Bathroom Update

    It's been a while since I've posted anything here.  I'm going to blame it on the corona virus because that's what I'm using as my 2020 scapegoat.  The fact of the matter is, we've been super busy as a family.  Sometimes with scouting activities, sometimes with our jobs and sometimes with the work that's going on in the house.
     One of the things that we've been working on diligently since the Covid 19 outbreak is the downstairs bathroom.  This bathroom has been gutted for quite some time, but with the stimulus check and the cancellation of all our other extra curricular activities, we were able to get started on it again.  So Big E, my dad and I hit the Lowe's for supplies to get things rolling.

     Yes, they were less than thrilled at the photo op (but hey, we need to record history) and yes, masks are excellent at hiding extra chins (This is the only good thing about masks).  Armed with a list, we purchased drywall, cement board and floor tile.  I am especially excited about the floor tile.  While this bathroom is getting an overhaul and a 21st century upgrade, I am doing my best to keep as many elements close to the style of the early 1900's as possible.  I had chosen a floor tile that was all white with hexagons and small diamonds.  I was not super crazy about it. Mostly I disliked the diamond shapes. I wanted just a small hexagon pattern.  So, when we went to get the floor tile, I pointed out to Big E the tile I REALLY wanted to get.  It's a hexagon marble tile, and it was about $4 more per square foot. Big E and I typically disagree on things- we just have different tastes and visions (but really, we all know who's right). Surprisingly, he liked the tile too.  Then we showed my dad who also liked the tile (I mean really, there was no shrugging of shoulders or anything).  After much discussion, we ended up getting the more expensive and nicer tile.  After all, this is it. There won't be any remodeling of this bathroom once it's done.  And thanks to the virus stimulus check, we were able to do it.
     I won't be sharing a photo of the tile just yet.  I want to save that for the big reveal that I believe is actually going to happen this year.  But here is a sneak peek at the bathroom in its current state.

   This weekend we found an antique washstand to use for storing some towels and supplies (since the linen closet is upstairs) and we found the perfect bench for the little alcove behind the shower. The washstand will be stripped and refinished in a darker stain to match the bench top, and the bench legs are going to be painted a different color to match the wall color (an aqua blue).  The shower stall has the cement board installed except for the shampoo shelf (thanks to my dad), and Big E did the first coat of joint compound on the drywall.  The pedestal sink will go on the right next to the ladder (where the pipes are coming out of the wall), and I'm working on choosing a mirror for above the sink.
     So that's it for the bathroom update so far! Check back for updates!

Redo of the Redo

So a little over a year ago,

I decided to do something with our upstairs bathroom.

As you can see from the photo,

it was kind of ugly.

I got it in my head to paint it peach.

But the paint was odd and it sometimes looked like peach,

and sometimes it was down right orange.

One day while doing some shopping,

Big E voiced the need for new towels.

I explained I was not able to find towels that matched the bathroom yet

(there was talk that towels didn't need to match the bathroom,

I challenged him to ask any woman in the store.... silly man)

And that's when he voiced his displeasure with the color.

He hated it.

Then I admitted that I too hated it.

So after some thought,

and a whole lot of time on Pinterest,

I went with grey.

It was the right choice.

I managed to find a new shower curtain that 

wasn't so "psychedelic"

as Big E referred to the old shower curtain.

I also found some Aqua colored towels

and a bath mat in differing shades of Aqua

so I have a lot of possible towel colors to use and choose from.

There's only a couple of upgrades that I have left on my list.

I'm hoping to change out the medicine cabinet from the

70's era mirrored monstrosity

to something more tasteful.

And I also have some ideas on shelving above the toilet

that will be pretty easy to do.

The OTHER Bathroom

Our house is a 2 bathroom house, though currently

the downstairs bathroom is under going

a complete tear out and renovation.

So that left us with the ugly upstairs bathroom.

You'll recall I painted it last year.

If you can't recall, you can read about it here.

Anyway, here is what it looked like prior to painting the walls a peach color.

Here is a photo from just the other night.

Yes the walls look lovely, 

(and so does the brand new window behind the blind)

but I want you to focus on the flooring.

The yellowish flooring with the creases that held

decades of dirt and grime

that no matter how much, long or hard I scrubbed 

on my hands and knees

would never look like it was completely clean.

Plus, it just didn't match.

But I don't think yellowish grimey floors match anything, really.

So, I was walking the aisles of Ollie's Bargain Outlet at lunch,

looking for cheap good stuff

when I came across some flooring.

Long story short, I ended up finding 6x8ft sheets of vinyl flooring.

I measured the bathroom and sure enough, with the exception of a small strip

behind the toilet, 6x8 ft would work.

So I talked Big E into putting in vinyl flooring.

Oh, I forgot to mention it was only $20!

I was expecting to just slap that puppy on top of the existing floor, but Big E said the old floor had to come up.

This is where it gets a little hairy, 

and I'm not talking about Big E's chest hair.

I, in my "I found $20 easy to install flooring" high,

assumed that I'd cut the caulk that ringed the flooring

and that old floor would pop right out.

I've been involved with several projects in this house, 

and not one has gone completely as planned

so I can't really tell you why I thought this was going to be a piece of cake.

Other than the $20 piece of floor euphoria.

There were 3 distinct layers of flooring in the main floor areas.

The yellowish one, another one that was whitish with flowers or something and a blue/green

old linoleum tile with the tar backing.

And under that, 

original hardwood floors.

Even stranger was the cement or plaster I found 

in the floor.

At first I thought it was the part of the original wall

before the house was added on to.

Turns out it was a chunk of plaster.

It was used to fill a hole in the floor.

I'm not sure what someone does

to cause a hole in hardwood floor 2 inches or so deep.

It added more work because we now needed to fill the hole properly.

It took about 6 hours, 

but I managed to get all the floor up.

Over by the toilet I found 2 other types of floor that were 

nailed in place.

The toilet was also raised up for some reason.

Seriously, even the tar covered wood floor looks better

than that yellowish floor.

It took a little longer to get the floor clean enough for adhesive, 

but it finally got done.

Definitely an improvement,

and worth the hours of labor.

Just a couple of decorative touches and it'll be good for a long time.

Bathroom Magic

In addition to being visited by the Bathroom Fairy, 

we've also been visited by his counterpart: The Plumbing Fairy.

Here you can see the shower basin in place with the Plumbing fairy

my husband Big E working on the shower faucet hardware.

There aren't many photos to show, 

but we have checked toilet placement,

and added plumbing lines for sink, shower and toilet.

I'm happy to report that there are no leaks

as I was instrumental in helping with checking the lines.

It is important to make sure when checking water lines that you have a bucket handy

just in case you can't tell if the faucet hardware is turned to the "on" position.

Also, remember to empty said bucket after it fills with water

from the turned on shower

so the Bathroom Fairy your Dad doesn't find his bucket full of water.

More Progress

After some setbacks in the bathroom,

we're once again back on track.

The shower basin we had ordered

turned out not to be what we needed.

So I went back to what I wanted originally- a 42"x42" square base,

and planned to move the toilet

(apparently you can't have your toilet and shower within a certain distance

which was causing design issues, but problem solved).

So the Bathroom Fairy showed up and built the partition wall for the shower stall.

The front (where the ladder is) will be a glass door,

and there will be glass on the top of the partition wall.

More has been done since these photos, 

and I will reveal that progress as I manage to catch up with posts.

Stay tuned!

Bathroom News

The Bathroom Fairy visited yesterday.

I know you can't really tell in the photo, 

but there is new plywood sublfloor

and the shower base is here.

Apparently, the floor is pretty uneven,

so it needs shims and new subfloor.

Pretty soon Big E will cut the drain hole for the shower,

and set up the parts for the shower faucets.

Once drains are in, 

I think drywall will go up quick and we'll have a finish bathroom in no time.

The Secret Project: The Upstairs Bathroom

The following photos are the before shots

of the upstairs bathroom.

This is our only working bathroom while the downstairs bathroom 

gets gutted and remodeled.

The bathroom is ugly.

It's ugly, and it seems like it isn't clean, 

though I assure you it is, 

and that means it's a huge embarrassment when people need to use it.

So I came up with the idea to paint the paneling.

I met resistance from Big E, but he eventually gave in.

He didn't agree with me, he just accepted I was doing it either way.

The bathroom has the exact same formica on the walls

that is on the kitchen counter and backsplash.

And one of the previous tenants used that plastic window film

to winterize the windows, 

but they left the sticky strip of double sided tape behind.

It actually came off pretty easy with some scraping with a putty knife

and a little Goo Gone.

The room looked better just removing that old yellowed tape.

Afterwards, I washed down the walls with just some warm soapy water-

just using a little Dawn dish soap, nothing chemical.

Then I had to use medium grit sand paper to knock the shine off the paneling, 

and then use a damp rag to wipe the dust off the walls.

You can't see in these photos, 

but the wall inside the shower is actually damaged from the water.

That's what happens when you put paneling inside a shower.

(you an see that the tile doesn't go all the way up the wall)

Then I used a kitchen and bath primer to prime all the walls.

It took 2 coats to get really good coverage.

The room really brightened up and looked 100 times better

just with the primer!

The primer also covered the areas of damaged paneling.

I'm not sure how it will hold up with the water from the shower,

but it's still better than it was.

Big E grudgingly admitted it was an improvement.

Now he wants to paint the ceiling too.

I picked a peachy color for the walls.

These photos don't really do the color justice 

because the lighting isn't the best.

It took 2 coats of paint to get the best coverage for the paint.

I washed the mini blinds off in the tub with some warm water

and a little soap which cleaned them up pretty good.

I also got a new shower curtain to match the new walls.

Big E isn't a fan of the shower curtain, 

he thinks it's too psychedelic.

 But he also didn't think painting the bathroom was a good idea either.

The last thing I wanted to point out was 

the watercolor painting hanging on the wall.

It was painted by my very talented cousin for our grandmother.

The bathroom color was chosen to match this painting.

I think I chose well.

The bathroom turned out awesome if I say so myself.

I was unsure of the color once it was up, 

but it is actually exactly what I was looking for.

It makes the bathroom feel bright, warm and cheery.

The cost break down is:

Gallon of Primer- $20

Gallon of Paint- $15

Shower Curtain- $15

Picture Frame- $15

For a total cost of $65.00

I didn't go with the expensive paint because this room will be demoed in the future, 

I just wanted a quick fix to make it less embarrassing. 

I think I totally accomplished the goal.

Updates and a Secret Experimental Project

Lots has been going on the past 2 weeks.

My grandson turned 3 and we're hosting a birthday party

this coming weekend.

That means the "honey-do" list gets kicked into high gear.

Big E and I managed to take a large brush pile

to the local mulching plant.

That frees up a parking space

not to mention the yard looks a lot nicer now.

Big E has also hooked up the light in the dining room, 

so now we can see in there past 5:00pm.

I'm finishing up the Christmas decorating,

and I've started another project I'm hoping will be finished Thursday night.

During work on my secret project, 

I discovered that the upstairs bathroom was once painted a lovely pepto bismal pink.

That's only slightly uglier than the shiny speckled wall paneling.

Stay tuned for the updates on my secret.

Moving Along

Apparently the bathroom elves

visited the house while I was on vacation.

Or it was my dad and my brother.

We have one wall nearly completely insulated,

and we have a ceiling with a light and vent installed.

Currently, I'm searching for a shower base 

in the dimensions we need.

We decided to have one that is 36" x 42",

but I need the threshold to be on the 36" side and I can't seem to find one.

So, the other option is 36" x 36".

I imagine I'll have to make a trip to Lowes.

Bathroom Progress

I finally got some photos of the bathroom.

I happened to stop at the house in the afternoon while my dad was busy working on it.

I was able to help him out with some of the renovations.

Ok, so really I stood on the stepladder 

and held the measuring tape so he could measure the width of the ceiling.

We have some insulation up.

And the window that overlooked the laundry room has been closed off

and framed out.

And we have new electric wires run

for outlets and light switches.

The pipe in the corner has also been framed out.

We will be losing some ceiling height in the bathroom-

it will only be about 8'2" in there.

The ceiling will basically drop down to the underside of the new 2x4 in the photo.

There were never any exhaust fans in the bathrooms

so we're adding those and that requires venting them to the outside.

And that required a loss of some ceiling height.

Not a big deal in the bathroom.

The bathroom downstairs used to be some kind of porch in the past.

You can see the old transom above the doorway. 

I would love to be able to restore the transom somehow,

like with a stained glass window that doesn't open.

But currently, the kitchen ceiling comes down over the opposite side of the transom

and we are nowhere near ready to do the work to raise the kitchen ceiling to its former glory.

I'm hoping when we are redoing the kitchen, perhaps we can revisit the transom then.

Our bathroom sink will be located where the other sink was which is to the left in this photo.

The door will be switched to swing open on the other side

so it won't interfere with the sink.

I measured the spot for the shower stall, 

and I don't think a 42"x42" base is going to work.  

So it's back to the drawing board for that.

It doesn't look like much has been done here, 

but it has.

I can't wait for the finished product!

Bathroom Progess

It feels like forever since I've posted,

but that's because, well, 

we've been busy.

The downstairs bathroom has been nearly completely gutted.

All that is left is to pull out the plywood and

rip out all the old plaster and lathe.

And the floor.

My dad and I took 700 pounds of nasty old bathroom to the dump yesterday.

(I took pictures but I'll spare you).

Eventually, there will be a custom shower stall in the far right corner

with the toilet on the left.

The sink is a pedestal sink and that will be in the front right corner (sort of out of view).

The floors will be a white hex tile 

with the walls being white subway tile 3/4 of the way up

and a turquoise-ish blue above.

Can't wait to have a downstairs bathroom!.

 

Current State of the Bathroom

Bathroom demolition has begun.

My dad tore out the large closet last week,

and Big E took care of water shut-offs and started ripping out 

everything else this week.

So far the vanity is gone and studs are being exposed.

The whole bathroom has to be gutted down to the studs.

The new toilet and pedestal sink are waiting in the garage.

I can't wait to share the before and after on this one!