Episode #737
March 18, 2023
I have always tried to think a project through from beginning to end.
I almost always do a mental walk through and in-depth research to nail down the details. Failure to do so always has consequences.
When Paula and I bought our house there was one unsatisfactory feature of the house. The master bathroom had a tub without a shower. In fact, the tub had not been used in years. When I turned on the tub water it ran brown. A shower could not be added because the tub sat under the low slope of a dormer roof.
We remodeled the bathroom shortly after we moved in. The result was beautiful. After gutting the room a walk-in shower was built on the high side of the room and a new vanity was installed on the low dormer side. We have enjoyed the room for many years now.
A few months ago we realized that the shower drain grate was not removable. The tile man had grouted the grate into the tile. I called the contractor for advice on how to remove the grate so we could clean under it.
He said, “Just use a utility knife to cut along the edge of the grate.”
My utility knife would not penetrate the grout. The grate was sealed solid with sand and cement grout.
I determined to cut the grout away to remove the grate. I jumped to the conclusion that a Dremel was the right tool for the job. This is where the project first went wrong. I did not think it through. I acted emotionally. The idea seemed good to me because I had always wanted a rotary Dremel tool, not because it was the best tool for the job.
After purchasing the Dremel and ceramic cutting bits I made my second mistake. I used a loose fitting sawdust mask while cutting the grout and tile which surrounded the grate. This grate is six feet long and the Dremel required me to work close to the ground with my face right next to the cutting point. I was breathing silica crystal dust for hours without even knowing it.
Had I researched the project I would have learned a safer method of releasing the shower grate. Using an oscillating saw would have quickened the job and kept my face farther away. I already own an oscillating saw. Wetting the work space would have kept the dust down. After all, I was in a shower. Wearing a respirator mask would have protected my lungs. I also own a respirator. So much for 20-20 hindsight.
A day after the project I developed a cough. Exposure to crystal silica dust can be very damaging to the lungs. A week later I contracted a respiratory flu which made the cough severe. I recovered from the flu, but the cough persisted. It has been several months and only slowly, very slowly, has the cough lessened. Luckily my lungs are 90% better.
I may have dodged a bullet with this mild case of silicosis, but the consequences might be more severe next time. The experience has reminded me that failing to do a mental walk through and in-depth research to nail down the details of a project always has consequences.
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One of my college professors once told me that the best way to learn something is to make a mistake. Nice story
It is possible, but rare, to learn from other people’s experiences. Glad you came through with a lesson, not a permanent injury.
Glad you are doing much better. Coughs are awful, especially when your ribs start hurting also with all the deep coughing. Tough lesson to learn
It is amazing how often you see people on DIY shows and home flipping shows do stuff like this without proper eye protection or lung protection. They set a very bad example that you don’t really need to worry about your safety. Norm Abrams on his New Yankee Workshop show, on EVERY episode, spoke of the importance of safety glasses before he ever made the first cut.
In spite of being a loyal Norm Abrams fan and in spite of 25 years a cabinet maker, I still screw up when rushed or simply don’t think it through.
Good story, good lesson