Parents' bathroom remodel DONE (pretty much)!

9 years ago

I've been driving Faron crazy with the progress reports, today went back to put up mirror, lights, towel bar etc. This was a bad idea to do it while my dad was recuperating from knee surgery but it is done and usable now though there are some things left to finish.

Lots of mistakes by the contractor (light boxes placed too high and not centered on sink, sink isn't centered on vanity because of butting into new half wall/shelf area), work left undone (caulking, wood finishing, backsplash), bad paint job (yours truely), mismatched shower diverter/head (chrome when rest of bath is ORB), parts missing (ORB switchplates, switches, bathroom fan cover, and latest the toothbrush holder and hand soap dispenser) but at least it's clean and everything works. My sister is coming tomorrow and has to wait until Christmas morning to use the shower according to the guy who installed the door yesterday (and I just caulked around the top today so another day is good with me).

I told my mom next time they do a remodel, let me be the GC. Plumber charged way too much, said it would take 2 men all day to install countertop and toilet, he sent 1 guy (don't know how he did it since that thing is heavy - 48" long) who was there 3 hours. If they had put shut-off valves in under the sink instead of capping them off I could have plumbed the sink and installed the toilet (don't know about shower head but that could have been put on when they installed the shower stall and diverter). I definitely should have done the electrical myself, or at least marked the locations - the contractor had the lights but didn't measure them so they are placed too high and hit the sloped ceiling. Not sure if it's worth patching and painting to drop them an inch (and the left one is higher than the right one).

I'm not proud of the way it came out, but I am proud that Mom and I survived and it's done in time for Christmas visitors! (Mom said she should have taken before pix but it was too embarrassing/disgusting)

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Comments (8)

2ajsmama
Original Author
9 years ago
New shower - plumber won't caulk so I caulked at the top, Mom will get the carpenter to caulk the sides and at the floor. But so much cleaner and brighter than the old mildewed blue 70's tile!
2ajsmama
Original Author
9 years ago
This back corner was a pain to paint even before the vanity went in - I did have the roller hit the sloped ceiling, will have to try to get back there and touch up after I finish the wood shelf. I wish the light weren't so close to the nook - shows off my bad paint job! It's hard to reach the back corners (esp. with the vanity there) but I'm sure Mom will figure out something for storage.
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Lovely! I like the classic white tile and porcelain and how you used furniture pieces in the bathroom. I love that the storage at the end of the tub has pull-outs that can be reached from the toilet. Your custom sink and backsplash and counter are unique and beautiful. Yours may be the first bathroom sink I have seen in which a small or medium dog could be washed! That is a good thing! I showed your pictures to my DH because I am thinking of classic tiled walls with a chair rail for when we redo our bath in a couple of years. He liked it! I was expecting him to say, "too old fashioned." He did not, he said it looked nice. From him, nice is a compliment. He even liked your rows of listello. I was just at the Tile Shop's site the other day looking at the Hampton tiles because someone was selling some on Craigslist. I am hoping to do as you did and get what I can cheaper there, and fill in the rest from the store. I can see that you worked very hard to secure all of your materials - and then cut the floor tiles to size and culled the Hampton tiles, too! You succeeded very well in getting the look you wanted while saving money along the way. Congratulations, and thank you for the pictures and great detail and supply list.
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2ajsmama
Original Author
9 years ago
This picture needs no description but here's the other end of the room (7ft long not including shower/nook). I think it needs some decor though, and without a shower curtain may echo a bit. "Hand-scraped" laminate floor, Allen & Roth vanity & countertop, Moen faucet, not sure of toilet (Allen & Roth?). Special order shower from bath showroom, not Lowes, Kohler shower head/diverter. Sconces from Home Depot. Sherwin Williams Colonial Seafoam (?) paint in Duration Matte.
Faron79
9 years ago
Not half bad there Girl...not half bad!

Again....I'm proud of you!!

Faron
yayagal
9 years ago
You did well, pat yourself on the back.
jedobaTX9b
9 years ago
Wait.. A woman did this?

Just kidding. ;)

Sorry, I had to.

Great job!
mitchdesj
9 years ago
Great job, tackling that and the holidays, you are super woman !!
2ajsmama
Original Author
9 years ago
To clarify, I didn't do anything but the spackling (on upper parts of walls, the lower parts and around the shower were new greenboard after carpenter pulled out the tile), sanding, priming, painting (walls and ceiling), caulking, installed the lights, mirror and towel bar (not shown).

My parents hired a carpenter to pull out the old shower, reframe, pull out tile, put up new wallboard where the tile was, install the vanity (and that new shelf in the nook that he framed), he also has electrician's license so he put in new boxes for lights on sides of mirror, removed the old light over the shower and put in new LED light I bought. They hired the plumber he recommended (who happened to be the most expensive in the area according to my uncle) to install the new shower stall, move the drain and supply lines for shower, install new toilet in old location, and put new countertop on vanity and connect supply & drains (I think he might have replaced some corroded copper piping for the sink supply lines too).

I should have done all of it (except the framing) since I have done a bathroom remodel in our old house that involved moving a drain and changing supply lines from old shower to new Jacuzzi, so I've sweated pipe and also done wiring, just don't have a hole saw to cut round holes for boxes but could have borrowed one. I also served as GC on our new (admittedly modular) house. My cousin or my mom's step brother could have done the framing and the shelf (they're both cabinetmakers, excellent finish carpenters who have done work for me) and we could have figured out the shower stall and I'm sure the laminate floor. My brother taught me to tile so if we had been able to talk them into that I could have done it, or they could have flown him out to do it (and visit) for a lot less than what they paid.

Parents' bathroom remodel DONE (pretty much)!

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Parents' bathroom remodel DONE (pretty much)!

Comments (8)

2ajsmamaOriginal Author

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Faron79

yayagal

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