Finishing the Bathroom

One day long ago we decided to rip out our bathroom tile because it was leaking in to the basement.  The tile was falling off so this was not an unexpected project.

Sept 2009

When we did that we realized there was yucky mold growing behind the tub on the drywall.  So instead of a simple fix this job turned in to a total remodel.

SIGH

January 2010

Then another day not so long ago we replaced the tub, tile, vanity, floor tile & mirror.  See my strong men?  Don’t drop it guys!

April 2010

Somewhere along the way my hip started to hurt and we stopped working on the bathroom for an intermission of a year because I could hardly sit, stand or walk.

In January, I had hip surgery & now I am loving to sit, stand and walk.  Having no pain helps with that.

Now we are puttering along on the final stages of the bathroom.

The trim boards.  Some are original—frugal people that we are we saved them.  So they must be stripped.

SIGH

Last weekend, while the kids were sick & the husband was away helping to roof a house.  I decided to work on this little time consuming project.

 

First, you apply the stripping stuff(seems better to say that than the stripper—something wrong about that).  We used Formby’s.  Then you leave it on to bubble and turn in to a yellow mess for about 15-30 minutes.  Resist starting early.  It REALLY works better if you let it go a while—don’t ask me how I know.

Second, you take a plastic scraper(Pampered Chef for me) and scrape the mess off.  This will get most part of the stain off.

Third, you have a choice.  Repeat steps 1 & 2 or dip some steel wool in the stripping stuff and rub it on the spots where the stain was still present.  I did a little of both of these methods.

Steve is steadily working on the few pieces that are left.  He’s also been testing a few scraps with the stain.  On the new pieces we had to buy he’s found that using a pre-stain conditioner(Minwax) helps the stain to achieve a darker color faster.

I also recommend this kind of project to build your marriage.  You learn so many things about a person as you work together. 

 

Tonight it was awesome to watch him apply the stain to a few pieces which have been through the whole process, stripping, sanding, hole patching, conditioning & staining.  

It is looking REALLY nice!  I am so thankful that this project is moving forward.  I love our new bathroom. 

But I will love it even more when it is DONE!

 

Distractions

Well I obviously didn't get #1 post for Michael done yesterday. Various reasons--mainly because it was our anniversary yesterday and I just ran out of time. So I will work on getting it out tomorrow or Friday. Don't want to leave Michael out!
The other reason I didn't do it today was we tackled the shower tile today!!!!!

Our plan was to use one kind of tile from tub to ceiling. Boring & easy. Well when Steve went to the store to purchase the rest of the tile we needed he discovered that they didn't have all the tile we needed in the color we planned to use. So we revamped the plan--changed colors of tile & added an idea made it a little more complicated. So we had to lay it out on the living room floor to make sure it looked right and the pattern worked--this took the rest of the morning.

We didn't actually start placing the tile on the wall until after 2 so considering that we did really well. The small tile that is in our border takes more time & thought to put up so that slowed progress down considerably. When we reached the top row, we realized that we were not going to come up flush with the ceiling but be short by about an inch--revise the plan again. We didn't go to the ceiling and we were done for the day. It looks really good but the end walls will need to wait until Sunday or Monday. I am happy we worked today but progress can be slow at times.


I admit I REALLY wanted to have the tile done today. It was hard not to be disappointed after supper when it was decided we needed to stop because we were to tired to continue. Having a second toilet in the house shouldn't be such a priority but some how it is. Friday I will seal the grout on the floor, primer the rest of the walls. Maybe the "colored" paint can go up Wednesday next week--then a toilet and vanity. I guess my problem is that we are so close that I can taste having it done. Patience--only way to learn it is to wait a little more.

One step closer . . .

I miss my bathroom. This house has 2 baths, one on the main floor & one downstairs. We have remodeled the basement bath in 2008-09 and since then the upstairs one developed a leak.

Here is what we had to do--Rip it all out. Pretty sure Steve loves this part. That went really fast. It is just when we go to put it all back that we get bogged down. The wiring, plumbing & putting up the drywall were done in October & November. The holidays slowed us down but January meant mudding & taping. Steve has done a great job getting motivated this month.

Finally yesterday we cut the tile & got it all laid out. Then last night we mixed up the "mud" as we affectionately call it & got it stuck to the floor. In all it went well despite some distractions(children!). We planned to start early but Steve had to go to the clinic after b'fast. That was okay because it gave me a chance to start my White Chicken Chili in the crockpot. It tortured me all day to smell it cooking but it was awesome to not have to cook come 5 o'clock when I was wiped out.

This is what it looked like when we finished last night at 10:30. Now on to grout, paint, a vanity, oh and tiling the shower I guess comes first.

Winter Declutter

It all started on Wednesday last week. I was going crazy spinning in circles trying to accomplish something. There have been some problems around our house that have prevented it from being organized and tidy. We have had remodeling going on for what seems like years. All of it has been good in the end.

As many projects begin, we had water come in our window well & soak some carpet. After it was ripped up we decided to lay tile instead. There also was a need to have another drain(which meant busting up the concrete foundation) so we also decided to rearrange the drains in the bathroom so the toilet was in a better place. So our bathroom has gone from looking like this(which is actually better than when the shower & cabinets were still there) to this beautiful bathroom that is functional and we all are thankful to have. Yes my dog & cat are enjoying it too!

However, our main bathroom developed a leak and had to be gutted so now we are on to another project. I have been amazed that everyone hasn't been as sick as other years. I am wondering if the mold was causing some respiratory problems.


We are slowly getting the time to finish the drywall work. Steve is doing an awesome job. I often ask the kids when they are feeling overwhelmed "How do you eat an elephant?" They know the answer is "One bite at a time." That is how all our home remodeling has to be done as we are busy with LIFE!

Sometimes when I cannot figure out where to put something I dream of another garage sale to clean out somethings that we are not using. But then where would I store things for a garage sale? Such a fun merry -go-round that I ride on!

God always makes a way though! A friend of mine sent an email that Ellis Cancer Hospital was holding a Winter Clean out Garage Sale & they desperately need items to sell for their fundraiser. Wow! Only problem was time.--we had to deliver things by Tuesday. So that set the stage for the first ever Brush Winter Declutter! We got rid of roller blades, helmets, puzzles & some misc. Yeah 50 items GONE! Maybe in February I can do the same thing again. That would be so great! Here is what I packed in the Suburban and drove off today!

More remodeling . . .

The reason we HAD to finish the bathroom & downstairs is because the upstairs bath was going to need some fixing. A small drip from the tub means plumbing & probably new tile(yea!). There also was a funny bump next to the tub that probably meant new sub floor.

That seems minor but once you get in there it quickly escalates. Here is what it looks like now!


There wasn't a simple solution--it all had to come out & be replaced. It all started with that 70s pink tile that was connected to the off white tile in the shower. One piece fell out & then when we started pulling that off it was connected. All the tile had to go & that meant new dry wall. So if you start replacing all that well that vanity is in BAD shape. And so on and so forth.

Needless to say it was a day of destruction. I really think that Steve likes the destruction.
At least more than he likes putting it all back. He was really tired and is now downstairs in our really nice basement playing Call of Duty with M. Blowing up things is always therapy for guys.
Maybe it will be enough therapy to help him deal with this pile on Saturday.


I just hope that we can break our record from the last project--2 years. Oh and it is still not totally done. So while I traipse downstairs to shower each morning, I will dream of the party I will throw when it is all done.

Labor? Maybe or maybe not

Well it is Labor Day weekend. The decision that we need to make is will we labor or not? It is a holiday weekend, so that means we need to rest from labor right? Such a conflict. There are so many things to do around this house. We started remodeling the basement years ago(two, three, I don't really remember) and it would be nice to finish things up. We had a tiny bathroom with 2 closets in the hallway. We decided to get rid of the closets and expand the space in the bathroom.Here is what it looked like after we did the demolition. That is the fun part. Rip, tear, and take it all out the door. The next part is harder. Get started, make decisions, and use those muscles to labor and create a new space. We had done everything except laying tile before. I am so blessed to have a husband(and now a son) who knows how to put in wire, pipes, drains & toilets. One thing we did that was new was bust up the concrete floor to change where the drain was and to add a drain under the water heater. Talk about messy & loud. But the guys did it.

We have made great strides. There used to be yucky carpet & concrete floor and now there is lovely tile. We also have more light in the hallway(no more dungeon). And that bathroom that was smelly, dark & unused? Well now it is bright & clean and IN USE! Also while we were gone on vacation we had our neighbor install the new carpet. It created some fun as we were trying to leave and pack, but we got it all moved around and ready for installation. It is amazing what new carpet will do for a room. Oh and getting the tools out of the living room helps. The room seemed so BIG!

With a family of 6, it is useful to have two functioning bathrooms. Especially as the girls get closer to teenagehood. Oh that is right, one of them is already there--don't tell her. It took us a few weeks after the bathroom was functional to actually use it. We just kept forgetting. "Oh yeah--we have two bathrooms!" Now everyone remembers & now we just need to finish the hall & stairwell. Unfortunately that means more drywall dust--Yuck my least favorite part!

P.S. Next post will have a picture of the new bathroom. I must have deleted the one I took.