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No pole for a few weeks, at least : ( Mirror and flooring suggestions please!
I needed to setup a second bedroom because guests have nowhere to stay when they come to visit. I'm expecting company this weekend for two weeks. So today I got my box spring and mattress and assembled a decorative bed frame. After setting it up I realized there was no room in the room for the bedside tables… let alone any luggage. I looked across the hall and the room the bedroom furniture would fit in is my pole room. Its a rectangular room with a tiny hallway that leads to an even smaller bathroom. Ok… so with apprehension I took the pole down… ouch… hurt my heart. Then I took the sideboard out of that room and moved in the bed, end tables and bench. I now have a guest bedroom that is almost finished but no pole room.
Dang it!
Now where to pole… the small room is 11 X 10. The way the walls are configured with windows and doors in that room I have a 64 inch section of wall where I can get some type of mirror up. I do not think a floor mirror would work because my doggies will be in that room when I am not… and I have a male that loves to pee on everything. Another reason that room would not have made for a good guest room. Mom I'm sorry my dog peed on and ate your suitcase, makeup, pajamas and glasses.
I am trying to see this as an 'opportunity' to transform this space into a new pole room. The room is small but I could have enough room to pole if I put it in the middle. Its almost a perfect square so maybe better than the rectangle room? Hoping a joist lines up nicely for me. I will need to remove a ceiling fan, rip out the carpet and figure out some type of mirror.
I wear heels so scratch resistent is a must. Any suggestions? Laminates are out because of my doggie that pees on everything. I need waterproof to clean up after him.
Any web page links or mirror suggestions? I want at least on mirror in there to check my form.
Trying not to sound ridiculous about all this but I don't have pole space now and need to make a new smaller pole space. That I'll be sharing with fur babies.
: (
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30 Replies
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I've danced on lineoleum before and I liked it. The kind I had was actually kind of cushy so it was really nice for floorwork. I imagine that would be OK for the pup! Do you crate train? 🙂
As far as mirrors, the best thing to do is just to order them from either a glass company (for one big solid) or just get pieces from a hardware store and mount them yourself (large squares like for bathroom vanity mirrors). Another option is to get Mirror Closet doors and lean them against your wall, but I warn against it because I used to have them and my dogs toppled them over. They're really cheap and work well while they last though.
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Thanks Amcut, I will look up some local glass shops and get a piece made that I can wall mount. Great idea! I'll take in my dimensions and have them instruct me on the best ways to mount it etc.
I wanted originally to do a concrete stain/epoxy on the floor but will probably go with linoleum. I really want the concrete stained however… that probably takes a million steps for them to do. I want a linoleum that would be really strong… I'll see what I can find though. Thank you for the tips!
Your dogs knocked over your mirrored doors?!? I hope everyone was okay.
Re the doggie… he is a rescue with severe panic disorder. When he is crated he will urinate, vomit and poo in a total panic freak out. I've consulted with a few vets and have done structured dog classes/training to help him be more balanced. I have a section of a room and halway for him that exits outdoors to a covered kennel. It is a safe area for him free of cords and objects he could get in trouble with. Once I have a floor that I can mop the floor issues will be much easier to maintain. He is great when I am with him and has his run of the house. The safe area is for when I need to leave them at home. I got another fur kid as a pup and she was crate trained and does wonderfully!
Thanks again for the great tips and suggestions.
: )
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The stained concrete would look gorgeous (I too lovelove concrete) but I imagine it would be super hard on the knees.
Hah, everyone was okay with the mirrors. Both times they were having an evil ruckus and ran before the thing hit the ground.
Poor puppy, though! Kudos to you for your patience! I wish more owners were willing to take in problem dogs and find creative ways around the problems. My Ginger suffered acute renal failure because her previous owners thought it was cool to leave her out in the snow for the whole damn day without any shelter…. so then she had to pee every few minutes and drink ridiculous amounts of water.. leading to more every few minute pees.
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Good point re the concrete and knees. I researched it some more and it has tons of steps and lots of fumes. I will go with linoleum and will look for the most scratch resistant one. I also found a glass and mirror shop close by that I am going to talk to about a mirror. I picked out the section of wall… will measure and see what they can come up with.
I am very sorry to hear about Ginger and that type of abuse and negligence. She endured a lot. I am sure you took very good care of her and that she loved you for it.
Scottie is a total sweetheart. I love him. He had a very bad history of chewing cords and carpet. That's why he has a 'safe' room when I am unable to keep note of his whereabouts. He bring so much joy and love into my life. There have been some stressful times but it's like you say, its about finding creative ways to cope! My dogs are a blessing in my life.
It sure feels strange to not have a pole up… going to be a long few weeks!
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For mirrors (on the cheap) I would suggest mirror tiles glued to the wall. You can get them for about 1$ per square and when you glue them they become pretty shatter resistant. I have kicked mine (many times) and no breaks!
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Home depot has mirrow that you can install for very cheap. I think a 3 X 5 runs about $60.00. They will also have the clips and stuff. A mirrow company will generally charge you around $12 -$17 a square foot to intall a mirrow without cutouts. Mirror tiles are inexpspensive, but the seems might drive you crazy. All mirrows are different, so there will be a lot of distortion. Vinyl flooring can be a from a sustainable product and is very durable. If you did vinyl tiles you could replace the worn or damaged tiles individually. It is also a great DYI project, and some of the tiles look great. I have cork flooring in my studio and it is very soft and scratches. It is also more exspensive then a lot of other flooring materials. Staining concrete is beautiful, but you would be surprised at what a process is it. It's not cheap either.
Best wishes
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I'm going to pass on the concrete after all. Too many steps and too many fumes while it cures. It is beautiful though… I'm saving that for when I win the lottery and custom build a house from the ground up. ; )
Thats a good idea to replace damanged tiles. I am going to buy the hardest vinyl I can find. Cork flooring… sounds pretty.
Thank you fro the Home Depot mirror option! That is a great price and something I can do myself. I will stop a HD and check out their mirrors.
I get distracted by mirror seams but love that they are sturdy, thanks for sharing the idea.
Thats one of the things I love about this forum, everyone is so eager to share what has worked for them. Thank you!
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For your rescue pup, you might get some Anti-Icky Poo. Really. Takes out the urine smell like nothing else and Rescue Remedy in his water might help him relax.
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Glad you decided against the concrete, for one, it;s a really toxic substance that is so un-environmentally friendly, and two, OUCH! I'm sure lino will be nice, and you can choose a certain colour/style/pattern that will suit the rest of your house or give your pole room a great look. I've found some fantastic HUGE mirrors from 2nd hand shops. They may be a tiny bit rusted or scratched but they r so cheap and easy to buy. Not sure how you would go abotu hanging them though…. I just lean mine against the wall but I guess your puppy dogs wont like that. ANyway, goodluck with it all! 🙂
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Thank you Jenny99!!! I put the anti icky poo on my shopping list. I will pick it up this weekend.
Scarletthoney, I was worried about the concrete stuff being toxic. I found a brand of linoleum that is certified to have lower VOC and contribute to healthier air quality compared to other items. I liked that! I will be going lino shopping in the next few weeks. I am thinking I need to wall mount the mirrors to save them from Scottie's 'habit' but that is a great idea to look at second hand stores…
Great ideas! Thanks!
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Hi Pegasusaerialfitness! Hopefully you will see this post. I bought the Home Depot mirror (3 X 5) today. Have you actually mounted this mirror? It comes with hardware but once I got it home the hardware seems skimpy for the size of the mirror… Honestly, I'm a little intimidated by it! I was thinking about going back to Home Depot tomorrow to pick up the J-Mold. I can't find the J-Mold hardware packs so am thinking that is just any wood screw that I would use to secure the J-Mold into the studs. Then I thought I could maybe secure the sides with the mirror clips. I didn't want to use tape but now am not sure if I am supposed to for a mirror that size.
Any suggestions??? I know this is supposed to be easy but now I'm unsure on how to do this right.
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I stained the concrete on my house downstairs myself because we live on the river and it sometimes floods! It took me almost an entire 3 days to do 2 rooms. It smelled badly!! The result is gorgeaous- but it was such an incredible amount of work. I couldnt imagine poling on it however. It is hard hard unforgiving concrete! Also, you have to seal it really good because the concrete is so pourous. I wouldnt want to clean up doggy accidents on it even being sealed!
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Thanks Paulette. I’m going to hire a contractor to put vinyl down. I spent some time researching hanging the mirror and will give it a go later. Soon will be poling again.
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Hi..I have the metal strip under the mirror. Is that the J mold? you are talking about. I used to "hold" or be the base. When you put your screws in, you need to drill or put a smaller pilot hole first. I'm lazy and always take a nail skinner then the screw and nail it in part way and the pull it out. Use the proper screws for your type of wall. It actually does matter. Studs are typically every 16 inches on center apart. If you can get the screws properly anchored into the studs it really will hold the mirror on the bottom. My mirrors are 3X5 too. The clips are for the top. I don't have mine clipped on the sides. Mirrors have a little flex in them and that is okay, so if dont try to make it really flat against the wall. Not all walls are straight. It this is your own home I dont recommending putting tape or adhesive on the wall. When you take the mirror down then you have to repair the wall. It's a real art to repair dry wall to make it look nice. If you don't care there is mirror adhesive. You still need to put the track up. You can cut the track with a really sharp pair of cutters from home depot. Ask someone there. Have someone help you put it up so that you can make it very level. They sell little cheapy levels at home depot too, you probably already have one to check you Pole..Right? But the adhesive will probably tear the silver lining on the back on the mirror if you ever want to move it.
A little secret with the screws to give them more strength. Angle them slighty down when you screw them in..so the pointy part is a little more towards the floor. Take your time…measure and level. 16 inches typically on center to find the stud. Your mirror should be fine then. Oh, finding the stud…make some "searching" holes a little above the where the bottm of the track would be so that the mirror will hide them and you dont have to repair them. When you hit something hard and pull out a little sawdust or wood, then you know you have your stud. Measure 16 inches down the line and there Should be another stud. It sometimes is not always the case, so make sure you find them.. If you can find any…then they have special screws for the. I've never used those, but they spring apart so that they get wider as they get closer to the tip..but I really dont have experience with those.
Drills are great, but a good screw driver will be slow work…but will work fine. I hope this helps…if I didn't make sense then just email me again. Happy to help. It's really empower to do some of this stuff your self. I know you can do it, Just take your time
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My x pole left a ring on the vinyl flooring in my apartment. Just wanted to let you know. Vinyl is very soft.
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