Bathroom Update

[Winchester]

Demolition/construction starts on Monday at 8:00. I'm excited, but really nervous, too. I'll be off work for the holiday; Rick is taking off all next week (if the contractors aren't here every day, then he can just go into work for that day). We have almost everything we need, except for the shower tiles and the sink fixtures and I think we're buying fixtures tonight. We're buying all the paint tonight and tomorrow morning, too.

• New lights are in the bedroom
• New floor tiles are in the bathroom
• Cabinets and mirrors are in the living room and the bedroom
• Sinks and toilet are in the basement
• Lights are installed in the shower
• New heater is in the living room (it's an ENVI heater, not a regular electric register)
• We decided against a sun tunnel

We were hoping for the window to come in this week, but it's not here yet.
We're going up to the granite store tomorrow morning to put the deposit on the granite for the counter top. Once the cabinets and sinks are in, then they can come down to do the template. After the counter top is installed, the sinks and fixtures can be connected. As we wait for the contractor, the electrician will come in on those days to do his thing with the lights.

We'll need to go without a toilet for 2-3 days; the floor will need to be laid, then cured, then grouted. Then the new toilet gets installed. We may have to go without a shower for about a week or so. (We don't have another bathroom in the house, so I'm a little nervous about that.)

Contractor is saying 2-3 weeks total, depending on how things go.

 

[rubysmama]

How exciting! Every year I talk about gutting my bathroom, and every year nothing happens. So good for you, for getting it done!

I have a 2nd bathroom in the basement, so I'd still have a toilet and shower, if I gutted my main bath. I could even manage without the shower for a bit. But not the toilet. Hope you've made arrangements with your neighbours!

Take a picture before everything starts. And, of course, we'll want to see after pics.

 

[jcat]

Good luck! Going without a bathroom for a while is going to be tough, but think how nice it'll be afterwards.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

very exciting!!!

 

[margecat]

You could buy a medical commode or would a camping toilet work? Do you have a place where you can bury the bags of waste?

What to Do Without a Bathroom? Plan Ahead.

"
Your remodeling contractor may have a special loaner toilet that can be installed in your home. This toilet has its own pump that takes the waste and pumps it up or sideways to an existing drain line. A licensed plumber often can connect it to your plumbing drainage system and supply the toilet with water and electricity in several hours.

Your second issue is a shower. A very basic temporary shower with hot and cold water can usually be installed in a basement or even a garage. Many basements have floor drains that will accept the water, and in a garage, the water can be directed to flow underneath the garage door. A remodeling contractor can install temporary walls for privacy."

How about a camping toilet?

 

[Winchester]

Thanks for the ideas. I didn't think about a camping toilet. They're not all that expensive.

I'm not too worried about a shower. When my sister and BIL remodeled their bathroom, she used our bathtub for her baths at night. They have 2-1/2 baths, so they had other toilets to use. She already told me I am to take showers over there. Actually, she told me I am welcome to just stay there for the duration of not having a toilet. Rick wanted me to stay in a local motel for the 2-3 days without a toilet. At first I was going to take him up on it, but I'll be fine.

We are thinking about putting the old toilet and vanity in the basement to use when we're outside working in the garden. And at least then, we'd have another toilet to use in case of emergencies.

 

[Norachan]

That's a big project, but it's going to look great when it's all done. Please show us some pictures, I'd be interested to see how it turns out.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

We are thinking about putting the old toilet and vanity in the basement to use when we're outside working in the garden. And at least then, we'd have another toilet to use in case of emergencies.

that's an excellent idea!!!

i have only one bathroom too, like you. just before i get to remodeling my bathroom, i'm seriously considering remodeling the upstairs of my house and putting in a second bathroom -- 3/4 bathroom, with sink/toilet, and a big, beautiful, luxurious soaking tub.

just having the toilet and vanity installed in your basement may very well add to the value of your house!

 

[Winchester]

We paid the deposit on the granite slab yesterday. We are scheduled for March 7 for the templating and then March 14 for the counter top installation. So once the bathroom sink goes, it will be that long til we get the new sinks connected. We can survive; that's a minor issue.

The sink fixtures are in the bedroom and all the paint is in the bathroom. We finished taking the old floor up yesterday.

We're going to have to rent equipment to take the old shower out; it was originally built into the bathroom when the walls were going up in the house, so it's going to be tricky.

Bathroom colors will be grey, black, and Victorian Plum.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

This is really quite a project. You are braver than I am. I can imagine life with just about everything except a toilet. I remember that from the days of growing up when most everyone in the community had a path and an outside toilet.
Good luck with the project. May it pass quickly.

 

[Winchester]

The bathroom is completely off-limits and may remain so over the weekend. They're putting the floor down. He was going to put the toilet back on, but my concern is that the weight may ruin the floor around the toilet. We'd also be walking on a newly-grouted floor to use the bathroom. Nah...I told him that I'm willing to wait until the glue, grout, and all that good stuff cures. I'm dealing OK. I'd rather not have to worry about the floor. I ran over to my sister's last night to use her bathroom around 6:00 or so (and didn't drink anything for the rest of the night!). I'll run over on Saturday morning for a quick shower and then again on Sunday night. (Dear Richard wanted to foot a motel bill for me for a couple of nights while we had no toilet or shower while he stayed with the animals; I said that was ridiculous, we couldn't afford it, and I wasn't going there. Not that I couldn't use a couple nights on my own without husband, cats or Beast! But we're doing fine.)

This morning I washed my hair in the kitchen sink. It is what it is. I'm thankful that our kitchen sink is just one large sink instead of two small ones.

We can't shut the bathroom door because porcelain tiles are thicker than regular flooring; the thickness of the tiles combined with the subfloor won't allow the door to shut properly. When the new bathroom door comes in, it will have to be adjusted.

 

[Norachan]

That would be fun with my bladder.

 

[Winchester]

I'm taking a vacation day tomorrow (Tuesday). The shower door has come in and will be installed tomorrow morning at 8:00. That's it. Once the door is installed, the new bathroom will be complete. And it's taken.....8 months, since the beginning of January when we tore out the closet. A (very) long process and probably one for the record books. Eight months, just to gut a bathroom and start over. Ridiculous.

I really like Bastet. Bastet is our tall, thin black kitty, who has taken over the bathroom for her home. She's made of resin and she's really pretty....well, I think so. Rick is a little ambivalent about her. He likes her, but he's not sure about her living in the bathroom. Muffin does not like her; when Bastet first came, Muffin walked into the bathroom, stopped dead, took a look at her, hissed and ran out into the hallway. Molli and Tabby don't care at all; they sniffed at her and walked away.

I know, I know. When we first started with the bathroom, I said there would be no cats in the bathroom at all. None. (If anybody will recall, I also said that when we gutted the kitchen a few years ago: No cats! No cat figurines! No cat mugs or cups or anything else. And well, there are a few cats in the kitchen, too.)

We have cats and they own the house. It's pretty obvious at this point.

I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

this is awesome news!! the last piece being installed tomorrow. i'm sure the remodel turned out lovely!

 

[Norachan]

Wow, 8 months. You must really need the loo by now.



Can't wait to see some pictures.

 

[jcat]

Wow! Can't wait to see the pictures.