Bathroom Remodel: Chapter 2

The last bathroom remodel post (not including the newspaper post) was from over a week ago, and things have definitely changed for the better since getting that window installed and new insulation in. I'd like to share!

First off, here's a shot of the hole in our sub-floor that I mentioned:

Yes, that hole is indeed underneath where our toilet normally sits. Apparently whoever put the toilet in (or did a remodel several decades ago, because our toilet is pretty danged old) caulked it to the floor (a big no-no), meaning a leak formed ages ago but we couldn't see it. So all the water simply pooled underneath the toilet and, over time, created this beauty. I hate to think what would have happened had we let this go, blissfully unaware of the hidden danger right underneath our ignorant bottoms.

I like to tell myself that I don't hope my husband would have been the one to fall into the basement, but that would be lying.

So The Professor and my dad have to tackle the repair of the sub-floor itself and then build up the rest of the flooring before we can tile the floor. Thankfully this is the only leak they've found, and the repair shouldn't be that difficult. We'll have to live with this floor for a few days, though, as we have guests coming in today for the weekend.

I mentioned in my first bathroom post that, because of these guests, we were really focusing on getting the shower completely done so that all six adults could, in fact, get clean. I'm happy to say that we have accomplished that goal! Let me show you the progress over the past week.

After The Professor got all the old insulation cleaned out of the walls and he and my dad got the new window installed, it was time for Visqueen, a plastic lining that acts as a vapor barrier in between the studs in the walls and the cement board.

This stuff is pretty important. If you're following Young House Love's bathroom remodel at all, then you know that they opted to not put in a vapor barrier, based on advice from people they trust. My dad thinks they're crazy. Basically, we want this bathroom to repel water until the end of time.

When Jesus comes, we want Him to take a quick tour of our home, use his X-ray vision to see through our shower walls, and then pronounce, "Well done, faithful servant. Thy walls have withstood the Second Coming."

After the lining came cement board (hardiebacker board), a mold repellent. This went on the walls of the shower and the ceiling. The Professor also tackled an exhaust fan in the shower, something we had never had and desperately needed for our tiny, steamy bathroom.

He did an excellent job, and this picture does not do the job justice. He put 3 days into this bleepity-bleeping fan, even installing it in one location before realizing it was inaccessible from the top (should we ever have problems in the future) and then having to take the whole thing apart and start again in a new location. He says that the scariest part of this job was having to drill a 4 1/2 (I think) inch hold in the side of our house for the exhaust. He really did a good job. (And in case you're wondering why that doesn't look like a normal fan, please know that the "pretty" part, the basic white light with the white vents on its sides, will go on later.)

Tiling started on Monday of this week. A few weeks ago we picked up some really nice wall tile for $.99 a square foot. The owner of the tile store who sold it to us said it had originally sold for $6.99 a square foot, so we feel good with our choice. It's a very neutral tile, so hopefully it will go with whatever decor we and other various owners choose in the future.

So the shower is finished, with the exception of the ceiling. We are going to tile the ceiling, but we are going to wait to tackle that until our guests leave. It involves making large braces so that the tile doesn't succumb to gravity and shatter everywhere, and we just didn't have the time to do that this week. But The Professor did the grout yesterday and then stayed up late last night to finish the clean up on the tile and also caulk.

I think it looks wonderful. Sure, we don't have a sink or toilet, and our floor is torn up and nasty, but by tonight we'll be able to shower! I can't wait. I'm calling dibs.

In the meantime, we've been bathing our children in the kitchen sink, a practice they have all entitled "Taking a Sink Bath." They love it; it's like a super special treat to squeeze themselves, one by one, into our chipped enamel sink and splash around for a bit surrounded by drying plates and dinner leftovers.

And the other night I did Baby C's shampooed hair in a special style. When I whipped out the camera, she put on her very best camera smile.

I love her.

And I love my new shower!