn it.” Then, after an exasperated sigh, Willam called out, “Hey, need your help.”

Courtney opted to ignore her, tugging at the sleeves of her blouse. It did look good on her.

And then Willam was barging into her space, one hand clutching the front of a strapless dress to her otherwise bare chest and at least five more items of clothing hung over her other arm. She dumped the clothes unceremoniously on the bench, and turned her back to Courtney.

“Zip me.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Courtney demanded.

“Trying on a dress,” Willam said. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Uh, barging into my changing room without asking permission.”

“Just zip up the dress, Court.”

Courtney half wanted to refuse, just to spite her, but she figured she’d just come off as a child throwing a fit. Willam held her hair up off her back, glancing over her shoulder at Courtney expectantly. Sighing, Courtney started zipping the dress up slowly, pulling the stiff red fabric together over Willam’s back and resisting the urge to run her fingers across the smooth skin.

“I think it’s a size too small,” she said after a moment, when the zipper refused to move any farther halfway up Willam’s ribcage.

“No, it’s not,” Willam insisted. “Hold on, lemme suck in.”

Willam held her breath, and Courtney tugged on the zipper again. Sure enough, it slid up the rest of the way, and Willam exhaled.

“What do you think?” she asked, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she looked in the mirror.

The dress was skin tight and came down to her mid-thigh, with a low sweetheart neckline. It was also definitely a size too small, and as Willam turned to face her, Courtney’s gaze fixed on her cleavage automatically.

What did she think? She hated the thing. She thought she’d like Willam to wear it all day, just so that she could personally rip it off of her later, the more damage done to the dress the better.

“It’s okay,” Courtney managed to say instead, swallowing.

“Yeah, I’m not crazy about it either. Unzip?”

Courtney’s knuckles grazed Willam’s spine as she pulled the zipper south, focusing on her hands in an attempt to ignore the fact that in just a matter of seconds, Willam would be entirely topless.

Willam tugged the material down over her hips, wiggling out of the dress, and it dropped to the floor. Courtney took a deep breath, and pointedly avoided Willam’s reflection in the mirror.

And then, Willam stepped out of the dress and leaned over to pick it up, and despite her best attempts, Courtney failed to avert her eyes this time.

She was tanned and toned all over, and Courtney wanted to sink her fingers into the few places on her body that were soft. Particularly her ass, which was currently mere inches away from being pressed against Courtney’s hips.

Willam had to know what she was doing, Courtney realized. At this point, it just wasn’t realistic that she could’ve seen the other woman mostly naked so many times by accident. Willam was rifling through her pile of clothes in nothing but panties, and she had to know. She had to.

Courtney very nearly said so aloud, until Willam had to open her mouth and ruin the moment.

“Do you think your dad would like me better in this?” Willam asked, sliding into a crop top. “Or this?” She held out a denim shirt.

“Oh my god, get out of my dressing room.”

Willam glanced up at the ceiling, as if she was considering.

“Nah.” She pulled the crop top off, and Courtney immediately looked away, fumbling in her back pocket for her phone.

The rest of the shopping trip passed far too slowly, and Courtney spent most of it actively trying not to check Willam out – which was difficult, since the other woman had decided they were sharing changing rooms in every store they went in.

By the time they finally climbed back into Willam’s Jeep, laden down with bags of Willam’s purchases, Courtney had seen enough of her body for a lifetime, and she was pretty sure that the blush on her own cheeks was becoming permanent. Whenever she closed her eyes, Courtney was assaulted by images of Willam bending over to take off a skirt, or her back muscles flexing as she pulled a shirt over her head, and her hands itched to touch.

Once Willam pulled up next to the house, Courtney fled, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible. Locking herself in her room, she sank down onto the chair next to her bed and texted Alaska everything.

Alaska had been right. Alaska was always right, as Courtney knew.

She just hadn’t wanted her to be right about this.

She didn’t think either of them had realized how intent Willam apparently was on seducing her, but in all honesty, she wouldn’t have been surprised if Alaska had figured that out, too.

For a week now, Courtney had convinced herself that she was imagining it. She’d even wondered if some of it, like the moment when Willam had nearly kissed her in the kitchen that first night, had ever happened at all.

But after today, she was sure. And she had to do something about it, before it escalated even further.

It was around 4 in the afternoon, which meant Willam was almost definitely out tanning by the pool. Her father wouldn’t be home for another three hours, at the earliest. Plenty of time to confront Willam, and let the tension cool down before Dave arrived.

They needed to clear the air. Before she could change her mind or have second thoughts, Courtney left her room, heading downstairs and out into the backyard.

“Willam!” she announced. “Willam, we need to –”

She spotted Willam by the pool, and the words died in her throat.

The other woman had apparently decided she needed to up her game again, by taking off even more clothing, of course. What Courtney hadn’t mentally prepared herself for, though, was the inevitable conclusion to Willam’s little game.

“You wanted me?” Willam called lazily, a victorious smirk on her face.

Courtney opened her mouth, trying to come up with a response in the midst of the shock of seeing Willam’s naked body sprawled outon a lounge chair, glowing in the late afternoon sun.

It took her much longer to recover her indignance than she wanted to admit, but once she did, she crossed the rest of the distance between them as quickly as she could.

“I’ve had enough of this, Willam,” Courtney declared.

“Of what?” Willam said, disinterested.

“Of this!” Courtney gestured towards her with a flailing arm. “This is my house! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I can’t have tan lines,” Willam said, running her fingertips slowly down over her stomach. “It’s just easier this way.”

Her eyes following Willam’s hand, Courtney bit her lip, trying to catch her breath.

“You should try it sometime,” Willam added suggestively, and Courtney’s gaze snapped back up to her face. Willam had lifted her glasses, a small smile on her lips, and Courtney could hear the challenge in her tone.

“Maybe I will,” she snapped, and Willam raised an eyebrow, as if she didn’t believe her.

Courtney didn’t know if she believed it, herself. But Willam was clearly into her as well, and the opportunity to turn the tables on her was too tempting to resist.

Turning on her heel, she strode back inside, determined not to back down from the challenge. Taking the stairs two at a time, she imagined the look on Willam’s face when she realized that Courtney had actually gone through with it, instead of just storming off and moping.

Once in her bedroom, Courtney stripped, and started rifling through her closet for something to wear temporarily. The silk robe that Willam had worn earlier that morning was hanging near the back, and Courtney grinned.

Pulling it on, Courtney gave herself a once-over in the full length mirror, fussing with her hair until the soft curls fell just right over her shoulders. She was running on pure adrenaline, the heat coiled low in her stomach driving her to recklessness.

Before she could lose her nerve, she was heading back down the stairs and outside again, heartbeat thudding in her ears. Her skin felt hyper-sensitive, the soft brush of the fabric over her nipples making goosebumps rise on her chest.

She stopped directly in front of Willam’s chair, looked her dead in the eyes.

Willam removed her sunglasses, her lips parting.

“You gonna take that off?”

Courtney clenched her fists, her body stiffening momentarily. The sudden intensity of Willam’s gaze on her was more disarming than she’d expected.

“You need some help, sweetheart?” Willam said, the corner of her mouth turning up.

“Fuck you, Willam,” Courtney spat, her jaw tight.

“Do you want to?” Willam’s hand curled on her chest, knuckles brushing over the space between her breasts. “Don’t even answer that, I already know.”

“Do you ever think about maybe shutting up?” Courtney burst out. “Just for like, a minute?”

“Make me.”

Locking eyes with Willam, Courtney pulled the tie on the robe and shrugged it off in one swift motion, letting it fall to her feet, and time seemed to stand still.

Willam grinned, and tossed her sunglasses onto the side table, her hungry gaze traveling slowly over Courtney’s form.

“Come here, kitten.”

For once, Courtney didn’t think. She just moved.

The fabric of the lounge chair felt rough against her skin as she crawled up over Willam’s body, her thigh sliding between Willam’s as she hovered over her, one arm resting on either side of her torso.

“I told you not to call me that,” she breathed, face to face with Willam now.

“But you answer to it.” Willam’s fingertips slid up her side slowly.

“You’re such a bitch.”

“You love it,” Willam murmured, her hand coming up to cup Courtney’s cheek, thumb running over her lips. “It makes you all hot and bothered, doesn’t it?”

“Shut up,” Courtney hissed, frustrated.

Willam’s thumb teased at her lower lip, brushing over her teeth, and Courtney opened her mouth, biting down on the digit before running her tongue over the tip.

Willam tried to pull her hand free, but Courtney resisted.

“See?” Willam breathed, her fingers curling under Courtney’s chin. “Kitten.”

Leaning up, Willam pressed her lips to Courtney’s jaw, then the corner of her mouth, nails scratching lightly over the sides of her ribs.

Courtney whimpered inadvertently, her lips closing around Willam’s thumb. The heat of Willam’s skin was driving her insane, and she pressed closer, needing to feel more of it, her hips rolling forwards. Willam’s hand slid down her back to rest on her ass.

When Courtney’s lips finally crashed against Willam’s, it was feverish and needy. The press of Willam’s tongue against hers felt like a challenge, and Courtney lost herself in it. She reveled in the sensation of Willam’s chest, soft and warm against her own, deepening the kiss greedily.

Willam’s fingers tangled in her hair, tugging her head back roughly to break the kiss momentarily, and then her mouth was hot on Courtney’s neck, sucking and biting.

“No hickeys,” Courtney said, her voice unsteady. Willam’s teeth dug into her pulse point anyway, lips closing around her skin, and Courtney groaned, practically melting down onto her.

“Oops,” she murmured, and Courtney could feel her smirk against her skin.

“Fuck, I hate you,” Courtney exhaled, one hand moving to her own breasts.

“Oh, so that’s why you’re so wet?”

Willam shifted slightly, bending her knee, and suddenly her thigh was pressing against Courtney’s core, proving her point. Feeling another whimper building in her chest, Courtney leaned down to kiss Willam again, trying in vain to muffle the sound. Willam nipped at her lower lip, tugging it sharply between her teeth.

“Need you to touch me,” Courtney whined against her lips, no longer caring how strung out she sounded.

“No you don’t,” Willam said. Her other hand moved down to join the first on Courtney’s ass, pulling her hips closer and flexing her thigh between Courtney’s legs.

Her head dropping, Courtney rocked against the pressure, trying to gain any sort of friction. Willam’s collarbone was glistening with sweat, and Courtney ran her tongue over the skin, hearing the other woman moan softly for the first time. The sound made her eyes flutter shut, and she tucked her face into Willam’s neck, layering kisses over the side slowly.

“Fuck, Courtney,” Willam breathed.

Hearing Willam utter her name like some kind of desperate prayer was more than enough to spur her on, her hips rocking faster against Willam. Fingers dug into her ass, encouraging her movements, Willam’s thigh hot and slick underneath her.

She couldn’t stop the whimpers now, vibrating against Willam’s skin as her mouth dragged over her throat. The tension continued to build up in Courtney’s abdomen, and when Willam turned her head slightly to murmur in her ear, she clenched uselessly around nothing.

“Look at you,” Willam said, her voice breathy. “You wanted this so bad, didn’t you?” Her lips grazed the shell of Courtney’s ear. “In the dressing room today? In the kitchen?”

Courtney nodded, feeling her face flush. She was so close, her clit practically throbbing against the pressure of Willam’s leg.

“Where else?” she asked.

Moaning, Courtney pressed her face closer to Willam’s neck.

“Tell me,” Willam said.

“The car,” Courtney managed to gasp, her words muffled. “In the car, I wanted to… oh, god.”

She nearly went limp as Willam snaked a hand underneath her ass to slide two fingers inside her without warning.

“What did you want to do?”

“T-touch you,” Courtney stuttered, her walls clenching as she rocked back onto Willam’s fingers. “Pull up the bottom of your dress, and… and…”

“Fuck me?” Willam finished, her breath hot on Courtney’s cheek.

“Yes,” Courtney groaned, pressing her lips to Willam’s neck. “Fuck me.”

Willam chuckled quietly.

“I am, kitten.”

She curled her fingers inside of Courtney as she spoke, and that was it. Courtney’s breath caught as her climax hit her, hips bucking against Willam as she dissolved into a mix of whimpers and curses mumbled into the other woman’s skin.

Willam was there with gentle hands rubbing over her back as her body went soft, her breathing still unsteady. Courtney wanted to let herself enjoy this, just for a moment, to sink into Willam completely and forget all the reasons why she shouldn’t.

She kissed the underside of Willam’s jaw, and the other woman shifted slightly beneath her. Wondering at the reaction, Courtney parted her lips, and licked slowly up the side of her throat. Willam let out a shaky exhale, her nails digging into Courtney’s shoulder blades.

Hiding her smile in the dip of Willam’s collarbone, Courtney resolved to make her moan again, and in as many ways as possible.

Courtney pushed herself up from Willam and began to pepper small kisses across her chest before sucking one of her hardened nipples into her mouth. She rolled it gently between her teeth, and Willam groaned, her back arching off of the chair at Courtney’s attention.

Hoping to elicit the same sound again, Courtney brought her hand up to cup Willam’s other breast, tugging the nipple between her fingers. The moan was quieter this time, more of an exhaled oh than anything else, and Courtney could’ve listened to it over and over again.

Sliding down lower still, she placed kisses across Willam’s stomach, devoting extra time to the patch of supple skin directly below her bellybutton. It was the only spot on Willam’s abs that wasn’t just flat muscle under skin, and when Courtney dug her teeth into the softness, Willam actually whined, high-pitched and perfect.  

By the time Courtney moved on, nipping lightly at the front of Willam’s hip, Willam was practically squirming, much to Courtney’s satisfaction.

She could tell that Willam was silently willing her to just get on with it already, and as much as she wanted to, she was enjoying the shift of power too much to give Willam what she wanted just yet.

Willam had put her through hell this past week, and she needed to hear her beg for it.

“Courtney,” Willam half whined, her hands sliding through Courtney’s hair and pulling it away from her face.

“Hmm?” Courtney hummed, her lips brushing over the inside of Willam’s thigh.

She looked up, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she saw the bite marks darkening on Willam’s abs. Willam was a sinful vision, panting heavily, her eyes wild and her hair even more tousled than usual.

“C’mon, just…” Willam started, trailing off and letting out another moan as Courtney pressed open mouthed kisses closer and closer to her center.

“Did you want something?” Courtney asked, resting her cheek against Willam’s thigh.

“You know what I want, you bitch,” Willam panted.

“Oh, insulting me,” Courtney said. “Very persuasive.”

She leaned in closer, one hand holding Willam’s hips down as she wriggled impatiently. It struck her that Willam had probably wanted her this whole time, probably as much as she’d wanted Willam – maybe even more.

“Ugh, fuck you.” Willam tugged on her hair desperately.

“How long have you known?” Courtney asked. She rubbed her thumbs teasingly over the fronts of Willam’s hips, waited for an answer.

“What… what are you talking about?”

“That you wanted me like this?”

“Courtney…” Willam practically groaned her name, her hips rising under Courtney’s hands.

“Between your thighs,” Courtney continued, fully aware that she was close enough to drive Willam crazy with her breath alone. “Teasing you, making you beg.”

“Do I sound like I’m – fuck – like I’m begging?”

“How long?”

She lightly placed a singular kiss over Willam’s clit, and the other woman gasped for air.

“Since I met you,” Willam finally choked out, her hands pawing at Courtney’s hair. “Fuck, Court, have you seen yourself?”

Willam’s admission shifted the power even further, and Courtney couldn’t help but feel victorious, squeezing her own thighs together at the desperate note in Willam’s voice.

“Knew it,” Courtney murmured. “You’ve been trying to seduce me this whole time, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Willam exhaled.

The entire situation was so scandalous, from the huge diamond Dave had put on Willam’s finger to the fact that they were currently fucking in broad daylight next to the pool that he’d also paid for. Willam was so wet that Courtney’s head was spinning, and Courtney loved that the other woman was getting off on this just as much as she was.

“Want your mouth, Courtney,” Willam said, drawing out the last syllable of her name.

“Say please.”

There was a pause, and Courtney looked up to see Willam biting her lower lip.

“Please,” she murmured, apparently giving in. “Please – oh!”

Willam cut herself off with a high-pitched moan as Courtney finally leaned in, lapping slowly over Willam’s folds.

Her nose brushed against Willam’s shaven skin as she diligently buried herself between her legs, and she moved one hand from Willam’s hip to grip her thigh instead, wanting to feel it flex under her palm.

Courtney knew what she was doing, and she could tell from the whimpers and moans hanging heavily in the air that it wasn’t going to take much. She wanted nothing more than for Willam to come on her tongue, to shudder and scream and fall apart just from her mouth on her heat.

There was something incredibly arousing about how Willam spread her legs so shamelessly for Courtney, watching her with hooded lids as she sealed her lips around Willam’s clit. She sucked, tongue flattening against the bundle of nerves, and Willam tossed her head back, whimpers dripping from her lips like honey.

Gripping Willam’s thigh more tightly in an attempt to hold her steady, she moved her other hand down to push a finger into her. She glanced up to see Willam watching her again, her lower lip pulled between her teeth, gaze so intense and heated that Courtney could feel it shoot straight down between her legs.

Courtney added a second finger, starting to pump them inside of Willam, and was suddenly thankful for the relative seclusion that the backyard provided. There likely wouldn’t be anyone within earshot to hear Willam’s strangled sobs as her hips bucked into Courtney’s relentless tongue and fingers.

Willam was absolutely gone, her eyes squeezed shut, hand so tight in Courtney’s hair that it hurt. Courtney watched her as much as she could, wanting to commit the sight of her full chest heaving to memory. The fading afternoon sun lit up her skin, her hair practically glowing, nipple still glistening faintly with Courtney’s spit.

She was entirely at Courtney’s mercy, and the thought made Courtney giddy, her fierce competitive streak taking over.

She worked a third finger inside, nipping lightly at Willam’s clit, and Willam nearly screamed, back arching, clenching repeatedly around Courtney’s fingers as she came.

Once the tension left Willam’s body, Courtney withdrew her fingers, sucking them into her own mouth for a moment and leaning up on her elbows. She heard Willam laugh, and glanced up, confused.

“Come back up here,” Willam said, a slow smile spreading over her face.

Crawling up the chair again, Courtney settled on her side with her leg draped over Willam’s, keeping herself propped up with one hand. Willam’s fingers tucked under her chin, pulling her closer.

“You’re all messy,” she explained amusedly.

Courtney raised her hand to wipe off her mouth, but before she could, Willam was leaning in and licking up her own wetness from Courtney’s chin. Cupping Courtney’s face with her free hand, Willam pulled her into a lazy, messy kiss.

“All better,” Willam said, seeming satisfied with herself. Her smile reached her eyes, making them almost sparkle, and Courtney smiled back despite herself.

Courtney wanted to kiss her again, just because, but then she remembered that this was Willam, and that finding her this adorable was a disaster waiting to happen.

“I still hate you, just for the record,” Courtney mumbled, resting her head on Willam’s shoulder.

Willam chuckled, started to run her fingers gently through Courtney’s hair.

“I know, princess.”

[kimjongdaely]

Façade [Chapter 1]

Pairing: Chanyeol x Reader

Warning: Language

Summary: You thought you wanted fame. You thought you wanted this. But a part of you still yearned for that normal life, a normal love: finding someone that you love and will love you back with all his heart. So soon enough, this became too much for you.

Prologue│Chapter 1│Chapter 2│Chapter 3│Chapter 4│Chapter 5│ Chapter 6│Chapter 7│Epilogue

1:27am

The glaring numbers of the electric clock stare back at you mockingly. It hasn’t been the first time you’ve waited for your so called husband like this.

You take in a deep breath. You can’t even sleep a wink when your mind is racing with all the possible scenarios of what Chanyeol could be doing.

He could still be on set filming. Maybe they’ve run way over time because some other cast or staff came late or maybe they had a lot of NG shots.

Or maybe he could be out drinking with some directors to try and get more movies to film.

Or maybe he could be out kissing another—

No, don’t not go there. You try to steady your breathing. You’re sure he’s just busy with work. He is one of the most famous actors right now, after all.

You jump at the sound of the door clicking open and you rush out to greet Chanyeol. “You’re home late.”

Chanyeol merely grunts in reply, obviously a little drunk with the sway in his movements. He hands you his coat and you hang it up before helping him take off his tie.

“Get away from me.” He growls at you, pushing you away a little too harshly, making you yelp. “You’re not my wife.”

His words sting. Hell, you don’t want to be here doing this for him either, but you still signed a genuine marriage contract and you’re legally his wife.

The scent of female perfume is evident on his clothes and you see a small stain of lipstick on his suit collar.

It hasn’t been the first time.

You try to swallow the lump in your throat as you watch Chanyeol stumble his way to his room.

You’ve had enough.

Four years…hasn’t four years been enough? This kind of lifestyle with an unloving husband is starting to eat away at you. You can’t live with a man you don’t love anymore.

Especially when he goes out to do God knows what with other women.

“Chanyeol.” You bring yourself to say, finally gaining the courage to end everything. “Chanyeol!”

“Stop yelling,” he grumbles. “What do you want now?”

You square your shoulders as you gaze into his hazy eyes, still a little drunk. Your voice is emotionless and cold when you say, “I want to divorce you.”

Chanyeol groans as a splitting headache forms. He winces from the bright light, and it seems like he’s in his own room. He slowly sits up, groaning again, to find himself still in his clothes from last night.

I wasn’t even sober enough to change, he thinks as he pushes himself up and exits his room.

He was expecting to find you in the kitchen or something since it was still quite early in the morning and he was sure you didn’t have schedules until later that morning.

But he found the house empty.

Slightly puzzled, he calls your name but it bounces off the walls and rings back in his ears.

“Where could she be?” He mumbles to himself as he forces himself to walk to the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of water to soothe his headache.

He comes back out to plop down on the sofa with a soft sigh. He didn’t need to go back on set until this afternoon, so maybe he could sleep for a little longer…

That’s when he sees the papers placed nicely on the coffee table, a pen placed next to it.

Chanyeol’s heart races as small flashbacks of last night comes rushing back to him, intensifying his headache.

“I want to divorce you.”

He groans at the reality of it all, running his hands against his face to sober himself up a bit more. He picks up a piece of paper and reads through it, groaning again upon the realization that, indeed, these were divorce papers.

Fuck, Chanyeol was not happy at all.

“Hello?” You pick up your phone absentmindedly as you skim through the familiar script of your newest TV show.

“What the fuck did you put on our coffee table?” Chanyeol’s gruff, annoyed voice rings and you had to bite back the urge to roll your eyes.

“Divorce papers. Did you not even take the time to read them?”

“I know they’re fucking divorce papers.” His voice is solemn. “What are you thinking? You can’t divorce me.”

“I can and I will.” You answer with finality. “Now sign those papers if you don’t want trouble. I already signed.”

“What the fuck?” He growls into the phone. “Don’t you know you’re at the peak of your career because of me? Because of our marriage? You can’t divorce me without putting your career to jeopardy.”

“My newest TV show will end in about a week.” You answer nonchalantly as you smile at a staff who bows to you. “The divorce will be over around that time too. Also, my contract is about to expire. I’m not planning on signing another contract.”

Chanyeol’s jaw almost drops. “…You’re quitting?”

You smile lightly as you press the phone against your ear. You close your eyes gently before taking in a deep breath. “I think this is a life time’s worth of acting. I don’t want to be an actress anymore.”

“Then what will happen to you?” His voice is much quieter now, and you smile sadly at that.

“Let me worry about that.” You whisper. “For now, please look over the contracts and tell me if there’s anything you want.”

You hang up.

Chanyeol stares at his phone for several minutes, not really believing this is happening. Sure, he hasn’t been a good husband and he doesn’t actually love you, but the two of you have been married for four years. The two of you are good partners. He never expected you to divorce him.

He sighs as he slumps against the couch, bringing the papers towards him to inspect the contract.

You want nothing from him. Call it your pride, but you’ve earned enough by being an actress all these years and have more than enough to take care of yourself.

This somehow pained Chanyeol.

Now that you were leaving permanently, the least you could do was take something from him.

But you’ve always been like that.

Careless.

Selfless.

Wonderful…you were wonderful.

Chanyeol couldn’t help but laugh at his own foolishness. This could’ve ended up so much better. Maybe the two of you would’ve ended up divorced anyways, but he didn’t want it on a sour note. If only he did better.

And he didn’t try to stop you from leaving, nor did he try to stop himself as he signed the papers.

You filed the papers and everything was smooth sailing after that. Your divorce was permitted and soon you had the title ‘Mrs. Park’ permanently removed.

The media, upon finding out that the two of you were having a divorce, went absolutely wild. They refused to leave the two of you alone and would constantly bombard you with questions concerning the topic.

“The two of you are known as the Golden Couple! No one would’ve guessed that this would happen. Please, can you tell us the reason for this decision?” A reporter urges with about a dozen following right behind him.

You smile your usual smile at the cameras and merely say, “We’re also quite upset it had to come to this, but we came to a consensus that this is the best for both of us.” You try to smile at Chanyeol who looks slightly gloomy despite his charming smile. “To be honest, the both of us are much too busy with our own schedules that we barely have time for each other. Affection grows thin and now we’re more like friendly partners. I think this decision is the best.”

You spit out the easiest explanation and more questions come flowing, but guards and managers try to clear a path for both of you. You both enter a car and go back to the home you used to live in.

“Are you…packing?” Chanyeol asks awkwardly as he watches you put your things into luggages and bags, removing every evidence that you once lived there.

You flash him a sad smile as you nod, continuing to pack your things.

“Hey,” Chanyeol says after a while, touching your arm gently and surprising you. You accidentally drop the bag you were holding and it falls to the floor with a dull thud, heavy from the contents within. He sees this and quickly squats to help you pick up your things.

Once the bag is filled again, he looks at you with a slightly guilty look, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. For everything. Being a jerk and…” He sucks in a breath. “…And sleeping around and all that.”

You nod. You’re grateful for everything that he’s done for you. His name made yours. You’re grateful he’s acknowledged all his wrongdoings.

But a simple ��I’m sorry’ does not change anything.

“I accept your apology.” You hesitate and lower your voice to a gentle whisper. “But know that my decision on leaving is final.”

He lets out a sad smile, something that doesn’t fit his usual happy-go-lucky personality. “I know.”

After all these years, it seems like Park Chanyeol might be regretting. Might be trying. Might be keeping you from leaving.

It makes you scoff.

It makes your heart wrench painfully.

It makes your eyes water.

It’s too late.

And he knows that.

You officially move out two days later and your contract with your company officially comes to an end. You’re free now, free to live however you want.

You had enough money to sustain yourself for a while. You moved into a small little apartment and decided what to do after that. You’ll probably go find a job for yourself. You could only hope that your fame will be able to do you some good.

You were expecting a horde of paparazzi wherever you go, but you’re surprised to not meet a single camera flash.

One look on the internet, TV or any other media answered your question.

“The divorce has finalized. We’re no longer married, and she’s no longer in the show business. I would like all of you to please give her some room and not follow her around. Everything has been hardest on her.” Chanyeol tells the paparazzi before bowing.

He doesn’t answer any more questions than that, other than, “No, I don’t know where she lives now either. We’re probably not going to see each other again after this. It’s quite sad, but things happen.”

The divorce riled up a lot of fans. Fans that supported the two of you—treating you guys like a single idol rather than two. Fans that wanted the two of you separated to begin with. Fans that supported the two of you individually.

So Chanyeol’s popularity skyrocketed—all noise is good noise.

Movie directors and advertisement companies used this opportunity to gain more money, more fans. After all, Chanyeol didn’t take the blame for anything.

Neither did you.

It was a mutual agreement.

Part of you is glad that you were still able to do something for him after you left. He’s helped you a lot throughout the years, and you certainly wouldn’t able to get the award for best actress four years in a row without him beside you. You’re grateful to him as a partner and maybe a friend, but certainly not as a wife.

Part of you is glad it’s all over and done with, staying in the past.

And part of you looks forward to the future, the future that belongs to no one but you, that can be changed by no one but you.

The future without Park Chanyeol.

Prologue│Next Chapter

Façade Mini Masterlist

A/N: And that’s it for the first chapter. Hope you guys liked it. Tell me what you think about this story so far! 😊

©kimjongdaely

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What Determines The Cost To Repair A Flooded Bathroom

Bathroom floods can happen for a number of reasons, from a broken sink pipe to an overflowing toilet. When this happens, the cost of water damage could be considerable and you may be worried about the total cost of repairs, However, before you move forward with replacing drywall or draining away dirty water, it is important to consider the factors that may affect your flooded bathroom cost, no matter what caused it.

1. Water Quality 

The type of water that caused the flood can have a serious impact on the cost of repair. Flood water is usually graded into three categories:

Category 1 (from a sterile source)

Category 2 (may contain detergent or gray water)

Category 3 (contains raw sewage and other contaminants)

Water that comes from a sterile source may be simpler to drain than Category 3 flooding, which is also known as black water. Handling and disposing of the water may vary depending on its quality; for example, Category 3 typically requires professional removal by a service with the proper equipment, such as sump pumps and commercial-grade drainage hoses. If you are unsure about the condition of the water in your flooded bathroom, call United Water Restoration Group for assistance.

2. Severity of the Flood

Some floods can be cleaned up in a matter of hours if the source of the water is discovered quickly and can be diverted or shut off, as with a broken sink pipe. However, if the flooding goes unchecked, you may be facing a repair estimate totaling several thousand dollars. This can be especially common in commercial spaces when a flood happens over the weekend or during a vacation period when the building is vacant. Moisture monitors and cameras may help you prevent severe floods and allow you to act quickly if a pipe bursts or a toilet overflows.

3. Drywall Damage 

One factor that can affect flooded bathroom cost estimates is the extent of drywall damage. Unlike other building materials, drywall can absorb dirty flood water and trap moisture, foul odors and encourage mold growth. Over time, this can damage interior wall space, fixtures and wiring. Your flood control technicians may perform a flood cut into the drywall, which is performed approximately a foot above the waterline, to gauge how much of the material will need to be replaced and whether insulation and wiring have been compromised. Flood cuts are usually required when floodwaters are deep.

4. Location of the Bathroom 

If the flooded bathroom was on the second floor of your home or business, you may find yourself facing a higher repair estimate than you would for a first-floor flooding. For example, if your toilet has overflowed due to a sewer malfunction, the dirty water may spread to other rooms and cause ceiling stains or weaken the flooring. You may want to include funds for a professional inspection into your repair estimate if your insurance does not cover such a service.

5. Mold Growth 

Flood damage is usually not limited to problems caused at the time of the incident, and problems can develop days or even weeks later. One common issue that can crop up after a flood is mold growth, and this can be especially problematic in bathrooms, where humidity levels are often high, Mold spores thrive on moisture and can grow behind walls, inside cabinets under the sink and around or behind the base of your toilet. If a damp or musty odor starts to permeate your bathroom after a flood, you may have to add mold removal costs to your repair estimate.

Check out this video below from for some commonly asked questions regarding Mold Damage Restoration.

6. Building Material Replacement 

Certain types of bathroom flooding, such as those caused by an overflowing toilet, can cause lingering odors and warping problems with wooden structures. When this happens, cabinetry and other bathroom surfaces may need to be replaced. Tiles suffering from severe mold growth can usually be cleaned and disinfected, but you may want to ask your repair and restoration crew which materials should be replaced, especially if the water was Category 3.

A flooded bathroom cost estimate can vary widely depending on the circumstances of the incident. Water quality, building material damage and other issues may raise or lower the total amount of repairs, but working with a professional restoration company can help you to better gauge the extent of the damage and how much it will cost to remodel your bathroom.

Check out the video below for more information on Bathroom Flood Restoration. 

We are always available, 24/7/365 for all your unexpected residential emergencies at:  800-743-2064.

Transcript

Adan: Welcome back to another episode of Restoration Talk, and today’s question is, all around bathroom flooding. Now, a lot of you guys have had questions on our blog about what to do and what to expect when it comes to bathroom flooding. And I have one of our experts and master technicians out in the field with United Water Restoration Group.Liam: Good. How are you?

Adan: Awesome, man. So I have a couple of questions. Some of our viewers and some of our homeowners experience flooding, and it’s kind of a scary thing, right? Imagine coming home, you have water all over your living room. What are the common causes for bathroom flooding?

Liam: Well, you have your supply lines for your toilets and your showers and also your vanities. And a lot of times those can go, or it can be a backup and a flood from your sewage tank overflowing. That can be a pretty nasty one as well.

Adan: Wow, that’s a… There you’re talking category three water, right?

Liam: Yeah.

Adan: Which is that sewage, and dirty water.

Liam: Sewage, feces, what have you, yeah. And it can be pretty rough. And very unsanitary.

Adan: Wow. All right. Well you know when it comes to the flooding, are there typically warning signs that something could happen, or is that something that spontaneously happens?

Liam: Well, I mean it depends on if it’s a slow leak. Because if it’s coming from underneath of your toilet, it could actually… You won’t see the water itself, but you could see the floor start buckling. You could see rippling in your vanity if it’s a plywood or if it’s a wood particle board. A lot of signs you can see; cracking on the baseboards, the cock-line, water staining. You might not always see the water at first, because it could be underneath your building materials.

Adan: Wow. I have a question about that. Is that something typical of a toilet that’s just… Or an installation of a toilet that’s a very old or can that happen really at any time?

Liam: Yeah, you have a flange underneath. It has a wax ring on it and over time, whether you have kids jumping off and on it, or if it’s just a old deterioration, it can shift and you can get a slow leak from the bottom of it.

Adan: Wow. That’s very interesting. Now, when it comes to restoring that, some of our viewers have questions of how long does it take? What’s the typical process for repairing a flood like that? And also what are the implications around the toilet in that area? Because I’m sure there’s plumbing lines, there’s maybe even electrical lines. I mean I’m sure that could get kind of dangerous.

Liam: Yeah, absolutely. And your biggest thing is finding where the source came from, so you can correct it before we would start our work. We don’t want to start removing anything, or start drying anything out until we know the source has been fixed, so the water has stopped coming into the home. And given your time frames, if it’s an actual flood that you see right away, you want to get somebody out immediately so there isn’t secondary damage. If you’re noticing cracking or warping on anything, it’s usually a sign that’s been happening for an extended period of time and we would have to address it cautiously.

Adan: Wow, that’s a lot of great information. Well, Liam, thank you so much. I think this is very… Been very, very informative. If you guys have any questions whatsoever for our technicians, or if you have any issues with bathroom flooding, vanities, anything like that, please go ahead and leave us a question or comment below the video. And we’ll catch you next time on Restoration Talks.

from Blogger https://ift.tt/2rhcYRz https://ift.tt/eA8V8J December 04, 2019 at 12:51PM

[theluckiestwitchatblackwell]

The Lucky Ones, Chapter 3

Guess who finally updated!! The Lucky Ones, Chapter 3 now available on FF.net and AO3!! Or read below and reblog please :)

1 week later.

Adrien awoke not 2 hours after he fell asleep, for the first day of testing. He was still yet to see his father, and while the remnants of yesterday’s tears were stained on his face, he was ready to see Marinette.

After showering, changing, and eating in the cafeteria, he arrived in the observation chamber of Medical Lab 2 promptly at 9am. 

“Good morning Adr- Adrien, how long did you sleep?” Nadja’s tone shifted from warm to stern. “It won’t do you any good to start your first day on such little sleep! Are you sure you don’t want to cancel to-“

“Nadja, I appreciate your concern, but it is the first day of testing. We cannot cancel just because I’m a little tired. Is she ready?”

Nadja just blinked, but after a few seconds stuttered out, “Y-Yes, Adrien. She’s ready.” They turned to the screen where Marinette was watching them carefully, and Nadja pressed a button to speak. 

“Good morning Marinette, how are you feeling?”

Marinette smiled weakly, and said, “Better than I’ve ever been in my life, honestly. I’ve never been fully fed or clean of dirt like I am now.”

“That’s good, my dear. Are you ready for testing today?”

To this, her smile fell slightly, but she nodded regardless.

Adrien turned to Nadja. 

“Send them in.”

Nadja pressed another button, and 5 people of varying degrees of illness walked, or were pushed on their wheelchairs, in.

“Marinette, these are the people in your first round. Left to right, is Jagged Stone, or just Stone; Alec Cataldi; Guerrilla, Adrien’s bodyguard; Marlena Cesáire, Alya’s mother; and Anarka Couffaine, Juleka’s mother. Stone is a former musician who performed for the teens and younger children until he couldn’t breathe properly, and Alec was announcer each morning for weather, birthdays, and more.”

All muttered grateful words and praise for Marinette, though one stepped forward; Marlena.

“Marinette, I know my daughter was a part of the expedition that found you and I wanted to tell you how grateful we are as a family.”

As Marinette listened, Nadja noticed she had started to tear up and rushed in with a vial.

“Any fluids you produce needs to be collected, sweetheart. Keep crying!”

Marinette dutifully continued to cry, as she stuttered out, “N-no one has c-cared for me that way in a l-l-long ti-i-ime. Thank you for your k-k-kind words.”

Nadja filled vial after vial until there were enough for each participant to test, then stood to face them.

“Marlena and Guerilla, I want you to drink the tears. The rest of you, please rub it over your chest. If it sinks into your skin it could sink into your lungs and have some effect there. Drinking it may spread the possible benefits through the bloodstream in the small intestine. In the meantime, we will keep you here for observation, in Medical Lab 3.”

They said their goodbyes to Marinette, then moved to the next chamber. 

Adrien was bewildered.

“That’s it? That’s what I’m observing? What happened to the scheduled testing?”

“Adrien, she involuntarily produced fluids we could use, I-“

“I don’t care! That is not what we were testing today, and it was not the proper administration methods!”

“Adrien, please, she was just doing her job.”

Adrien turned to Marinette as she piped up, but couldn’t hold his rage back to her meek words.

“What would you know, Marinette? You’ve been here a week after living your life in hiding, and that turned out well didn’t it? DIDN’T IT?!”

He didn’t notice her tears threatening to spill over her eyes as he left the chamber, slamming the door behind him. He didn’t notice he was also crying until he pushed his back against the door and slid down, cradling his head in his lap. I just wish I could do something right, so my father doesn’t think I’m a failure. I could’ve saved Mom. And there Adrien stayed for half an hour, until he pulled himself together enough to head back to his room and take a nap.

At 3:00 PM, Adrien found himself in front of Marinette’s lab door, his arm raised to knock. What am I doing here? Why would she want to see me? He almost decided to turn around and leave, but figured it wouldn’t change anything between them. He found it refreshing to have a new face around the facility.

Knock, knock.

“Uh, who’s there?” Marinette’s timid voice called.

“It’s, uh, it’s Adrien. May I come in?”

“Did you come to yell at me again?” Her tone changed to become slightly accusatory.

Adrien sighed, and let himself in.

“Marinette, I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m so sorry.” He moved from in front of the door to standing at her bedside, not chancing sitting down on the bed. He did, though, reach out to lightly take her hand. “I could not imagine losing my entire family in such a world out there, and being alone for so long. I might’ve just been sleep deprived but that is not an excuse. Please forgive me, Marinette.”

Marinette had remained silent for the duration of his monologue, mouth somewhat hanging open and eyes watering up. 

With a giggle, she said, “Do you want to collect this tears before they are wasted?”

“I-” Was all Adrien got out before dissolving into laughter, Marinette quickly following suit. They laughed for a few minutes, relishing in the seeming normality of their situation. A couple of teenagers laughing over a dumb joke.

“Oh- hahaha, okay Adrien, seriously, take the tears.”

He quickly grabbed three vials, slightly shaking from remnants of the laughter from moments before, and collected her tears. He stared down at the vials, clear but with the obvious surface level of the fluids bobbing about inside.

“What are you thinking, Adrien?”

“I…” He looked up to see the confused, but concerned look on her face, eyes moving quickly between his face and the vials. “I… kind of want to test the vials myself.”

“Yo-”

“I know, I could get into a lot of trouble for it. But I want to feel the effects for myself, you know?”

“I… I guess you’re right, Adrien. I won’t tell Nadja.”

He smiled softly at her. “Thanks, Marinette.”

With a soft pop, he removed the stopper from one vial, and quickly poured it into his mouth, disposing of the vial in the nearby waste bin. Immediately, he felt something warm in his chest, spreading to his fingertips. He raised his hands, almost to inspect them, then turned his head to face Marinette, grinning.

“I think it’s working.”

[endlessarchite]

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub

We’ve gotten A LOT of questions about how we’ve rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let’s just dive right into what worked (and what didn’t) and how we nursed this baby back to life.

The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You’ll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!). You can read more about that process here.

During demo, our contractor moved it out into the bedroom, which is where it lived for over half a year as destruction and reconstruction went on around it.

Once that side of the house was all rebuilt, it was pretty exciting to picture the tub going back in there – this time on stable footing. Here I am back in January standing where the bathtub now sits. Remember John’s best Boomerang capture of all time?

We pretty much ignored the tub during the entire gutting/rebuilding process of the house. We did keep it covered with a piece of plywood so it didn’t get dinged up, but we put off making a plan to resuscitate it until we actually had a bathroom to put it into again.

And then came that exciting day when the bathroom tile was in, the grout was done, and we needed to think about getting this tub back into the bathroom. It was finally time to assess the tub situation to see if it was something we’d have to pay someone to refinish, or something we could tackle ourselves. The first thing I did was wipe everything down (with a spare grout sponge) just to see how stained the inside of the tub really was. A remarkable amount of grime came off, so it gave us hope that we could save it without having to hire someone to professionally paint the inside (we hear that can flake and peel off down the line, so getting it back to its original finish would beat a rental with a peeling/flaking tub in 5-10 years).

We originally worried there were rust stains (which wouldn’t be something we could scrub off – rust literally pits the glazing and creates a hole that needs to be filled and sanded and typically calls for a pro to fix) but upon further inspection we realized that some of this “rust” was actually rubbing off! See the white speckles on those brown streaks below? Turns out nothing was pitted, but there were just some really really bad hard water deposits on top of the tub… which meant if we could scrub them off, we’d find more of that original white finish under them!

So a few weeks later, once the plumber had moved the tub back into the bathroom, we arrived in Cape Charles armed with an array of cleaners – ready to show the tub who’s boss. This is what it looked like when we started:

First, we wanted to evaluate what was just surface grime and what was a legit stain. So we sprayed the whole thing down with 1-part white vinegar, 1-part water and used a little elbow grease (and a green scouring pad) to get all of the superficial gunk off.

It made a HUGE difference, although not enough that I would be willing to actually take a bath in there yet.

The next tool in our arsenal was a bottle of Bar Keeper’s Friend Soft Cleanser, which a few people had recommended to us for old tubs (I just happened to find it for like $1.50 at Ross). We followed the instructions of applying it to a damp surface, letting it sit, and then scrubbing it off. Results were not very good. Confidence levels majorly wavered at this point.

Undeterred, we decided to try a more generous application of BKF (is that what the kids are calling it these days?) and let it sit for much longer (like 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, we also used a heavy duty Magic Eraser on some of the other spots, which is another tip you guys shared for trying to clean up an old tub. It certainly helped, but was a bit slow-going. We burned through a couple of them pretty quickly, but things were starting to look better…

After the scrub had sat for about 20 minutes, we tackled it with a piece of fine grade steel wool (along with hearing that magic erasers and fine steel wool can work, we also have heard that a pumice stone can buff out small stains too – so that’s something else to try if you have the same job ahead of you – we just didn’t have one with us). I’m not sure if it was the cleanser or the steel wool, but we finally started to see some noticeable progress.

It still required A LOT of elbow grease, but it was insanely satisfying to see those rust streaks dissipating. We also very gently scraped it in some parts with the dulled tip of our multi-tool. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t want to necessarily recommend it since it can etch/scratch your tub which is NOT GOOD, but we checked frequently to make sure we weren’t scratching ours, and it was helpful in chipping off some large chunks of rust-covered hard water stains.

The final results are not flawless, but we are more than satisfied with how it looks. All the rusty looking rings you see below will be covered by a new drain, faucet and spigot once they’re installed, so aside from a few slight imperfections in the white interior finish, she’s gonna look pretty dang good. I’m officially more than willing to plop my bod down in there for a good soak. Just picture me in there wearing a black turtleneck for modesty reasons.

This feels like a good moment for a before and after. Again, this is all from just cleaning – no actual refinishing or reglazing went on with the inside. So we’re glad that there should be no issues with bubbling or peeling paint since we were able to restore the original finish of the tub. Those few sentences don’t adequately capture how elated I am, so I’ll add this: ALL THE JAZZ HANDS!

Now let’s talk about restoring the outside, because what good is a tidy interior if the exterior looks ready for a horror movie?

Our first step was to sand it down, mostly just to get all of the already flaking paint off so we could have a relatively smooth surface to paint. NOTE: always test old tubs for lead paint! Many have it, which is extremely dangerous, especially if kids will be bathing in them. We were thrilled to find out ours was clean- most likely since the outside was painted sometime after lead was phased out and since the inside had never been reglazed.

First we used some coarse sanding blocks to scrub all of the exterior by hand, which was slow going, but definitely knocked a bunch of old dry paint flakes to the ground. John had also bought this rust-removing drill attachment while we were at the store and it turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. It knocked off even more of the loosest parts of the old finish in no time. NOTE NUMBER TWO: we were both wearing heavy-duty lead paint removal masks during all this sanding just to be safe because tons of dust flies and even though it checked out to be lead free, we didn’t want to be inhaling a ton of tiny dust particles anyway, so you’ll catch a glimpse of those later in the post.

After a pass with the drill, we went over by hand with medium and then fine-grit sanding blocks to smooth it out a bit more. It would’ve taken us hours to get everything down to the original finish, but in about 20 minutes we got it down to a smooth-to-the-touch finish which is good enough. You just want a nice flake-free base for some rust-blocking primer and paint to adhere to without worrying it’ll flake and pop off down the line (primer & paint are generally only as secure as their base – so make sure that’s not crumbling).

After a wipe down with a clean towel, we were ready to prime. Based on a deep and meaningful conversation with the pro at our local paint desk, we chose this oil-based Clean Metal Primer to do the job. We obviously wanted something that not only covered the existing rust but helped prevent more – plus it would make the whole thing ready for paint that would last.

It’s very thin (read: drippy) so make sure your floors are well protected! We used small foam rollers to cover most of the large surfaces, and then a cheap chip brush to get under the lip and around the actual clawfeet. It’s also pretty stinky, so we opened every window, put on all the fans, and kept our masks on for this step too.

There was a moment when we were watching the primer dry where we considered just painting it white. It was so refreshing to see it all clean and “new” looking that we were very tempted. However, the room itself is very white (white floor tiles, white trim, white ceilings, white shower tile, and white inside the tub), so we thought a darker accent in the space would actually be really nice to break things up. Plus, the interior finish is a tiny bit off-white (you can sort of tell in the photo below), so matching the outside exactly would’ve made the whole thing a bit creamier than we wanted (which might have clashed with the bright white floor tiles). With all of those factors urging us to go deeper and more dramatic with the outside of this tub, we considered 45,731 paint swatches (just kidding, it was only 45,721).

You probably spotted some of our contenders a few photos up. We considered a whole range of colors for the outside of the tub, but we landed on Riverway by Sherwin-Williams because it was a pretty deep blue with a heavy dose of gray and a hint of green. All of the straight taupes or grays felt a little too boring for a room with such a playful floor pattern, and we wanted to go noticeably darker than the little accent tiles in the floor so it didn’t look like we were trying to match it or skew too “baby blue” everywhere. Also, ignore how dirty these tiles look. They have since been scrubbed within an inch of their life.

After choosing that color, we actually had to have it color matched at Lowe’s in this Anti-Rust Armor paint since it came so highly recommended from the paint pro we chatted with (it’s moisture and stain resistant and has some additional rust prevention built into it – so they thought it was the best bet for our tub holding up longterm). The literal description online says its great for “appliances, playground equipment, mailboxes, and tanks.” I know they probably mean things like propane tanks, but I got a good laugh imagining someone painting a giant military tank by hand with this stuff.

Oh and this paint was also pretty stinky (hence the masks we donned again for this step) but it went on much thicker than the primer did. Once again we used small foam rollers for most of it, and then we used a brush meant specifically for oil-based paints to get between the toes. Basically we gave our tub a pedicure.

A few people have asked why we chose to make the feet the same color, rather than accenting them with a white, silver, or gold finish. We just looked at all of our inspiration photos of clawfoot tubs (because you know I’ve pinned like ten million since we bought this house) and we liked the two-tone look better than a three-tone effect. That’s definitely something you can go for if you like that extra foot-bling though! It can look really cool too.

You can tell in these photos that the outside isn’t perfectly smooth – you can still see the subtle topography of the old finishes beneath the fresh coat of blue. We’re actually kinda happy that it will feel like a tub that has been in this house for decades instead of some new replica that we brought in, so we’re totally cool with that dappled texture – and the glossy shine from the fresh paint is a nice counterpart.

Dappled dots or not, it’s certainly a huge improvement! So for around $50 and a fair amount of sweat, we got something that looks pretty darn close to this Rejuvenation clawfoot tub that retails for $3,300!

I’m gonna hold off on sharing any more “afters” for now, mainly because we haven’t taken any. But late last week our plumber came back to install the faucet and connect the tub (and remove the cardboard!) so word from him is that it’s ready for use! We have to skip our weekly visit since the floors are being sealed and need time to cure before anyone walks on them, so we’re just over here holding our breath until we can go back over to the house and see the tub all hooked up (and the floors all refinished). You know I’ll take like ten million pictures for you guys, so stay tuned!

Psst – Wanna read more about this beach house rehab project of ours? Click here to see everything we’ve done for the past year to get it to this point!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub appeared first on Young House Love.

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[statusreview]

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub

We’ve gotten A LOT of questions about how we’ve rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let’s just dive right into what worked (and what didn’t) and how we nursed this baby back to life.

The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You’ll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!). You can read more about that process here.

During demo, our contractor moved it out into the bedroom, which is where it lived for over half a year as destruction and reconstruction went on around it.

Once that side of the house was all rebuilt, it was pretty exciting to picture the tub going back in there – this time on stable footing. Here I am back in January standing where the bathtub now sits. Remember John’s best Boomerang capture of all time?

We pretty much ignored the tub during the entire gutting/rebuilding process of the house. We did keep it covered with a piece of plywood so it didn’t get dinged up, but we put off making a plan to resuscitate it until we actually had a bathroom to put it into again.

And then came that exciting day when the bathroom tile was in, the grout was done, and we needed to think about getting this tub back into the bathroom. It was finally time to assess the tub situation to see if it was something we’d have to pay someone to refinish, or something we could tackle ourselves. The first thing I did was wipe everything down (with a spare grout sponge) just to see how stained the inside of the tub really was. A remarkable amount of grime came off, so it gave us hope that we could save it without having to hire someone to professionally paint the inside (we hear that can flake and peel off down the line, so getting it back to its original finish would beat a rental with a peeling/flaking tub in 5-10 years).

We originally worried there were rust stains (which wouldn’t be something we could scrub off – rust literally pits the glazing and creates a hole that needs to be filled and sanded and typically calls for a pro to fix) but upon further inspection we realized that some of this “rust” was actually rubbing off! See the white speckles on those brown streaks below? Turns out nothing was pitted, but there were just some really really bad hard water deposits on top of the tub… which meant if we could scrub them off, we’d find more of that original white finish under them!

So a few weeks later, once the plumber had moved the tub back into the bathroom, we arrived in Cape Charles armed with an array of cleaners – ready to show the tub who’s boss. This is what it looked like when we started:

First, we wanted to evaluate what was just surface grime and what was a legit stain. So we sprayed the whole thing down with 1-part white vinegar, 1-part water and used a little elbow grease (and a green scouring pad) to get all of the superficial gunk off.

It made a HUGE difference, although not enough that I would be willing to actually take a bath in there yet.

The next tool in our arsenal was a bottle of Bar Keeper’s Friend Soft Cleanser, which a few people had recommended to us for old tubs (I just happened to find it for like $1.50 at Ross). We followed the instructions of applying it to a damp surface, letting it sit, and then scrubbing it off. Results were not very good. Confidence levels majorly wavered at this point.

Undeterred, we decided to try a more generous application of BKF (is that what the kids are calling it these days?) and let it sit for much longer (like 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, we also used a heavy duty Magic Eraser on some of the other spots, which is another tip you guys shared for trying to clean up an old tub. It certainly helped, but was a bit slow-going. We burned through a couple of them pretty quickly, but things were starting to look better…

After the scrub had sat for about 20 minutes, we tackled it with a piece of fine grade steel wool (along with hearing that magic erasers and fine steel wool can work, we also have heard that a pumice stone can buff out small stains too – so that’s something else to try if you have the same job ahead of you – we just didn’t have one with us). I’m not sure if it was the cleanser or the steel wool, but we finally started to see some noticeable progress.

It still required A LOT of elbow grease, but it was insanely satisfying to see those rust streaks dissipating. We also very gently scraped it in some parts with the dulled tip of our multi-tool. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t want to necessarily recommend it since it can etch/scratch your tub which is NOT GOOD, but we checked frequently to make sure we weren’t scratching ours, and it was helpful in chipping off some large chunks of rust-covered hard water stains.

The final results are not flawless, but we are more than satisfied with how it looks. All the rusty looking rings you see below will be covered by a new drain, faucet and spigot once they’re installed, so aside from a few slight imperfections in the white interior finish, she’s gonna look pretty dang good. I’m officially more than willing to plop my bod down in there for a good soak. Just picture me in there wearing a black turtleneck for modesty reasons.

This feels like a good moment for a before and after. Again, this is all from just cleaning – no actual refinishing or reglazing went on with the inside. So we’re glad that there should be no issues with bubbling or peeling paint since we were able to restore the original finish of the tub. Those few sentences don’t adequately capture how elated I am, so I’ll add this: ALL THE JAZZ HANDS!

Now let’s talk about restoring the outside, because what good is a tidy interior if the exterior looks ready for a horror movie?

Our first step was to sand it down, mostly just to get all of the already flaking paint off so we could have a relatively smooth surface to paint. NOTE: always test old tubs for lead paint! Many have it, which is extremely dangerous, especially if kids will be bathing in them. We were thrilled to find out ours was clean- most likely since the outside was painted sometime after lead was phased out and since the inside had never been reglazed.

First we used some coarse sanding blocks to scrub all of the exterior by hand, which was slow going, but definitely knocked a bunch of old dry paint flakes to the ground. John had also bought this rust-removing drill attachment while we were at the store and it turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. It knocked off even more of the loosest parts of the old finish in no time. NOTE NUMBER TWO: we were both wearing heavy-duty lead paint removal masks during all this sanding just to be safe because tons of dust flies and even though it checked out to be lead free, we didn’t want to be inhaling a ton of tiny dust particles anyway, so you’ll catch a glimpse of those later in the post.

After a pass with the drill, we went over by hand with medium and then fine-grit sanding blocks to smooth it out a bit more. It would’ve taken us hours to get everything down to the original finish, but in about 20 minutes we got it down to a smooth-to-the-touch finish which is good enough. You just want a nice flake-free base for some rust-blocking primer and paint to adhere to without worrying it’ll flake and pop off down the line (primer & paint are generally only as secure as their base – so make sure that’s not crumbling).

After a wipe down with a clean towel, we were ready to prime. Based on a deep and meaningful conversation with the pro at our local paint desk, we chose this oil-based Clean Metal Primer to do the job. We obviously wanted something that not only covered the existing rust but helped prevent more – plus it would make the whole thing ready for paint that would last.

It’s very thin (read: drippy) so make sure your floors are well protected! We used small foam rollers to cover most of the large surfaces, and then a cheap chip brush to get under the lip and around the actual clawfeet. It’s also pretty stinky, so we opened every window, put on all the fans, and kept our masks on for this step too.

There was a moment when we were watching the primer dry where we considered just painting it white. It was so refreshing to see it all clean and “new” looking that we were very tempted. However, the room itself is very white (white floor tiles, white trim, white ceilings, white shower tile, and white inside the tub), so we thought a darker accent in the space would actually be really nice to break things up. Plus, the interior finish is a tiny bit off-white (you can sort of tell in the photo below), so matching the outside exactly would’ve made the whole thing a bit creamier than we wanted (which might have clashed with the bright white floor tiles). With all of those factors urging us to go deeper and more dramatic with the outside of this tub, we considered 45,731 paint swatches (just kidding, it was only 45,721).

You probably spotted some of our contenders a few photos up. We considered a whole range of colors for the outside of the tub, but we landed on Riverway by Sherwin-Williams because it was a pretty deep blue with a heavy dose of gray and a hint of green. All of the straight taupes or grays felt a little too boring for a room with such a playful floor pattern, and we wanted to go noticeably darker than the little accent tiles in the floor so it didn’t look like we were trying to match it or skew too “baby blue” everywhere. Also, ignore how dirty these tiles look. They have since been scrubbed within an inch of their life.

After choosing that color, we actually had to have it color matched at Lowe’s in this Anti-Rust Armor paint since it came so highly recommended from the paint pro we chatted with (it’s moisture and stain resistant and has some additional rust prevention built into it – so they thought it was the best bet for our tub holding up longterm). The literal description online says its great for “appliances, playground equipment, mailboxes, and tanks.” I know they probably mean things like propane tanks, but I got a good laugh imagining someone painting a giant military tank by hand with this stuff.

Oh and this paint was also pretty stinky (hence the masks we donned again for this step) but it went on much thicker than the primer did. Once again we used small foam rollers for most of it, and then we used a brush meant specifically for oil-based paints to get between the toes. Basically we gave our tub a pedicure.

A few people have asked why we chose to make the feet the same color, rather than accenting them with a white, silver, or gold finish. We just looked at all of our inspiration photos of clawfoot tubs (because you know I’ve pinned like ten million since we bought this house) and we liked the two-tone look better than a three-tone effect. That’s definitely something you can go for if you like that extra foot-bling though! It can look really cool too.

You can tell in these photos that the outside isn’t perfectly smooth – you can still see the subtle topography of the old finishes beneath the fresh coat of blue. We’re actually kinda happy that it will feel like a tub that has been in this house for decades instead of some new replica that we brought in, so we’re totally cool with that dappled texture – and the glossy shine from the fresh paint is a nice counterpart.

Dappled dots or not, it’s certainly a huge improvement! So for around $50 and a fair amount of sweat, we got something that looks pretty darn close to this Rejuvenation clawfoot tub that retails for $3,300!

I’m gonna hold off on sharing any more “afters” for now, mainly because we haven’t taken any. But late last week our plumber came back to install the faucet and connect the tub (and remove the cardboard!) so word from him is that it’s ready for use! We have to skip our weekly visit since the floors are being sealed and need time to cure before anyone walks on them, so we’re just over here holding our breath until we can go back over to the house and see the tub all hooked up (and the floors all refinished). You know I’ll take like ten million pictures for you guys, so stay tuned!

Psst – Wanna read more about this beach house rehab project of ours? Click here to see everything we’ve done for the past year to get it to this point!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub appeared first on Young House Love.

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub published first on http://ift.tt/2r6hzQy

[truereviewpage]

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub

We’ve gotten A LOT of questions about how we’ve rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let’s just dive right into what worked (and what didn’t) and how we nursed this baby back to life.

The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You’ll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!). You can read more about that process here.

During demo, our contractor moved it out into the bedroom, which is where it lived for over half a year as destruction and reconstruction went on around it.

Once that side of the house was all rebuilt, it was pretty exciting to picture the tub going back in there – this time on stable footing. Here I am back in January standing where the bathtub now sits. Remember John’s best Boomerang capture of all time?

We pretty much ignored the tub during the entire gutting/rebuilding process of the house. We did keep it covered with a piece of plywood so it didn’t get dinged up, but we put off making a plan to resuscitate it until we actually had a bathroom to put it into again.

And then came that exciting day when the bathroom tile was in, the grout was done, and we needed to think about getting this tub back into the bathroom. It was finally time to assess the tub situation to see if it was something we’d have to pay someone to refinish, or something we could tackle ourselves. The first thing I did was wipe everything down (with a spare grout sponge) just to see how stained the inside of the tub really was. A remarkable amount of grime came off, so it gave us hope that we could save it without having to hire someone to professionally paint the inside (we hear that can flake and peel off down the line, so getting it back to its original finish would beat a rental with a peeling/flaking tub in 5-10 years).

We originally worried there were rust stains (which wouldn’t be something we could scrub off – rust literally pits the glazing and creates a hole that needs to be filled and sanded and typically calls for a pro to fix) but upon further inspection we realized that some of this “rust” was actually rubbing off! See the white speckles on those brown streaks below? Turns out nothing was pitted, but there were just some really really bad hard water deposits on top of the tub… which meant if we could scrub them off, we’d find more of that original white finish under them!

So a few weeks later, once the plumber had moved the tub back into the bathroom, we arrived in Cape Charles armed with an array of cleaners – ready to show the tub who’s boss. This is what it looked like when we started:

First, we wanted to evaluate what was just surface grime and what was a legit stain. So we sprayed the whole thing down with 1-part white vinegar, 1-part water and used a little elbow grease (and a green scouring pad) to get all of the superficial gunk off.

It made a HUGE difference, although not enough that I would be willing to actually take a bath in there yet.

The next tool in our arsenal was a bottle of Bar Keeper’s Friend Soft Cleanser, which a few people had recommended to us for old tubs (I just happened to find it for like $1.50 at Ross). We followed the instructions of applying it to a damp surface, letting it sit, and then scrubbing it off. Results were not very good. Confidence levels majorly wavered at this point.

Undeterred, we decided to try a more generous application of BKF (is that what the kids are calling it these days?) and let it sit for much longer (like 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, we also used a heavy duty Magic Eraser on some of the other spots, which is another tip you guys shared for trying to clean up an old tub. It certainly helped, but was a bit slow-going. We burned through a couple of them pretty quickly, but things were starting to look better…

After the scrub had sat for about 20 minutes, we tackled it with a piece of fine grade steel wool (along with hearing that magic erasers and fine steel wool can work, we also have heard that a pumice stone can buff out small stains too – so that’s something else to try if you have the same job ahead of you – we just didn’t have one with us). I’m not sure if it was the cleanser or the steel wool, but we finally started to see some noticeable progress.

It still required A LOT of elbow grease, but it was insanely satisfying to see those rust streaks dissipating. We also very gently scraped it in some parts with the dulled tip of our multi-tool. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t want to necessarily recommend it since it can etch/scratch your tub which is NOT GOOD, but we checked frequently to make sure we weren’t scratching ours, and it was helpful in chipping off some large chunks of rust-covered hard water stains.

The final results are not flawless, but we are more than satisfied with how it looks. All the rusty looking rings you see below will be covered by a new drain, faucet and spigot once they’re installed, so aside from a few slight imperfections in the white interior finish, she’s gonna look pretty dang good. I’m officially more than willing to plop my bod down in there for a good soak. Just picture me in there wearing a black turtleneck for modesty reasons.

This feels like a good moment for a before and after. Again, this is all from just cleaning – no actual refinishing or reglazing went on with the inside. So we’re glad that there should be no issues with bubbling or peeling paint since we were able to restore the original finish of the tub. Those few sentences don’t adequately capture how elated I am, so I’ll add this: ALL THE JAZZ HANDS!

Now let’s talk about restoring the outside, because what good is a tidy interior if the exterior looks ready for a horror movie?

Our first step was to sand it down, mostly just to get all of the already flaking paint off so we could have a relatively smooth surface to paint. NOTE: always test old tubs for lead paint! Many have it, which is extremely dangerous, especially if kids will be bathing in them. We were thrilled to find out ours was clean- most likely since the outside was painted sometime after lead was phased out and since the inside had never been reglazed.

First we used some coarse sanding blocks to scrub all of the exterior by hand, which was slow going, but definitely knocked a bunch of old dry paint flakes to the ground. John had also bought this rust-removing drill attachment while we were at the store and it turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. It knocked off even more of the loosest parts of the old finish in no time. NOTE NUMBER TWO: we were both wearing heavy-duty lead paint removal masks during all this sanding just to be safe because tons of dust flies and even though it checked out to be lead free, we didn’t want to be inhaling a ton of tiny dust particles anyway, so you’ll catch a glimpse of those later in the post.

After a pass with the drill, we went over by hand with medium and then fine-grit sanding blocks to smooth it out a bit more. It would’ve taken us hours to get everything down to the original finish, but in about 20 minutes we got it down to a smooth-to-the-touch finish which is good enough. You just want a nice flake-free base for some rust-blocking primer and paint to adhere to without worrying it’ll flake and pop off down the line (primer & paint are generally only as secure as their base – so make sure that’s not crumbling).

After a wipe down with a clean towel, we were ready to prime. Based on a deep and meaningful conversation with the pro at our local paint desk, we chose this oil-based Clean Metal Primer to do the job. We obviously wanted something that not only covered the existing rust but helped prevent more – plus it would make the whole thing ready for paint that would last.

It’s very thin (read: drippy) so make sure your floors are well protected! We used small foam rollers to cover most of the large surfaces, and then a cheap chip brush to get under the lip and around the actual clawfeet. It’s also pretty stinky, so we opened every window, put on all the fans, and kept our masks on for this step too.

There was a moment when we were watching the primer dry where we considered just painting it white. It was so refreshing to see it all clean and “new” looking that we were very tempted. However, the room itself is very white (white floor tiles, white trim, white ceilings, white shower tile, and white inside the tub), so we thought a darker accent in the space would actually be really nice to break things up. Plus, the interior finish is a tiny bit off-white (you can sort of tell in the photo below), so matching the outside exactly would’ve made the whole thing a bit creamier than we wanted (which might have clashed with the bright white floor tiles). With all of those factors urging us to go deeper and more dramatic with the outside of this tub, we considered 45,731 paint swatches (just kidding, it was only 45,721).

You probably spotted some of our contenders a few photos up. We considered a whole range of colors for the outside of the tub, but we landed on Riverway by Sherwin-Williams because it was a pretty deep blue with a heavy dose of gray and a hint of green. All of the straight taupes or grays felt a little too boring for a room with such a playful floor pattern, and we wanted to go noticeably darker than the little accent tiles in the floor so it didn’t look like we were trying to match it or skew too “baby blue” everywhere. Also, ignore how dirty these tiles look. They have since been scrubbed within an inch of their life.

After choosing that color, we actually had to have it color matched at Lowe’s in this Anti-Rust Armor paint since it came so highly recommended from the paint pro we chatted with (it’s moisture and stain resistant and has some additional rust prevention built into it – so they thought it was the best bet for our tub holding up longterm). The literal description online says its great for “appliances, playground equipment, mailboxes, and tanks.” I know they probably mean things like propane tanks, but I got a good laugh imagining someone painting a giant military tank by hand with this stuff.

Oh and this paint was also pretty stinky (hence the masks we donned again for this step) but it went on much thicker than the primer did. Once again we used small foam rollers for most of it, and then we used a brush meant specifically for oil-based paints to get between the toes. Basically we gave our tub a pedicure.

A few people have asked why we chose to make the feet the same color, rather than accenting them with a white, silver, or gold finish. We just looked at all of our inspiration photos of clawfoot tubs (because you know I’ve pinned like ten million since we bought this house) and we liked the two-tone look better than a three-tone effect. That’s definitely something you can go for if you like that extra foot-bling though! It can look really cool too.

You can tell in these photos that the outside isn’t perfectly smooth – you can still see the subtle topography of the old finishes beneath the fresh coat of blue. We’re actually kinda happy that it will feel like a tub that has been in this house for decades instead of some new replica that we brought in, so we’re totally cool with that dappled texture – and the glossy shine from the fresh paint is a nice counterpart.

Dappled dots or not, it’s certainly a huge improvement! So for around $50 and a fair amount of sweat, we got something that looks pretty darn close to this Rejuvenation clawfoot tub that retails for $3,300!

I’m gonna hold off on sharing any more “afters” for now, mainly because we haven’t taken any. But late last week our plumber came back to install the faucet and connect the tub (and remove the cardboard!) so word from him is that it’s ready for use! We have to skip our weekly visit since the floors are being sealed and need time to cure before anyone walks on them, so we’re just over here holding our breath until we can go back over to the house and see the tub all hooked up (and the floors all refinished). You know I’ll take like ten million pictures for you guys, so stay tuned!

Psst – Wanna read more about this beach house rehab project of ours? Click here to see everything we’ve done for the past year to get it to this point!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub appeared first on Young House Love.

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub published first on http://ift.tt/2qCHnUt

[lukerhill]

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub

We’ve gotten A LOT of questions about how we’ve rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let’s just dive right into what worked (and what didn’t) and how we nursed this baby back to life.

The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You’ll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!). You can read more about that process here.

During demo, our contractor moved it out into the bedroom, which is where it lived for over half a year as destruction and reconstruction went on around it.

Once that side of the house was all rebuilt, it was pretty exciting to picture the tub going back in there – this time on stable footing. Here I am back in January standing where the bathtub now sits. Remember John’s best Boomerang capture of all time?

We pretty much ignored the tub during the entire gutting/rebuilding process of the house. We did keep it covered with a piece of plywood so it didn’t get dinged up, but we put off making a plan to resuscitate it until we actually had a bathroom to put it into again.

And then came that exciting day when the bathroom tile was in, the grout was done, and we needed to think about getting this tub back into the bathroom. It was finally time to assess the tub situation to see if it was something we’d have to pay someone to refinish, or something we could tackle ourselves. The first thing I did was wipe everything down (with a spare grout sponge) just to see how stained the inside of the tub really was. A remarkable amount of grime came off, so it gave us hope that we could save it without having to hire someone to professionally paint the inside (we hear that can flake and peel off down the line, so getting it back to its original finish would beat a rental with a peeling/flaking tub in 5-10 years).

We originally worried there were rust stains (which wouldn’t be something we could scrub off – rust literally pits the glazing and creates a hole that needs to be filled and sanded and typically calls for a pro to fix) but upon further inspection we realized that some of this “rust” was actually rubbing off! See the white speckles on those brown streaks below? Turns out nothing was pitted, but there were just some really really bad hard water deposits on top of the tub… which meant if we could scrub them off, we’d find more of that original white finish under them!

So a few weeks later, once the plumber had moved the tub back into the bathroom, we arrived in Cape Charles armed with an array of cleaners – ready to show the tub who’s boss. This is what it looked like when we started:

First, we wanted to evaluate what was just surface grime and what was a legit stain. So we sprayed the whole thing down with 1-part white vinegar, 1-part water and used a little elbow grease (and a green scouring pad) to get all of the superficial gunk off.

It made a HUGE difference, although not enough that I would be willing to actually take a bath in there yet.

The next tool in our arsenal was a bottle of Bar Keeper’s Friend Soft Cleanser, which a few people had recommended to us for old tubs (I just happened to find it for like $1.50 at Ross). We followed the instructions of applying it to a damp surface, letting it sit, and then scrubbing it off. Results were not very good. Confidence levels majorly wavered at this point.

Undeterred, we decided to try a more generous application of BKF (is that what the kids are calling it these days?) and let it sit for much longer (like 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, we also used a heavy duty Magic Eraser on some of the other spots, which is another tip you guys shared for trying to clean up an old tub. It certainly helped, but was a bit slow-going. We burned through a couple of them pretty quickly, but things were starting to look better…

After the scrub had sat for about 20 minutes, we tackled it with a piece of fine grade steel wool (along with hearing that magic erasers and fine steel wool can work, we also have heard that a pumice stone can buff out small stains too – so that’s something else to try if you have the same job ahead of you – we just didn’t have one with us). I’m not sure if it was the cleanser or the steel wool, but we finally started to see some noticeable progress.

It still required A LOT of elbow grease, but it was insanely satisfying to see those rust streaks dissipating. We also very gently scraped it in some parts with the dulled tip of our multi-tool. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t want to necessarily recommend it since it can etch/scratch your tub which is NOT GOOD, but we checked frequently to make sure we weren’t scratching ours, and it was helpful in chipping off some large chunks of rust-covered hard water stains.

The final results are not flawless, but we are more than satisfied with how it looks. All the rusty looking rings you see below will be covered by a new drain, faucet and spigot once they’re installed, so aside from a few slight imperfections in the white interior finish, she’s gonna look pretty dang good. I’m officially more than willing to plop my bod down in there for a good soak. Just picture me in there wearing a black turtleneck for modesty reasons.

This feels like a good moment for a before and after. Again, this is all from just cleaning – no actual refinishing or reglazing went on with the inside. So we’re glad that there should be no issues with bubbling or peeling paint since we were able to restore the original finish of the tub. Those few sentences don’t adequately capture how elated I am, so I’ll add this: ALL THE JAZZ HANDS!

Now let’s talk about restoring the outside, because what good is a tidy interior if the exterior looks ready for a horror movie?

Our first step was to sand it down, mostly just to get all of the already flaking paint off so we could have a relatively smooth surface to paint. NOTE: always test old tubs for lead paint! Many have it, which is extremely dangerous, especially if kids will be bathing in them. We were thrilled to find out ours was clean- most likely since the outside was painted sometime after lead was phased out and since the inside had never been reglazed.

First we used some coarse sanding blocks to scrub all of the exterior by hand, which was slow going, but definitely knocked a bunch of old dry paint flakes to the ground. John had also bought this rust-removing drill attachment while we were at the store and it turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. It knocked off even more of the loosest parts of the old finish in no time. NOTE NUMBER TWO: we were both wearing heavy-duty lead paint removal masks during all this sanding just to be safe because tons of dust flies and even though it checked out to be lead free, we didn’t want to be inhaling a ton of tiny dust particles anyway, so you’ll catch a glimpse of those later in the post.

After a pass with the drill, we went over by hand with medium and then fine-grit sanding blocks to smooth it out a bit more. It would’ve taken us hours to get everything down to the original finish, but in about 20 minutes we got it down to a smooth-to-the-touch finish which is good enough. You just want a nice flake-free base for some rust-blocking primer and paint to adhere to without worrying it’ll flake and pop off down the line (primer & paint are generally only as secure as their base – so make sure that’s not crumbling).

After a wipe down with a clean towel, we were ready to prime. Based on a deep and meaningful conversation with the pro at our local paint desk, we chose this oil-based Clean Metal Primer to do the job. We obviously wanted something that not only covered the existing rust but helped prevent more – plus it would make the whole thing ready for paint that would last.

It’s very thin (read: drippy) so make sure your floors are well protected! We used small foam rollers to cover most of the large surfaces, and then a cheap chip brush to get under the lip and around the actual clawfeet. It’s also pretty stinky, so we opened every window, put on all the fans, and kept our masks on for this step too.

There was a moment when we were watching the primer dry where we considered just painting it white. It was so refreshing to see it all clean and “new” looking that we were very tempted. However, the room itself is very white (white floor tiles, white trim, white ceilings, white shower tile, and white inside the tub), so we thought a darker accent in the space would actually be really nice to break things up. Plus, the interior finish is a tiny bit off-white (you can sort of tell in the photo below), so matching the outside exactly would’ve made the whole thing a bit creamier than we wanted (which might have clashed with the bright white floor tiles). With all of those factors urging us to go deeper and more dramatic with the outside of this tub, we considered 45,731 paint swatches (just kidding, it was only 45,721).

You probably spotted some of our contenders a few photos up. We considered a whole range of colors for the outside of the tub, but we landed on Riverway by Sherwin-Williams because it was a pretty deep blue with a heavy dose of gray and a hint of green. All of the straight taupes or grays felt a little too boring for a room with such a playful floor pattern, and we wanted to go noticeably darker than the little accent tiles in the floor so it didn’t look like we were trying to match it or skew too “baby blue” everywhere. Also, ignore how dirty these tiles look. They have since been scrubbed within an inch of their life.

After choosing that color, we actually had to have it color matched at Lowe’s in this Anti-Rust Armor paint since it came so highly recommended from the paint pro we chatted with (it’s moisture and stain resistant and has some additional rust prevention built into it – so they thought it was the best bet for our tub holding up longterm). The literal description online says its great for “appliances, playground equipment, mailboxes, and tanks.” I know they probably mean things like propane tanks, but I got a good laugh imagining someone painting a giant military tank by hand with this stuff.

Oh and this paint was also pretty stinky (hence the masks we donned again for this step) but it went on much thicker than the primer did. Once again we used small foam rollers for most of it, and then we used a brush meant specifically for oil-based paints to get between the toes. Basically we gave our tub a pedicure.

A few people have asked why we chose to make the feet the same color, rather than accenting them with a white, silver, or gold finish. We just looked at all of our inspiration photos of clawfoot tubs (because you know I’ve pinned like ten million since we bought this house) and we liked the two-tone look better than a three-tone effect. That’s definitely something you can go for if you like that extra foot-bling though! It can look really cool too.

You can tell in these photos that the outside isn’t perfectly smooth – you can still see the subtle topography of the old finishes beneath the fresh coat of blue. We’re actually kinda happy that it will feel like a tub that has been in this house for decades instead of some new replica that we brought in, so we’re totally cool with that dappled texture – and the glossy shine from the fresh paint is a nice counterpart.

Dappled dots or not, it’s certainly a huge improvement! So for around $50 and a fair amount of sweat, we got something that looks pretty darn close to this Rejuvenation clawfoot tub that retails for $3,300!

I’m gonna hold off on sharing any more “afters” for now, mainly because we haven’t taken any. But late last week our plumber came back to install the faucet and connect the tub (and remove the cardboard!) so word from him is that it’s ready for use! We have to skip our weekly visit since the floors are being sealed and need time to cure before anyone walks on them, so we’re just over here holding our breath until we can go back over to the house and see the tub all hooked up (and the floors all refinished). You know I’ll take like ten million pictures for you guys, so stay tuned!

Psst – Wanna read more about this beach house rehab project of ours? Click here to see everything we’ve done for the past year to get it to this point!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub appeared first on Young House Love.

[additionallysad]

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub http://ift.tt/2xW6urO

We’ve gotten A LOT of questions about how we’ve rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let’s just dive right into what worked (and what didn’t) and how we nursed this baby back to life.

The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You’ll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!). You can read more about that process here.

During demo, our contractor moved it out into the bedroom, which is where it lived for over half a year as destruction and reconstruction went on around it.

Once that side of the house was all rebuilt, it was pretty exciting to picture the tub going back in there – this time on stable footing. Here I am back in January standing where the bathtub now sits. Remember John’s best Boomerang capture of all time?

We pretty much ignored the tub during the entire gutting/rebuilding process of the house. We did keep it covered with a piece of plywood so it didn’t get dinged up, but we put off making a plan to resuscitate it until we actually had a bathroom to put it into again.

And then came that exciting day when the bathroom tile was in, the grout was done, and we needed to think about getting this tub back into the bathroom. It was finally time to assess the tub situation to see if it was something we’d have to pay someone to refinish, or something we could tackle ourselves. The first thing I did was wipe everything down (with a spare grout sponge) just to see how stained the inside of the tub really was. A remarkable amount of grime came off, so it gave us hope that we could save it without having to hire someone to professionally paint the inside (we hear that can flake and peel off down the line, so getting it back to its original finish would beat a rental with a peeling/flaking tub in 5-10 years).

We originally worried there were rust stains (which wouldn’t be something we could scrub off – rust literally pits the glazing and creates a hole that needs to be filled and sanded and typically calls for a pro to fix) but upon further inspection we realized that some of this “rust” was actually rubbing off! See the white speckles on those brown streaks below? Turns out nothing was pitted, but there were just some really really bad hard water deposits on top of the tub… which meant if we could scrub them off, we’d find more of that original white finish under them!

So a few weeks later, once the plumber had moved the tub back into the bathroom, we arrived in Cape Charles armed with an array of cleaners – ready to show the tub who’s boss. This is what it looked like when we started:

First, we wanted to evaluate what was just surface grime and what was a legit stain. So we sprayed the whole thing down with 1-part white vinegar, 1-part water and used a little elbow grease (and a green scouring pad) to get all of the superficial gunk off.

It made a HUGE difference, although not enough that I would be willing to actually take a bath in there yet.

The next tool in our arsenal was a bottle of Bar Keeper’s Friend Soft Cleanser, which a few people had recommended to us for old tubs (I just happened to find it for like $1.50 at Ross). We followed the instructions of applying it to a damp surface, letting it sit, and then scrubbing it off. Results were not very good. Confidence levels majorly wavered at this point.

Undeterred, we decided to try a more generous application of BKF (is that what the kids are calling it these days?) and let it sit for much longer (like 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, we also used a heavy duty Magic Eraser on some of the other spots, which is another tip you guys shared for trying to clean up an old tub. It certainly helped, but was a bit slow-going. We burned through a couple of them pretty quickly, but things were starting to look better…

After the scrub had sat for about 20 minutes, we tackled it with a piece of fine grade steel wool (along with hearing that magic erasers and fine steel wool can work, we also have heard that a pumice stone can buff out small stains too – so that’s something else to try if you have the same job ahead of you – we just didn’t have one with us). I’m not sure if it was the cleanser or the steel wool, but we finally started to see some noticeable progress.

It still required A LOT of elbow grease, but it was insanely satisfying to see those rust streaks dissipating. We also very gently scraped it in some parts with the dulled tip of our multi-tool. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t want to necessarily recommend it since it can etch/scratch your tub which is NOT GOOD, but we checked frequently to make sure we weren’t scratching ours, and it was helpful in chipping off some large chunks of rust-covered hard water stains.

The final results are not flawless, but we are more than satisfied with how it looks. All the rusty looking rings you see below will be covered by a new drain, faucet and spigot once they’re installed, so aside from a few slight imperfections in the white interior finish, she’s gonna look pretty dang good. I’m officially more than willing to plop my bod down in there for a good soak. Just picture me in there wearing a black turtleneck for modesty reasons.

This feels like a good moment for a before and after. Again, this is all from just cleaning – no actual refinishing or reglazing went on with the inside. So we’re glad that there should be no issues with bubbling or peeling paint since we were able to restore the original finish of the tub. Those few sentences don’t adequately capture how elated I am, so I’ll add this: ALL THE JAZZ HANDS!

Now let’s talk about restoring the outside, because what good is a tidy interior if the exterior looks ready for a horror movie?

Our first step was to sand it down, mostly just to get all of the already flaking paint off so we could have a relatively smooth surface to paint. NOTE: always test old tubs for lead paint! Many have it, which is extremely dangerous, especially if kids will be bathing in them. We were thrilled to find out ours was clean- most likely since the outside was painted sometime after lead was phased out and since the inside had never been reglazed.

First we used some coarse sanding blocks to scrub all of the exterior by hand, which was slow going, but definitely knocked a bunch of old dry paint flakes to the ground. John had also bought this rust-removing drill attachment while we were at the store and it turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. It knocked off even more of the loosest parts of the old finish in no time. NOTE NUMBER TWO: we were both wearing heavy-duty lead paint removal masks during all this sanding just to be safe because tons of dust flies and even though it checked out to be lead free, we didn’t want to be inhaling a ton of tiny dust particles anyway, so you’ll catch a glimpse of those later in the post.

After a pass with the drill, we went over by hand with medium and then fine-grit sanding blocks to smooth it out a bit more. It would’ve taken us hours to get everything down to the original finish, but in about 20 minutes we got it down to a smooth-to-the-touch finish which is good enough. You just want a nice flake-free base for some rust-blocking primer and paint to adhere to without worrying it’ll flake and pop off down the line (primer & paint are generally only as secure as their base – so make sure that’s not crumbling).

After a wipe down with a clean towel, we were ready to prime. Based on a deep and meaningful conversation with the pro at our local paint desk, we chose this oil-based Clean Metal Primer to do the job. We obviously wanted something that not only covered the existing rust but helped prevent more – plus it would make the whole thing ready for paint that would last.

It’s very thin (read: drippy) so make sure your floors are well protected! We used small foam rollers to cover most of the large surfaces, and then a cheap chip brush to get under the lip and around the actual clawfeet. It’s also pretty stinky, so we opened every window, put on all the fans, and kept our masks on for this step too.

There was a moment when we were watching the primer dry where we considered just painting it white. It was so refreshing to see it all clean and “new” looking that we were very tempted. However, the room itself is very white (white floor tiles, white trim, white ceilings, white shower tile, and white inside the tub), so we thought a darker accent in the space would actually be really nice to break things up. Plus, the interior finish is a tiny bit off-white (you can sort of tell in the photo below), so matching the outside exactly would’ve made the whole thing a bit creamier than we wanted (which might have clashed with the bright white floor tiles). With all of those factors urging us to go deeper and more dramatic with the outside of this tub, we considered 45,731 paint swatches (just kidding, it was only 45,721).

You probably spotted some of our contenders a few photos up. We considered a whole range of colors for the outside of the tub, but we landed on Riverway by Sherwin-Williams because it was a pretty deep blue with a heavy dose of gray and a hint of green. All of the straight taupes or grays felt a little too boring for a room with such a playful floor pattern, and we wanted to go noticeably darker than the little accent tiles in the floor so it didn’t look like we were trying to match it or skew too “baby blue” everywhere. Also, ignore how dirty these tiles look. They have since been scrubbed within an inch of their life.

After choosing that color, we actually had to have it color matched at Lowe’s in this Anti-Rust Armor paint since it came so highly recommended from the paint pro we chatted with (it’s moisture and stain resistant and has some additional rust prevention built into it – so they thought it was the best bet for our tub holding up longterm). The literal description online says its great for “appliances, playground equipment, mailboxes, and tanks.” I know they probably mean things like propane tanks, but I got a good laugh imagining someone painting a giant military tank by hand with this stuff.

Oh and this paint was also pretty stinky (hence the masks we donned again for this step) but it went on much thicker than the primer did. Once again we used small foam rollers for most of it, and then we used a brush meant specifically for oil-based paints to get between the toes. Basically we gave our tub a pedicure.

A few people have asked why we chose to make the feet the same color, rather than accenting them with a white, silver, or gold finish. We just looked at all of our inspiration photos of clawfoot tubs (because you know I’ve pinned like ten million since we bought this house) and we liked the two-tone look better than a three-tone effect. That’s definitely something you can go for if you like that extra foot-bling though! It can look really cool too.

You can tell in these photos that the outside isn’t perfectly smooth – you can still see the subtle topography of the old finishes beneath the fresh coat of blue. We’re actually kinda happy that it will feel like a tub that has been in this house for decades instead of some new replica that we brought in, so we’re totally cool with that dappled texture – and the glossy shine from the fresh paint is a nice counterpart.

Dappled dots or not, it’s certainly a huge improvement! So for around $50 and a fair amount of sweat, we got something that looks pretty darn close to this Rejuvenation clawfoot tub that retails for $3,300!

I’m gonna hold off on sharing any more “afters” for now, mainly because we haven’t taken any. But late last week our plumber came back to install the faucet and connect the tub (and remove the cardboard!) so word from him is that it’s ready for use! We have to skip our weekly visit since the floors are being sealed and need time to cure before anyone walks on them, so we’re just over here holding our breath until we can go back over to the house and see the tub all hooked up (and the floors all refinished). You know I’ll take like ten million pictures for you guys, so stay tuned!

Psst – Wanna read more about this beach house rehab project of ours? Click here to see everything we’ve done for the past year to get it to this point!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub appeared first on Young House Love.

[interiorstarweb]

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub

We’ve gotten A LOT of questions about how we’ve rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let’s just dive right into what worked (and what didn’t) and how we nursed this baby back to life.

The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You’ll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!). You can read more about that process here.

During demo, our contractor moved it out into the bedroom, which is where it lived for over half a year as destruction and reconstruction went on around it.

Once that side of the house was all rebuilt, it was pretty exciting to picture the tub going back in there – this time on stable footing. Here I am back in January standing where the bathtub now sits. Remember John’s best Boomerang capture of all time?

We pretty much ignored the tub during the entire gutting/rebuilding process of the house. We did keep it covered with a piece of plywood so it didn’t get dinged up, but we put off making a plan to resuscitate it until we actually had a bathroom to put it into again.

And then came that exciting day when the bathroom tile was in, the grout was done, and we needed to think about getting this tub back into the bathroom. It was finally time to assess the tub situation to see if it was something we’d have to pay someone to refinish, or something we could tackle ourselves. The first thing I did was wipe everything down (with a spare grout sponge) just to see how stained the inside of the tub really was. A remarkable amount of grime came off, so it gave us hope that we could save it without having to hire someone to professionally paint the inside (we hear that can flake and peel off down the line, so getting it back to its original finish would beat a rental with a peeling/flaking tub in 5-10 years).

We originally worried there were rust stains (which wouldn’t be something we could scrub off – rust literally pits the glazing and creates a hole that needs to be filled and sanded and typically calls for a pro to fix) but upon further inspection we realized that some of this “rust” was actually rubbing off! See the white speckles on those brown streaks below? Turns out nothing was pitted, but there were just some really really bad hard water deposits on top of the tub… which meant if we could scrub them off, we’d find more of that original white finish under them!

So a few weeks later, once the plumber had moved the tub back into the bathroom, we arrived in Cape Charles armed with an array of cleaners – ready to show the tub who’s boss. This is what it looked like when we started:

First, we wanted to evaluate what was just surface grime and what was a legit stain. So we sprayed the whole thing down with 1-part white vinegar, 1-part water and used a little elbow grease (and a green scouring pad) to get all of the superficial gunk off.

It made a HUGE difference, although not enough that I would be willing to actually take a bath in there yet.

The next tool in our arsenal was a bottle of Bar Keeper’s Friend Soft Cleanser, which a few people had recommended to us for old tubs (I just happened to find it for like $1.50 at Ross). We followed the instructions of applying it to a damp surface, letting it sit, and then scrubbing it off. Results were not very good. Confidence levels majorly wavered at this point.

Undeterred, we decided to try a more generous application of BKF (is that what the kids are calling it these days?) and let it sit for much longer (like 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, we also used a heavy duty Magic Eraser on some of the other spots, which is another tip you guys shared for trying to clean up an old tub. It certainly helped, but was a bit slow-going. We burned through a couple of them pretty quickly, but things were starting to look better…

After the scrub had sat for about 20 minutes, we tackled it with a piece of fine grade steel wool (along with hearing that magic erasers and fine steel wool can work, we also have heard that a pumice stone can buff out small stains too – so that’s something else to try if you have the same job ahead of you – we just didn’t have one with us). I’m not sure if it was the cleanser or the steel wool, but we finally started to see some noticeable progress.

It still required A LOT of elbow grease, but it was insanely satisfying to see those rust streaks dissipating. We also very gently scraped it in some parts with the dulled tip of our multi-tool. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t want to necessarily recommend it since it can etch/scratch your tub which is NOT GOOD, but we checked frequently to make sure we weren’t scratching ours, and it was helpful in chipping off some large chunks of rust-covered hard water stains.

The final results are not flawless, but we are more than satisfied with how it looks. All the rusty looking rings you see below will be covered by a new drain, faucet and spigot once they’re installed, so aside from a few slight imperfections in the white interior finish, she’s gonna look pretty dang good. I’m officially more than willing to plop my bod down in there for a good soak. Just picture me in there wearing a black turtleneck for modesty reasons.

This feels like a good moment for a before and after. Again, this is all from just cleaning – no actual refinishing or reglazing went on with the inside. So we’re glad that there should be no issues with bubbling or peeling paint since we were able to restore the original finish of the tub. Those few sentences don’t adequately capture how elated I am, so I’ll add this: ALL THE JAZZ HANDS!

Now let’s talk about restoring the outside, because what good is a tidy interior if the exterior looks ready for a horror movie?

Our first step was to sand it down, mostly just to get all of the already flaking paint off so we could have a relatively smooth surface to paint. NOTE: always test old tubs for lead paint! Many have it, which is extremely dangerous, especially if kids will be bathing in them. We were thrilled to find out ours was clean- most likely since the outside was painted sometime after lead was phased out and since the inside had never been reglazed.

First we used some coarse sanding blocks to scrub all of the exterior by hand, which was slow going, but definitely knocked a bunch of old dry paint flakes to the ground. John had also bought this rust-removing drill attachment while we were at the store and it turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. It knocked off even more of the loosest parts of the old finish in no time. NOTE NUMBER TWO: we were both wearing heavy-duty lead paint removal masks during all this sanding just to be safe because tons of dust flies and even though it checked out to be lead free, we didn’t want to be inhaling a ton of tiny dust particles anyway, so you’ll catch a glimpse of those later in the post.

After a pass with the drill, we went over by hand with medium and then fine-grit sanding blocks to smooth it out a bit more. It would’ve taken us hours to get everything down to the original finish, but in about 20 minutes we got it down to a smooth-to-the-touch finish which is good enough. You just want a nice flake-free base for some rust-blocking primer and paint to adhere to without worrying it’ll flake and pop off down the line (primer & paint are generally only as secure as their base – so make sure that’s not crumbling).

After a wipe down with a clean towel, we were ready to prime. Based on a deep and meaningful conversation with the pro at our local paint desk, we chose this oil-based Clean Metal Primer to do the job. We obviously wanted something that not only covered the existing rust but helped prevent more – plus it would make the whole thing ready for paint that would last.

It’s very thin (read: drippy) so make sure your floors are well protected! We used small foam rollers to cover most of the large surfaces, and then a cheap chip brush to get under the lip and around the actual clawfeet. It’s also pretty stinky, so we opened every window, put on all the fans, and kept our masks on for this step too.

There was a moment when we were watching the primer dry where we considered just painting it white. It was so refreshing to see it all clean and “new” looking that we were very tempted. However, the room itself is very white (white floor tiles, white trim, white ceilings, white shower tile, and white inside the tub), so we thought a darker accent in the space would actually be really nice to break things up. Plus, the interior finish is a tiny bit off-white (you can sort of tell in the photo below), so matching the outside exactly would’ve made the whole thing a bit creamier than we wanted (which might have clashed with the bright white floor tiles). With all of those factors urging us to go deeper and more dramatic with the outside of this tub, we considered 45,731 paint swatches (just kidding, it was only 45,721).

You probably spotted some of our contenders a few photos up. We considered a whole range of colors for the outside of the tub, but we landed on Riverway by Sherwin-Williams because it was a pretty deep blue with a heavy dose of gray and a hint of green. All of the straight taupes or grays felt a little too boring for a room with such a playful floor pattern, and we wanted to go noticeably darker than the little accent tiles in the floor so it didn’t look like we were trying to match it or skew too “baby blue” everywhere. Also, ignore how dirty these tiles look. They have since been scrubbed within an inch of their life.

After choosing that color, we actually had to have it color matched at Lowe’s in this Anti-Rust Armor paint since it came so highly recommended from the paint pro we chatted with (it’s moisture and stain resistant and has some additional rust prevention built into it – so they thought it was the best bet for our tub holding up longterm). The literal description online says its great for “appliances, playground equipment, mailboxes, and tanks.” I know they probably mean things like propane tanks, but I got a good laugh imagining someone painting a giant military tank by hand with this stuff.

Oh and this paint was also pretty stinky (hence the masks we donned again for this step) but it went on much thicker than the primer did. Once again we used small foam rollers for most of it, and then we used a brush meant specifically for oil-based paints to get between the toes. Basically we gave our tub a pedicure.

A few people have asked why we chose to make the feet the same color, rather than accenting them with a white, silver, or gold finish. We just looked at all of our inspiration photos of clawfoot tubs (because you know I’ve pinned like ten million since we bought this house) and we liked the two-tone look better than a three-tone effect. That’s definitely something you can go for if you like that extra foot-bling though! It can look really cool too.

You can tell in these photos that the outside isn’t perfectly smooth – you can still see the subtle topography of the old finishes beneath the fresh coat of blue. We’re actually kinda happy that it will feel like a tub that has been in this house for decades instead of some new replica that we brought in, so we’re totally cool with that dappled texture – and the glossy shine from the fresh paint is a nice counterpart.

Dappled dots or not, it’s certainly a huge improvement! So for around $50 and a fair amount of sweat, we got something that looks pretty darn close to this Rejuvenation clawfoot tub that retails for $3,300!

I’m gonna hold off on sharing any more “afters” for now, mainly because we haven’t taken any. But late last week our plumber came back to install the faucet and connect the tub (and remove the cardboard!) so word from him is that it’s ready for use! We have to skip our weekly visit since the floors are being sealed and need time to cure before anyone walks on them, so we’re just over here holding our breath until we can go back over to the house and see the tub all hooked up (and the floors all refinished). You know I’ll take like ten million pictures for you guys, so stay tuned!

Psst – Wanna read more about this beach house rehab project of ours? Click here to see everything we’ve done for the past year to get it to this point!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub appeared first on Young House Love.

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub published first on http://ift.tt/2uiWrIt

[woodcraftor]

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub

We’ve gotten A LOT of questions about how we’ve rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let’s just dive right into what worked (and what didn’t) and how we nursed this baby back to life.

The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You’ll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!). You can read more about that process here.

During demo, our contractor moved it out into the bedroom, which is where it lived for over half a year as destruction and reconstruction went on around it.

Once that side of the house was all rebuilt, it was pretty exciting to picture the tub going back in there – this time on stable footing. Here I am back in January standing where the bathtub now sits. Remember John’s best Boomerang capture of all time?

We pretty much ignored the tub during the entire gutting/rebuilding process of the house. We did keep it covered with a piece of plywood so it didn’t get dinged up, but we put off making a plan to resuscitate it until we actually had a bathroom to put it into again.

And then came that exciting day when the bathroom tile was in, the grout was done, and we needed to think about getting this tub back into the bathroom. It was finally time to assess the tub situation to see if it was something we’d have to pay someone to refinish, or something we could tackle ourselves. The first thing I did was wipe everything down (with a spare grout sponge) just to see how stained the inside of the tub really was. A remarkable amount of grime came off, so it gave us hope that we could save it without having to hire someone to professionally paint the inside (we hear that can flake and peel off down the line, so getting it back to its original finish would beat a rental with a peeling/flaking tub in 5-10 years).

We originally worried there were rust stains (which wouldn’t be something we could scrub off – rust literally pits the glazing and creates a hole that needs to be filled and sanded and typically calls for a pro to fix) but upon further inspection we realized that some of this “rust” was actually rubbing off! See the white speckles on those brown streaks below? Turns out nothing was pitted, but there were just some really really bad hard water deposits on top of the tub… which meant if we could scrub them off, we’d find more of that original white finish under them!

So a few weeks later, once the plumber had moved the tub back into the bathroom, we arrived in Cape Charles armed with an array of cleaners – ready to show the tub who’s boss. This is what it looked like when we started:

First, we wanted to evaluate what was just surface grime and what was a legit stain. So we sprayed the whole thing down with 1-part white vinegar, 1-part water and used a little elbow grease (and a green scouring pad) to get all of the superficial gunk off.

It made a HUGE difference, although not enough that I would be willing to actually take a bath in there yet.

The next tool in our arsenal was a bottle of Bar Keeper’s Friend Soft Cleanser, which a few people had recommended to us for old tubs (I just happened to find it for like $1.50 at Ross). We followed the instructions of applying it to a damp surface, letting it sit, and then scrubbing it off. Results were not very good. Confidence levels majorly wavered at this point.

Undeterred, we decided to try a more generous application of BKF (is that what the kids are calling it these days?) and let it sit for much longer (like 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, we also used a heavy duty Magic Eraser on some of the other spots, which is another tip you guys shared for trying to clean up an old tub. It certainly helped, but was a bit slow-going. We burned through a couple of them pretty quickly, but things were starting to look better…

After the scrub had sat for about 20 minutes, we tackled it with a piece of fine grade steel wool (along with hearing that magic erasers and fine steel wool can work, we also have heard that a pumice stone can buff out small stains too – so that’s something else to try if you have the same job ahead of you – we just didn’t have one with us). I’m not sure if it was the cleanser or the steel wool, but we finally started to see some noticeable progress.

It still required A LOT of elbow grease, but it was insanely satisfying to see those rust streaks dissipating. We also very gently scraped it in some parts with the dulled tip of our multi-tool. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t want to necessarily recommend it since it can etch/scratch your tub which is NOT GOOD, but we checked frequently to make sure we weren’t scratching ours, and it was helpful in chipping off some large chunks of rust-covered hard water stains.

The final results are not flawless, but we are more than satisfied with how it looks. All the rusty looking rings you see below will be covered by a new drain, faucet and spigot once they’re installed, so aside from a few slight imperfections in the white interior finish, she’s gonna look pretty dang good. I’m officially more than willing to plop my bod down in there for a good soak. Just picture me in there wearing a black turtleneck for modesty reasons.

This feels like a good moment for a before and after. Again, this is all from just cleaning – no actual refinishing or reglazing went on with the inside. So we’re glad that there should be no issues with bubbling or peeling paint since we were able to restore the original finish of the tub. Those few sentences don’t adequately capture how elated I am, so I’ll add this: ALL THE JAZZ HANDS!

Now let’s talk about restoring the outside, because what good is a tidy interior if the exterior looks ready for a horror movie?

Our first step was to sand it down, mostly just to get all of the already flaking paint off so we could have a relatively smooth surface to paint. NOTE: always test old tubs for lead paint! Many have it, which is extremely dangerous, especially if kids will be bathing in them. We were thrilled to find out ours was clean- most likely since the outside was painted sometime after lead was phased out and since the inside had never been reglazed.

First we used some coarse sanding blocks to scrub all of the exterior by hand, which was slow going, but definitely knocked a bunch of old dry paint flakes to the ground. John had also bought this rust-removing drill attachment while we were at the store and it turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. It knocked off even more of the loosest parts of the old finish in no time. NOTE NUMBER TWO: we were both wearing heavy-duty lead paint removal masks during all this sanding just to be safe because tons of dust flies and even though it checked out to be lead free, we didn’t want to be inhaling a ton of tiny dust particles anyway, so you’ll catch a glimpse of those later in the post.

After a pass with the drill, we went over by hand with medium and then fine-grit sanding blocks to smooth it out a bit more. It would’ve taken us hours to get everything down to the original finish, but in about 20 minutes we got it down to a smooth-to-the-touch finish which is good enough. You just want a nice flake-free base for some rust-blocking primer and paint to adhere to without worrying it’ll flake and pop off down the line (primer & paint are generally only as secure as their base – so make sure that’s not crumbling).

After a wipe down with a clean towel, we were ready to prime. Based on a deep and meaningful conversation with the pro at our local paint desk, we chose this oil-based Clean Metal Primer to do the job. We obviously wanted something that not only covered the existing rust but helped prevent more – plus it would make the whole thing ready for paint that would last.

It’s very thin (read: drippy) so make sure your floors are well protected! We used small foam rollers to cover most of the large surfaces, and then a cheap chip brush to get under the lip and around the actual clawfeet. It’s also pretty stinky, so we opened every window, put on all the fans, and kept our masks on for this step too.

There was a moment when we were watching the primer dry where we considered just painting it white. It was so refreshing to see it all clean and “new” looking that we were very tempted. However, the room itself is very white (white floor tiles, white trim, white ceilings, white shower tile, and white inside the tub), so we thought a darker accent in the space would actually be really nice to break things up. Plus, the interior finish is a tiny bit off-white (you can sort of tell in the photo below), so matching the outside exactly would’ve made the whole thing a bit creamier than we wanted (which might have clashed with the bright white floor tiles). With all of those factors urging us to go deeper and more dramatic with the outside of this tub, we considered 45,731 paint swatches (just kidding, it was only 45,721).

You probably spotted some of our contenders a few photos up. We considered a whole range of colors for the outside of the tub, but we landed on Riverway by Sherwin-Williams because it was a pretty deep blue with a heavy dose of gray and a hint of green. All of the straight taupes or grays felt a little too boring for a room with such a playful floor pattern, and we wanted to go noticeably darker than the little accent tiles in the floor so it didn’t look like we were trying to match it or skew too “baby blue” everywhere. Also, ignore how dirty these tiles look. They have since been scrubbed within an inch of their life.

After choosing that color, we actually had to have it color matched at Lowe’s in this Anti-Rust Armor paint since it came so highly recommended from the paint pro we chatted with (it’s moisture and stain resistant and has some additional rust prevention built into it – so they thought it was the best bet for our tub holding up longterm). The literal description online says its great for “appliances, playground equipment, mailboxes, and tanks.” I know they probably mean things like propane tanks, but I got a good laugh imagining someone painting a giant military tank by hand with this stuff.

Oh and this paint was also pretty stinky (hence the masks we donned again for this step) but it went on much thicker than the primer did. Once again we used small foam rollers for most of it, and then we used a brush meant specifically for oil-based paints to get between the toes. Basically we gave our tub a pedicure.

A few people have asked why we chose to make the feet the same color, rather than accenting them with a white, silver, or gold finish. We just looked at all of our inspiration photos of clawfoot tubs (because you know I’ve pinned like ten million since we bought this house) and we liked the two-tone look better than a three-tone effect. That’s definitely something you can go for if you like that extra foot-bling though! It can look really cool too.

You can tell in these photos that the outside isn’t perfectly smooth – you can still see the subtle topography of the old finishes beneath the fresh coat of blue. We’re actually kinda happy that it will feel like a tub that has been in this house for decades instead of some new replica that we brought in, so we’re totally cool with that dappled texture – and the glossy shine from the fresh paint is a nice counterpart.

Dappled dots or not, it’s certainly a huge improvement! So for around $50 and a fair amount of elbow grease, we got something that looks pretty darn close to this Rejuvenation clawfoot tub that retails for $3,300!

I’m gonna hold off on sharing any more “afters” for now, mainly because we haven’t taken any. But late last week our plumber came back to install the faucet and connect the tub (and remove the cardboard!) so word from him is that it’s ready for use! We have to skip our weekly visit since the floors are being sealed and need time to cure before anyone walks on them, so we’re just over here holding our breath until we can go back over to the house and see the tub all hooked up (and the floors all refinished). You know I’ll take like ten million pictures for you guys, so stay tuned!

Psst – Wanna read more about this beach house rehab project of ours? Click here to see everything we’ve done for the past year to get it to this point!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub appeared first on Young House Love.

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What Determines The Cost To Repair A Flooded Bathroom

Bathroom floods can happen for a number of reasons, from a broken sink pipe to an overflowing toilet. When this happens, the cost of water damage could be considerable and you may be worried about the total cost of repairs, However, before you move forward with replacing drywall or draining away dirty water, it is important to consider the factors that may affect your flooded bathroom cost, no matter what caused it.

1. Water Quality 

The type of water that caused the flood can have a serious impact on the cost of repair. Flood water is usually graded into three categories:

Category 1 (from a sterile source)

Category 2 (may contain detergent or gray water)

Category 3 (contains raw sewage and other contaminants)

Water that comes from a sterile source may be simpler to drain than Category 3 flooding, which is also known as black water. Handling and disposing of the water may vary depending on its quality; for example, Category 3 typically requires professional removal by a service with the proper equipment, such as sump pumps and commercial-grade drainage hoses. If you are unsure about the condition of the water in your flooded bathroom, call United Water Restoration Group for assistance.

2. Severity of the Flood

Some floods can be cleaned up in a matter of hours if the source of the water is discovered quickly and can be diverted or shut off, as with a broken sink pipe. However, if the flooding goes unchecked, you may be facing a repair estimate totaling several thousand dollars. This can be especially common in commercial spaces when a flood happens over the weekend or during a vacation period when the building is vacant. Moisture monitors and cameras may help you prevent severe floods and allow you to act quickly if a pipe bursts or a toilet overflows.

3. Drywall Damage 

One factor that can affect flooded bathroom cost estimates is the extent of drywall damage. Unlike other building materials, drywall can absorb dirty flood water and trap moisture, foul odors and encourage mold growth. Over time, this can damage interior wall space, fixtures and wiring. Your flood control technicians may perform a flood cut into the drywall, which is performed approximately a foot above the waterline, to gauge how much of the material will need to be replaced and whether insulation and wiring have been compromised. Flood cuts are usually required when floodwaters are deep.

4. Location of the Bathroom 

If the flooded bathroom was on the second floor of your home or business, you may find yourself facing a higher repair estimate than you would for a first-floor flooding. For example, if your toilet has overflowed due to a sewer malfunction, the dirty water may spread to other rooms and cause ceiling stains or weaken the flooring. You may want to include funds for a professional inspection into your repair estimate if your insurance does not cover such a service.

5. Mold Growth 

Flood damage is usually not limited to problems caused at the time of the incident, and problems can develop days or even weeks later. One common issue that can crop up after a flood is mold growth, and this can be especially problematic in bathrooms, where humidity levels are often high, Mold spores thrive on moisture and can grow behind walls, inside cabinets under the sink and around or behind the base of your toilet. If a damp or musty odor starts to permeate your bathroom after a flood, you may have to add mold removal costs to your repair estimate.

Check out this video below from for some commonly asked questions regarding Mold Damage Restoration.

6. Building Material Replacement 

Certain types of bathroom flooding, such as those caused by an overflowing toilet, can cause lingering odors and warping problems with wooden structures. When this happens, cabinetry and other bathroom surfaces may need to be replaced. Tiles suffering from severe mold growth can usually be cleaned and disinfected, but you may want to ask your repair and restoration crew which materials should be replaced, especially if the water was Category 3.

A flooded bathroom cost estimate can vary widely depending on the circumstances of the incident. Water quality, building material damage and other issues may raise or lower the total amount of repairs, but working with a professional restoration company can help you to better gauge the extent of the damage and how much it will cost to remodel your bathroom.

Check out the video below for more information on Bathroom Flood Restoration. 

We are always available, 24/7/365 for all your unexpected residential emergencies at:  800-743-2064.

Transcript

Adan: Welcome back to another episode of Restoration Talk, and today’s question is, all around bathroom flooding. Now, a lot of you guys have had questions on our blog about what to do and what to expect when it comes to bathroom flooding. And I have one of our experts and master technicians out in the field with United Water Restoration Group.Liam: Good. How are you?

Adan: Awesome, man. So I have a couple of questions. Some of our viewers and some of our homeowners experience flooding, and it’s kind of a scary thing, right? Imagine coming home, you have water all over your living room. What are the common causes for bathroom flooding?

Liam: Well, you have your supply lines for your toilets and your showers and also your vanities. And a lot of times those can go, or it can be a backup and a flood from your sewage tank overflowing. That can be a pretty nasty one as well.

Adan: Wow, that’s a… There you’re talking category three water, right?

Liam: Yeah.

Adan: Which is that sewage, and dirty water.

Liam: Sewage, feces, what have you, yeah. And it can be pretty rough. And very unsanitary.

Adan: Wow. All right. Well you know when it comes to the flooding, are there typically warning signs that something could happen, or is that something that spontaneously happens?

Liam: Well, I mean it depends on if it’s a slow leak. Because if it’s coming from underneath of your toilet, it could actually… You won’t see the water itself, but you could see the floor start buckling. You could see rippling in your vanity if it’s a plywood or if it’s a wood particle board. A lot of signs you can see; cracking on the baseboards, the cock-line, water staining. You might not always see the water at first, because it could be underneath your building materials.

Adan: Wow. I have a question about that. Is that something typical of a toilet that’s just… Or an installation of a toilet that’s a very old or can that happen really at any time?

Liam: Yeah, you have a flange underneath. It has a wax ring on it and over time, whether you have kids jumping off and on it, or if it’s just a old deterioration, it can shift and you can get a slow leak from the bottom of it.

Adan: Wow. That’s very interesting. Now, when it comes to restoring that, some of our viewers have questions of how long does it take? What’s the typical process for repairing a flood like that? And also what are the implications around the toilet in that area? Because I’m sure there’s plumbing lines, there’s maybe even electrical lines. I mean I’m sure that could get kind of dangerous.

Liam: Yeah, absolutely. And your biggest thing is finding where the source came from, so you can correct it before we would start our work. We don’t want to start removing anything, or start drying anything out until we know the source has been fixed, so the water has stopped coming into the home. And given your time frames, if it’s an actual flood that you see right away, you want to get somebody out immediately so there isn’t secondary damage. If you’re noticing cracking or warping on anything, it’s usually a sign that’s been happening for an extended period of time and we would have to address it cautiously.

Adan: Wow, that’s a lot of great information. Well, Liam, thank you so much. I think this is very… Been very, very informative. If you guys have any questions whatsoever for our technicians, or if you have any issues with bathroom flooding, vanities, anything like that, please go ahead and leave us a question or comment below the video. And we’ll catch you next time on Restoration Talks.

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How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub

We've gotten A LOT of questions about how we've rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let's just dive right into what worked (and what didn't) and how we nursed this baby back to life.

The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You'll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!). You can read more about that processhere.

During demo, our contractor moved it out into the bedroom, which is where it lived for over half a year as destruction and reconstruction went on around it.

Once that side of the house was all rebuilt, it was pretty exciting to picture the tub going back in there this time on stable footing. Here I am back in January standing where the bathtub now sits. RememberJohn's best Boomerang capture of all time?

We pretty much ignored the tub during the entire gutting/rebuilding process of the house. We did keep it covered with a piece of plywood so it didn't get dinged up, but we put off making a plan to resuscitate it until we actually had a bathroom to put it into again.

And then came that exciting day when the bathroom tile was in, the grout was done, and we needed to think about getting this tub back into the bathroom. It was finally time toassess the tub situation to see if it was something we'd have to pay someone to refinish, or something we could tackle ourselves. The first thing I did was wipe everything down (with a spare grout sponge) just to see how stained the inside of the tub really was. A remarkable amount of grime came off, so it gave us hope that we could save it withouthaving to hire someone to professionally paint the inside (we hear that can flake and peel off down the line, so getting it back to its original finish would beat a rental with a peeling/flaking tub in 5-10 years).

We originally worried there were rust stains (which wouldn't be something we could scrub off rust literally pits the glazing and creates a hole that needs to be filled and sanded and typically calls for a proto fix) but upon further inspection we realized that some of this rust was actually rubbing off! See the white speckles on those brown streaks below? Turns out nothing was pitted, but there were just some really really bad hard water deposits on top of the tub which meant if we could scrub them off, we'd find more of that original white finish under them!

So a few weeks later, once the plumber had moved the tub back into the bathroom, we arrived in Cape Charles armed with an array of cleaners ready to show the tub who's boss. This is what it looked like when we started:

First, we wanted to evaluate what was just surface grime and what was a legit stain. So we sprayed the whole thing down with 1-part white vinegar, 1-part water and used a little elbow grease (and a green scouring pad) to get all of the superficial gunk off.

It made a HUGE difference, although not enough that I would be willing to actually take a bath in there yet.

The next tool in our arsenal was a bottle of Bar Keeper's Friend Soft Cleanser, which a few people had recommended to us for old tubs (I just happened to find it for like $1.50 at Ross). We followed the instructions of applying it to a damp surface, letting it sit, and then scrubbing it off. Results were not very good. Confidence levels majorly wavered at this point.

Undeterred, we decided to try a more generous application of BKF (is that what the kids are calling it these days?) and let it sit for much longer (like 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, we also used a heavy duty Magic Eraser on some of the other spots, which is another tip you guys shared for trying to clean up an old tub. It certainly helped, but was a bit slow-going. We burned through a couple of them pretty quickly, but things were starting to look better

After the scrub had sat for about 20 minutes, we tackled it with a piece of fine grade steel wool (along with hearing that magic erasers and fine steel wool can work, we also have heard that a pumice stone can buff out small stains too so that's something else to try if you have the same job ahead of you we just didn't have one with us). I'm not sure if it was the cleanser or the steel wool, but we finally started to see some noticeable progress.

It still required A LOT of elbow grease, but it was insanely satisfying to see those rust streaks dissipating. We also very gently scraped it in some parts with the dulled tip of ourmulti-tool.I didn't take a picture because I didn't want to necessarily recommend it since it can etch/scratch your tub which is NOT GOOD, but we checked frequently to make sure we weren't scratching ours, and it was helpful in chipping off some large chunks of rust-covered hard water stains.

The final results are not flawless, but we are more than satisfied with how it looks. All the rusty looking rings you see below will be covered by a new drain, faucet and spigot once they're installed, so aside from a few slight imperfections in the white interior finish, she's gonna look pretty dang good. I'm officially more than willing to plop my bod down in there for a good soak. Just picture me in there wearing a black turtleneck for modesty reasons.

This feels like a good moment for a before and after. Again, this is all from just cleaning no actual refinishing or reglazing went on with the inside. So we're glad that there should be no issues with bubbling or peeling paint since we were able to restore the original finish of the tub. Those few sentences don't adequately capture how elated I am, so I'll add this: ALL THE JAZZ HANDS!

Now let's talk about restoring the outside, because what good is a tidy interior if the exterior looks ready for a horror movie?

Our first step was to sand it down, mostly just to get all of the already flaking paint off so we could have a relatively smooth surface to paint. NOTE: always test old tubs for lead paint! Many have it, which is extremely dangerous, especially if kids will be bathing in them. We were thrilled to find out ours was clean- most likely since the outside was painted sometime after lead was phased out and since the inside had never been reglazed.

First we used some coarse sanding blocks to scrub all of the exterior by hand, which was slow going, but definitely knocked a bunch of old dry paint flakes to the ground. John had also boughtthis rust-removing drill attachment while we were at the store and it turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. It knocked off even more of the loosest parts of the old finish in no time.NOTE NUMBER TWO: we were both wearingheavy-duty lead paint removal masks during all this sanding just to be safe because tons of dust flies and even though it checked out to be lead free, we didn't want to be inhaling a ton of tiny dust particles anyway, so you'll catch a glimpse of those later in the post.

After a pass with the drill, we went over by hand with medium and then fine-grit sanding blocks to smooth it out a bit more. It would've taken us hours to get everything down to the original finish, but in about 20 minutes we got it down to a smooth-to-the-touch finish which is good enough. You just want a nice flake-free base for some rust-blocking primer and paint to adhere to without worrying it'll flake and pop off down the line (primer & paint are generally only as secure as their base so make sure that's not crumbling).

After a wipe down with a clean towel, we were ready to prime. Based on a deep and meaningful conversation with the pro at our local paint desk, we chose this oil-based Clean Metal Primer to do the job. We obviously wanted something that not only covered the existing rustbut helped prevent more plus it would make the whole thing ready for paint that would last.

It's very thin (read: drippy) so make sure your floors are well protected! We used small foam rollers to cover most of the large surfaces, and then a cheap chip brush to get under the lip and around the actual clawfeet. It's also pretty stinky, so we opened every window, put on all the fans, and kept our masks on for this step too.

There was a moment when we were watching the primer dry where we considered just painting it white. It was so refreshing to see it all clean and new looking that we were very tempted. However, the room itself is very white (white floor tiles, white trim, white ceilings, white shower tile, and white inside the tub), so we thought a darker accent in the space would actually be really nice to break things up. Plus, the interior finish is a tiny bit off-white (you can sort of tell in the photo below), so matching the outside exactly would've made the whole thing a bit creamier than we wanted (which might have clashed with the bright white floor tiles). With all of those factors urging us to go deeper and more dramatic with the outside of this tub, we considered 45,731 paint swatches (just kidding, it was only 45,721).

You probably spotted some of our contenders a few photos up. We considered a whole range of colors for the outside of the tub, but we landed on Riverway by Sherwin-Williams because it was a pretty deep blue with a heavy dose of gray and a hint of green. All of the straight taupes or grays felt a little too boring for a room with such a playful floor pattern, and we wanted to go noticeably darker than the little accent tiles in the floor so it didn't look like we were trying to match it or skew too baby blue everywhere. Also, ignore how dirty these tiles look. They have since been scrubbed within an inch of their life.

After choosing that color, we actually had to have it color matched at Lowe's in this Anti-Rust Armor paint since it came so highly recommended from the paint pro we chatted with (it's moisture and stain resistant and has some additional rust prevention built into it so they thought it was the best bet for our tub holding up longterm). The literal description online says its great for appliances, playground equipment, mailboxes, and tanks. I know they probably mean things like propane tanks, but I got a good laugh imagining someone painting a giant military tank by hand with this stuff.

Oh and this paint was also pretty stinky (hence the masks we donned again for this step) but it went on much thicker than the primer did. Once again we used small foam rollers for most of it, and then we used a brush meant specifically for oil-based paintsto get between the toes. Basically we gave our tub a pedicure.

A few people have asked why we chose to make the feet the same color, rather than accenting them with a white, silver, or gold finish. We just looked at all of our inspiration photos of clawfoot tubs (because you know I've pinned like ten million since we bought this house) and we liked the two-tone look better than a three-tone effect. That's definitely something you can go for if you like that extra foot-bling though! It can look really cool too.

You can tell in these photosthat the outside isn't perfectly smooth you can still see the subtle topography of the old finishes beneath the fresh coat of blue. We're actually kinda happy that it will feel like a tub that has been in this house for decades instead of some new replica that we brought in, so we're totally cool with that dappled texture and the glossy shine from the fresh paint is a nice counterpart.

Dappled dots or not, it's certainly a huge improvement! So for around $50 and a fair amount of elbow grease, we got something that looks pretty darn close to this Rejuvenation clawfoot tub that retails for $3,300!

I'm gonna hold off on sharing any more afters for now, mainly because we haven't taken any. But late last week our plumber came back to install the faucet and connect the tub (and remove the cardboard!) so word from him is that it's ready for use! We have to skip our weekly visit since the floors are being sealed and need time to cure before anyone walks on them, so we're just over here holding our breath until we can go back over to the house and see the tub all hooked up (and the floors all refinished). You know I'll take like ten million pictures for you guys, so stay tuned!

Psst Wanna read more about this beach house rehab project of ours? Click here to see everything we've done for the past year to get it to this point!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub appeared first on Young House Love.