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Hallway Bathroom Demolition Day 1

So, this happened…

hallway bathroom - tiled walls demolition 1

Oooooookay, I can just hear some of you saying, “Demolition?  Demolition?!  You were just supposed to make it presentable, Kristi!!”  😀

I know.  Really, I know.  But let me paint the scene for you.  Matt and I had just finished breakfast, and I got up from the table and headed to the bathroom.  To work, of course.  I wanted to get some easy things crossed off of my 2015 to do list, and I had my eye on #61 — cover the floor with peel and stick groutable tile.  I had already purchased the tile, and I was ready to go.  I could easily get this project finished in a few hours, including the time it would take to remove the toilet and vanity, and then replace them afterwards.

So I stood in the bathroom, looking around and thinking about my plans.  My plans were basically to cover up everything — peel and stick tile on the floor, Rustoleum tile paint on the bathtub surround, and beadboard over the tiled walls.  Lipstick on a pig is what it all amounted to.  And beadboard?  What was I thinking?  I don’t even like beadboard!

And then I got to looking at the tile on the bathtub surround.  It wasn’t in good shape.  One bullnose trim piece was missing, several tiles were cracked down the middle, and many of them had holes drilled in them for various reasons (towel racks, handles, etc.).  They were going to take quite a bit of prep work — finding a bullnose tile replacement, using Bondo to fill all of the cracks and holes, scraping off all of the layers of old caulk.  That would probably take at least two days with having to wait for the Bondo to dry before sanding it.  And then I’d have to follow all of that with the standard prep work required by the RustOleum tile paint, and the prep work it requires is the longest and most tedious part of the process. Then once it’s painted, the tub can’t be used for 72 hours so that the paint can cure.

And after all of that work, what would it get me?  I’d still be left with old 4 x 4 tiles that stop about two feet  from the ceiling.  It would still obviously be old…just with a coat of new paint.

Lipstick on a pig.

Then I remembered that I had three pieces of Hardibacker concrete board in my garage, left over from my concrete countertops in my kitchen.  I also had one and a half boxes of subway tile left over from my kitchen.  So while I’d still need more, I already had a good start on supplies.  And since I’d be installing new tile, I could take it all the way up the wall and do away with that strange two feet of drywall above the tile surround that they used to do.

It all seemed very rational to me.  So I grabbed a hammer and went to town on those tiles.  About an hour later, it looked like this…

hallway bathroom - tiled walls demolition 1

I really didn’t know what to expect.  I had never taken out 65-year-old tile before.  I knew their methods back then were quite a bit different from ours today, but I didn’t know the particulars.

Well, the particulars are that they covered the studs with wire mesh, and then slathered about a 1-inch layer of mortar over the metal, and then added the tile.  That thick mortar was not easy to break up, but the hardest part of the process was actually removing the wire mesh.  It was very stiff and had a mind of its own.  Wrestling it off of the wall, and then out of the bathroom, was the hardest part of the process.

hallway bathroom - tiled walls demolition 2

And on this end, the mesh was actually attached to the studs before the bathtub was installed.  So I had to use my Dremel Multi-Max in order to cut it around the bathtub.

hallway bathroom - tiled walls demolition 3

I couldn’t believe how much debris came off of the walls in such a small area.  The entire bathtub was filled (and no, I didn’t have the foresight to cover the tub with anything), and it was spilling over onto the floor.  Just from the bathtub surround and part of the wall!!

hallway bathroom - tiled walls demolition 4

But at the end of the day, after swinging a hammer for about seven hours straight, I had all of the tile and metal mesh removed from the entire bathtub surround, and all of the window wall that I could reach without removing the toilet.

hallway bathroom - tiled walls demolition 5

There’s still a ton of demolition work to do in here, but even so, I’m glad I went this direction.  I’ll feel so much better about the finished product.  I do still plan on doing a full-scale remodel in here in two or three years, which will include moving a wall (a load-bearing wall…ugh), removing the tub, and installing a large shower, but even with that in mind, I still feel like this was the right decision for me.

I’ll be keeping this makeover as inexpensive as possible.  Plus, all of this tile would have had to be removed eventually.  Now look how far ahead of the game I’ll be when I do start the big remodel!  Because let’s face it, removing new tile set on concrete board is way easier than removing this decades-old tile set on a one-inch mortar bed on top of wire mesh.  And this time, I won’t be adding tile to the walls outside of the shower.  I have another plan for those walls.

So, I guess I’m now knee-deep in a bathroom makeover.  And obviously this is a project I’ll need to see through to the end fairly quickly so that we can have a functional hallway bathroom again.  I’ll be trying to stay on task until it’s finished, but this is some seriously hard physical work, so I might have to take a day here and there just to let my arms recuperate from all of the hammering.

In other news…the music room, entryway, and living room are still at a standstill until the animal trapper guy finishes up and makes the repairs so that the squirrels are gone.  I don’t want to move forward on any of those rooms until the polystyrene tiles (and the 1 x 4’s they’re attached to) are gone, and the ceiling drywall is replaced.  I can’t do drywall until the squirrels are gone and their entries are closed up.  So I’m waiting.  At least I have something to keep me entertained while he finishes up.  🙂

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78 Comments

  1. So exciting! Nothing like a new fresh and CLEAN bathroom. I’m pumped you are doing this as I’m planning on renovating my bathroom come spring. The hard part is I have ONLY ONE. My game plan as of today is to do is to demo the bath surround, install new hardiboard, tile. Then move on to the rest of the room which will include going down to the studs and installing new drywall and a new floor. I’m hoping this helps mitigate the amount of the bathroom that is out of commission at a time. So while I have no shower I have a toilet, and while I have no toilet I have a shower/tub. Anyone else have anymore bright ideas?

    1. I was thinking the same thing – that’s a lot of weight in one spot – gotta be taking a toll on those floor joists. You are amazing girl!!!

      1. You are amazing. I’d be exhausted just getting it bagged!! I say a prayer for you at night as you do what you do and take care of Matt.

  2. Naaah, actually what I was thinking was “”Presentable”? You don’t have it in your blood girl!” (doing half-assed jobs that is). Love a good demolition! GET THEM! WOOT!

  3. Hello, I´m writing from Germany. And I love you so much. Every day I wake up, get a cup of coffee, run (!!) to the computer to read your posts.
    Greetings

  4. I know it would be more work in the short run but I think you should do the entire remodel of the bathroom right now.

      1. I totally agree, do the right. Don’t waste $ on “Presentable” or hard work. Just do it now that you have started!

    1. I gotta say – I agree with this comment. Since you’ve gone to all that trouble now you might as well go all the way rather tha look at another demo down the road – espevially since you have a good idea where you want to end up.

      If your intention is to put a walk in shower in that room then pull that tub and do it now. You’re tiling the walls as it is – it just means tiling to the floor and putting in a shower pan on the floor – which you have ample skill to do yourself.

      You could also do what a friend of mine did and put a floor to ceiling piece of glass between the shower area and the toilet to block the water spray. No shower door to take up space or manoeuver around. (My shower in my main bath is done the same way.) it makes the space feel so much more open. Yes, pieces of glas that size are expensive but it is so worth it – and certainly a reasonable one when you are combining it with inexpensive subway tiling.

      1. I agree with the above re finishing the bathroom off completely. I especially like the solid glass wall instead of a shower door. Makes a smallish bathroom look a lot larger. Go girl!

    2. doesn’t the big makeover include moving walls and changing several rooms in one go? January (even the 22nd) would be very early in the year to completely bust the plans for the year (“make everything presentable”) 🙂 I say, go ahead with this demolition and then follow your original plans of making it presentable instead of ripping out half your house right now!

    3. Oh, I’d love to! But it’s a matter of finances. I can do this makeover quite inexpensively using cheap tile and such. But with a full scale remodel, that would include moving a load-bearing wall and having all of the plumbing completely re-routed. Moving the load-bearing wall alone would cost a lot of money since it has to be supported from the attic, and it’s not really a DIY project. I’d be looking at probably $3000 right off the bat with the load-bearing header in the attic, and then the plumbing. And that doesn’t include any of the other stuff like drywall, Hardibacker, tile, glass shower enclosure, etc. I simply don’t have the budget for that right now.

      1. YIPEE! PERFECT TIMING
        right after Super Bowl, we are attacking our master bath…by ourselves.
        We are removing bathtub to make a shower stall. we will try to make our own shower pan. I will be eager to see how u go about making doing yours. I’ve seen several new products out there. So LEAD ON KRISTI!!!!
        DENISE

      2. How about just going ahead & pull the tub out & turn the space into a shower. That way Matt has a more usable shower & if it takes more time to get to the remodel you are good. Then do the rest of the bath as you have planned. When I was reading it showed a link where you had a table saying you had found your future variety. Are you planning on using it now or is that for down the road?

        1. Just read down that Matt doesn’t use this bath so keep the tub for now. Just maybe fix the tile so he can go in it.

      3. If this is just a temporary reno, why not just use a fiberglass tub surround? I know, I know, those things are hideously ugly, but it would be quick and relatively painless. And it would get back to the original “make it presentable” premise, wouldn’t it?
        But as one commenter has said, this keeps your readers entertained!

  5. Kristi I don’t think any of us expected you to just a little in the rooms you listed. You will end up doing 2x the work that way. You go and have fun!

  6. I can understand your motivation as painted tiles are not a very big improvement over the old ones. I envy your energy, but find it laudable that you already calculate on inserting breaks during this project as it sounds really hard!

  7. Kristi, you never cease to amaze me! And yes, you are the first e-mail I look for every morning. Even though this isn’t a permanent reno, I would be putting a shower in for Matt and do away with the tub. What about using the subway tiles along with a larger tile. Fewer tiles to install and easier to take down in a couple of years. I was in our local Costco and they had a wonderful shower complete including side walls and rolling glass doors for under $1000. To me , that is an easier route to go. Drywall the other walls. But I can hardly wait to see what you end up doing.Go girl!

  8. Well, putting bandaids on stuff (aka making presentable) has yet to be your style! There are times it is the best option, but oh so hard to do! Very glad you are planning on recoup time.

  9. Your brain works in mysterious ways. It’s really fun to watch as things unfold. You do things so differently than I do/would…. but in the end, I learn new ways of thinking about DIY! Love it!
    Keep up the spontaneity!

  10. I am not sure I can think of something to say! Yesterday we were talking about windows, the day before it was a headboard, the day before that it was choosing floral fabric. I am getting a headache thinking about all of this! I am going to agree with some of the other friends on here today. Since you have gone to all this trouble and will continue to do so, I think you should damn the torpedos and full speed ahead. That bathtub is going to be shot by the time you get the crap out of it and you will have to have it recoated for a few hundred bucks. I think you need to rethink your footprint and find a way to deal with the hall bath now, getting as close to what you want, without moving load bearing walls. If the walls are not load bearing then take them down and do the bathroom right from the beginning. You said what you were going to do was just putting lipstick on a pig….going ahead with what you are now planning is just putting lipstick on a pig…….after you have given him a bath!!! Blessings

  11. Hey, me again, I just went back and looked at the floor plans. I see that you are not removing any walls to get what you really want. Don’t do a half assed job. Go for the whole enchilada. Do it right the first time, so you’re bathroom is out of commission for a while, you still have another one you can use. Please, please don’t double dip…..do it right the first time. Maybe there will be another contest coming down the pike and you can enter the bathroom. Take lots of pics as you go of your work, you know you will win it!Blessings

    1. I actually will be moving a wall for the major remodel. The small closet in the hallway will be removed,and the bathroom wall will be moved out into the hallway about two feet. It’s just not financially doable right now. Plus, moving that wall, with no concrete timetable for the rest of the remodel (new bedroom, master bathroom, etc.) will make entry into the bedroom very difficult for Matt. I can’t really do the major remodel on this bathroom until I know for sure that we have the money in the bank for the rest of the remodel so that we can go directly from the bathroom remodel to the rest. That way, entry into our bedroom will only be inconvenient for Matt for a matter of months. If I do it now, he’ll have to deal with that inconvenience for years. That’s not an option.

      1. Someone made the comment on here: “You are a patient women…You have my admiration.” I definitely agree! And I’m referring to your patience with those who seem to feel compelled to tell you how you should be doing YOUR renovations. I realize most people are just trying to be helpful, but there are a few whose comments smack of sugar coated criticism. Or..maybe that’s just my take?

        Regardless, I also wanted to say that I SO admire your work. I am in awe of every project and renovation that you do. You keep it real and don’t shy away from admitting any possible mistakes, or.a change of mind/direction you’re taking. To me, that speaks of humility and integrity. I admire that! Thanks for all you do!

  12. I get excited when I check my emails and see yours, there is always something, I wish I had your talent, I just can’t believe how talented you are and doing all these work by yourself. I am the repair person in my house, I can read instructions while hubby does not have the patience.

  13. I couldn’t be more excited! About a month ago we did demo on our upstairs bathroom(due to a water leak)..and it is just sitting there. Inspire me Kristi!!! I need it! I am just finishing up my kitchen—which, by the way, has green cabinets:) Love what you do and HOW you do it girl!!!!!

  14. When our 1885 Victorian was built there were no bathrooms, nor even a kitchen in the house. Both were in outbuildings. Kitchen and baths were added on at a later date. There are no records to indicate when this was done.

    In your bathroom the galvanized steel pipes and the style of the faucets and bathtub are very similar to what is in my downstairs bath. So now I can guess that at least one remodel to the bath was done in the 50’s assuming there had been a bath added prior to that, may not have been as the 1979 plat map still shows an outhouse at the back of the property (no longer there).

    Anyway…we will be doing a gut job on this bathroom eventually, including enlarging the existing little window opening to the same size as all of the original windows in the house in order to have the exterior architecturally symmetrical.

    I will be waiting for more updates on your remodel to see what we may encounter when we start our project.

    You may have opened a can of worms here, which is easy to do in an old house. The galvanized steel pipes should be replaced before installing the wallboard. Our galvanized pipes provide many a surprise: the hot water will run hot, cold or in between with an occasional spurt of rusty water. No leaks…yet!

    And what’s up with the connection to the left of the shower piping unit? Is that a live electrical connection? Should that be there? Are there any GFCI’s in your house?

    Will you be adding insulation? From the pictures there doesn’t appear to be any in the exterior wall.

    This is a huge job, but you can do it. You do amazing things. I look forward to more bathroom remodel posts.

    Thanks for the inspiration.

    1. Yep, that’s a live electrical outlet in the music room. I’ll leave it for now, but I”m updating wiring in each room as I go, so it’ll eventually be updated. I’ll probably move it over so that it’s behind the linen closet instead of the shower. The only GFCI outlets that I have so far are in the kitchen. But again, I’m updating electrical as I go along, so I’ll be adding one in this bathroom when I get to that point.

      I won’t be adding insulation. This bathroom is centrally located in the house. That’s the original exterior wall, but now the sunroom is behind there, and it’ll eventually be a hallway with the laundry room and family room back there.

      I probably won’t update the plumbing right now. I’m pretty sure these galvanized pipes will last at least three more years, so I’ll just plan on completely redoing and updating the plumbing when I do the major bathroom remodel in two or three years.

      1. I hope your pipes hold out. We just re-piped our 1967 rental in AZ at a staggering $ 6,000 just for the pipes and labor, we also paid out another $ 2,500 for dry wall damage due to 14 pin hole leaks throughout the house that was created when we had the plumber repair a small leak the size of pea. Old galvanized pipes are unpredictable, we learned this the hard expensive way …

  15. So glad I found your blog a while back because you remind me so much of myself! 🙂 My husband used to think I was crazy but after 30 some odd years, he just goes with the flow. I don’t blame you one bit for not starting the major reno right now…when you don’t have the budget, you don’t have the budget! I am sure it will look fantastic when you are finished and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

  16. Oh my goodness…you are a true nut! 🙂 A girl after my own heart. Where are you when I need you for these spur of the moment, change your mind in a heart beat. My husband doesn’t understand it…but you certainly seem to know how things start out simple and then mushroom into a nuclear cloud…I love it! I excuse it off as adult ADD, but maybe its just normal behavior! LOL.

    I love it! I can’t wait for the big reveal. Wish I was there with you swinging and demolishing away….

  17. I know the feeling about demo when it’s not necessary at the moment. We decided to demo our spare bathroom and we can’t be more pleased with making it what we want. The end result will make us feel like it’s more our home than someone else’s. Good luck! 🙂

  18. Demo is therapy! This is great, I ripped out old bath shower tile that had that wire mesh junk one time. Hard work! But I also know this looks worse than it is – you have some of the material already, so putting it back together will be F.U.N.! And IMO so so worth it for the next few years. HighFive!

  19. And this is why I have followed your blog for so many years – we never know what to expect and yet it all makes total sense to me. 🙂 Can’t wait to see how it turns out!

  20. I’m just smilin’……
    Hubby and I just laughed and said “presentable huh??????”, and that was a month ago!!
    You go girl….we’re cheering for you!
    Blessings,
    J

  21. You seem to have gotten a LOT of demo done and I’m sure the subway tile will look fresh and bright when its installed. Another project I didn’t expect but am curious about your ‘other’ wall treatment ideas. Kristi, you are always an adventure and that’s why I love your blog!

  22. I love that when I go to your site I am almost always surprised by your latest post. It is never what I expect it to be.

    Try to keep that tub if you can. When my contractors “accidentally” broke our cast iron tub last year I had to search high and low for a replacement that I could get in a short period of time. It was 4 1/2′ which, apparently, is a odd size in homes now and was hideously expensive. I believe around $1500.00. You can get cheaper fiberglass ones, but they are just that – cheap.

  23. I think that you should stick with your “presentable” plan. Doing the renovations as money becomes available is so smart, and bringing up the whole house to a more pleasant level will be so satisfying by the time the end of ’15 comes around.

  24. I too enjoy the never ending “surprises”. Those of us that own older homes are accustomed to having immediate changes of plan, especially once you start any kind of change…it’s fun to see you handle these surprises with such creative, budget friendly solutions. Good work!

  25. I love that you just jump in and do! 2015 with you is going to be a FUN FILLED READING ADVENTURE! I love that everyday I am wondering “What did Kristi do?” Lol. Take care of that arm. Can’t wait to see your bathroom become “presentable” lol.
    Sheila F.

  26. I’m totally with you on this…and laughing at the same time. I have this thing about “doing it the right way,” to the point that I’ll make extra work for myself just to do it right or so I don’t have to do it again. It’s genetic. My Grandfather was a finish carpenter who’d spend an hour making a special jig to make a single cut just because, “It was the right way to do it.” The man would stand there shaking his head as you swung a hammer and then tell you you weren’t holding the hammer right and that you were taking too many swings to drive each nail.

    I’ve also never seen that mesh-over-studs method before. I have seen mesh-over-subfloor. What a mess. Wow.

    I’ve been avoiding this very same renovation for pretty much the same reason in my 1950’s house. I hate the worn finish on the tile in the tub, but it’s a running-bond pattern that goes right into the half-tile walls around the room, so there’s no way to cut it off and say “this is the tub, this is the bathroom” for the purposes of doing a Rustoleum tile paint job within the tub/shower. The tile runs right to the floor around the room with a cove tile “baseboard” piece, so I can’t even change the tile flooring out without having to put wood baseboard over tile somehow that will look silly. Basically, if I touch any of the tile or the tub, I’m into a whole room renovation. Either that or, lipstick on a pig.

    I hate lipstick on a pig.

      1. I, too, hope you can sell the condo very quickly. But I also agree that an HVAC system should demand your first financing, and leave the complete bath overhaul until you can better afford it. However, I am glad you are doing this much work to make it presentable. I look at dad’s old bathroom and realize there’s no need to put lipstick on a pig. It just wouldn’t make it look any better.

  27. Unless I’m missing something from your plans, and it looks like the finalized plans do not show the removal of the linen closet in the hall and moving the walls, to redo this this bathroom to it’s finished state you will be moving and adding partial walls. I can see where Matt would have trouble maneuvering the entry to the master bedroom after this is done before redoing the hall. Why don’t you (just) change the master bedroom to one of the other rooms and make the master your office for a while (3 years)? That way you could go ahead and do the hall bath like you wanted now and not waste a lot of time and money on something that is only going to be in place for 3 years. I can see if finances is the problem. I’m sure you see something I don’t.

    1. Matt can’t use the hallway bathroom. He hasn’t been able to get in there since we moved in because the lip on the tile prevents his wheelchair from being able to roll in. So the only bathroom accessible to him is the “master” bathroom. It would be very inconvenient to use another bedroom as the master bedroom, and then have to still go into that bedroom when he needs to use the restroom.

      But again, I do not have the finances right now to move load bearing walls and install a huge roll-in shower.

      1. Must be a pain to have to go to the MBR instead of the hall. Is there anything you can do about the lip on the tile while you’re there and putting down new tile?

      2. I think what SRH was saying, is to renovate the hallway bathroom now to the standard you would want when the house is complete, at that point Matt would be able to use it. Then if you make your office the new master bedroom temporarily, he wont have to worry about getting into the old master or the old master bathroom because he will be using the hallway bath and the office. Then your old master could be your new office and in time be renovated to the new master of your dreams. I actually think SRH has a really good idea, for the time being the office has more space than your master from what I can tell and Matt would easily be able to get anywhere except the old master which would take a little more effort but he wouldnt have a necessity to go there. This would probably be no more inconvenient then the big renovation later, because either way its only going to be inconvenient for him for the time it takes to finish the bathroom, which as you said will happen either way. But this way the bathroom is done for good and you wouldnt be financing the whole reno just the bathroom.

  28. I hate to ask, and (obviously) I already know the answer, but doesn’t this mean more drywall installation? Insert (compassionate) bulging eyes. You powerhouse you!!

  29. Aside from you being a wonderful perfectionist and very skilled – you also must have a laid-back side to you as well 🙂 ’cause having a few areas under construction in my own small house at the same time – my husband would have to build me a padded cell. 🙂 😉

  30. “Adventures with Kristi!” You are my hero! I can hardly wait to check your blog to see what you are tackling each day. Your “can do” spirit inspires me and makes me feel less terrified when something around my own home goes awry, such as the small gold water spot in our living room ceiling that recently appeared from an apparent broken wax ring in the bathroom above it. At one time that would have been enough to send me over the edge, but now, I know it’s not as big a deal as I thought and that yes we can take care of the problem ourselves (although, I wish it would not have happened at all) :-).

    You must have a super-duper trash pick-up company. We did a master bath makeover four years ago and I remember only too well carrying demo debris out to the garage where my dear husband insisted we separate the materials and organize them, so that it would all fit in the “bagster” for when we put it out to the curb to be hauled away. Good luck to you – I know it will be fabulous!

  31. Wow it’s Morning here and I found this. Thought something bad had happened like a leak/or something major. Then in reading I got the picture. And wow girl what a job you have here! But in your style of things, you will complete this will be an astounding job. Looking forward to following. Hope the squirrel seal up will be soon for you. Enjoy your work and take time out at times to let the body catch up.

  32. Hi,

    You have got your work cut out for you! I had to do something very similar and my husband picked me up an air hammer from harbor freight for eleven bucks! that worked out great and it didn’t break my pocket book. Harbour freight does sell cheap tools, but when you only use a tool once to twice and it costs less than two starbuck coffees, I think you can’t go wrong. check it out….it may help you. Appreciate all you do!!!

  33. I’m laughing my butt off! Be right back, gotta pee! Blam! Crash! Timber!!!

    I’m glad you demo-ed, when I saw the bathroom part of your original plan, I was thinking that would be money and time for lackluster results or as you say, lipstick on a pig. Can’t wait to see the result!

  34. Hi Kristi, I was just reading through the comments and noticed that you said you were not going to insulate since it was an interior room. You might want to rethink that for sound, not warmth. When we built our home, which was custom built from my own design, the pipes (i e running water) for the kids bath upstairs come down in the wall between the living room and dining room. It is a small interior wall comprising one side of the archway between the two rooms. It did not take us long to realize that the kids could not shower if we had guests in the living room or dining room. It’s not that it is loud, it is just obvious. So we would make the kids use our bathroom or the guest room bath if we had company! You learn an awful lot of things NOT to do, when you build. I would love to design and build one more home, but I doubt that it will happen at this stage of our lives. Maybe my kids will let me design one for them some day!Blessings

  35. Kristi, I’m at work and saw this “bathroom demolition” post and said “WAIT! WHAAAAT?!” out loud, very loudly, and my co-workers are wondering what on earth is going on because I’m laughing my head off! I’m just imagining the look on Matt’s face when he suddenly hears bathroom tile being bashed in! I guess I wasn’t prepared for a bathroom demo, but it sounds like you were either until you got in there and started wielding a hammer. You never cease to amaze me, and I can’t to see what this project will end up looking like when you are done. One thing for certain: it’ll be better than lipstick on a pig!

      1. Put your vacuum to work on that drain before running any water. Then fiil the tub with water and pull the plug. Lots of water running through at one time should flush out any remaining debris (I hope, I hope!).

  36. I have been waiting for this! We NEED to remodel our bathroom. Money is tight and so we are making due with what we have. Your post made me so happy. Maybe after a little inspiration and instruction, I will make some improvements here at home.

  37. Hi Kristi, I was just looking at your demo site again and I remembered that you said the pipes would have to be moved. I get that you have to add handles etc for the shower but other than doing that and removing the tub stuff, why would the pipes have to be moved? The shower seems to be in the right place for a shower. Maybe I missed something earlier, I remember reading someones post about galvanized pipe but didn’t read it all I guess. I am sure I will catch on eventually. I also noticed the table that you said you wanted to use for your vanity. That is really deep, and will take up a lot of room. Maybe, given Matt’s illness, you should just do a bathroom that is handicap approved. Higher toilet ( when we replaced all of ours we went with the higher toilets, no real difference in cost). Also a sink with clear space for the wheelchair underneath would be a benefit. You could make the room beautiful with great tile and wall treatments, but keep your fixtures ADA compliant. I really think in the long run this would add value to your home. Once again, just my humble opinion! Blessings

  38. I was so tickled inside as I was reading your post and looking at the pictures.You really are addicted to decorating. You tell yourself one thing but your impulse makes you do another. I really enjoy reading your post. Can’t wait to see the finised product.