Problems, Solutions

   Finish work is pretty cool.  You're actually working on stuff that's going to show.  There's a real temptation to rush now that the finish line is so close, but this is the stage that differentiates a good build and a great build.  From here it's like a basic remodel in the amount of work left to do.\
   I'm starting with the bathroom because having a working bathroom will save the time it takes to go home and come back a few times a day.  Not that it's hard to cross the street (which is the extent of the commute) but once I'm home there are always distractions that keep me from going back----blogging, for example.
   I'm confronting all these little issues I'd thought about before even breaking ground, and decided to just deal with when the time came.  I wanted the window in the bathroom low enough that AnnaMarie could reach it, and she knew exactly which tub surround she wanted installed---(She really likes how easy the pre-formed ones are to clean) but they are higher than where the window goes.

     So the surround was held against the window and traced, then cut.  I bought some vinyl corner trim, cut it to size, and gooped it into place with silicone.  I didn't want to use metal fasteners in the wet location.  Also the 'mud' in the window sill is waterproof stuff.  It's still high enoughthat it really shouldn't get wet at all.  I wanted to slope the sill so shampoo bottles won't be left there (I think houses look tacky from outside when you see that in the window) but that would have meant cutting out more of the surround and made the trimwork difficult since it wouldn't be square anymore.
     Problem #2.  Months ago when I sweated in the tub mixer, I kept all the plumbing in the center of the 2x6 walls so I wouldn't hit them with nails or screws.  So I went to put the faucet handle together, and the mixer was too deep in the wall.  The screws for the faceplace wouldn't reach, nor would the handle or the mounting tube.  Nuts!  Does that mean I have to tear out the new surround, and the greenboard, and re-plumb everything so it's closer to the surface?

   Well, I got to thinkin' I couldn't be the only person to deal with this.  People add 3/4" of tile all the time so there must be a simple solution.
   So I got online and sure enough, Moen offers an extension kit.  It comes with a longer tube, longer temperature limiter, a variety of screws for the face plate, and an extension that goes over the valve controller for the knob.  It was $12.  They even offered a few different depth extensions.  I guessed 1" would do it, and it did.