Tom's Life Bits

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===== The Bathroom Project =====

This was started by Lib in 2005 when we took down the wallpaper and she started painting the bathroom sink cabinet. Shortly after that I began consulting for QYX and thus postponed the bathroom job. The bathtub was a green fiberglass tub that had a cracked base which was the result of a botched repair by the manufacturer. I never liked this tub. In addition, the drain developed a leak which caused water to drip through the ceiling into the Family Room. The leak was like this for several years, at least back to 1999. The roof on the house was old and leaking and as a result water ruined part of the bathroom ceiling. The source of the leak was the bathroom vent stack which went through the roof over the bathroom ceiling. The Sheetrock was badly damaged and the ceiling stained from the leak. The best way to fix the ceiling was to put another layer of Sheetrock on the existing ceiling. This was done about the time the bath tub was removed and here is where the project stalled.

Fast forward to May 2007. We decide while on our California to Denver adventure that we would resume the bathroom project. The Monday after we arrived back home the mud and tape was underway. This was on May 28. The project pictures show the seams taped on May 30. Shortly after this we went to Home Depot to take advantage of a 10% off coupon. We purchased all the bathroom fixtures and faucets using the coupon. The bathtub was lowered into place on June 5. In between this time the bathroom ceiling was painted with popcorn paint using a roller. This job came out remarkably well, almost as good as the spray on popcorn.

The bath wall needed to be firred out to accommodate the new cast iron tub which was 1.5 inches narrower on each side than the fiberglass enclosure tub it replaced. Wonderboard was fastened to the studs and taped at the seams with thinset mortar.   On June 10 the Wonderboard was taped and the ceramic tile work began.

For fun, on June 20th we painted the room light blue. Lib went back and did the trim with Autumn Wheat which we had to go to Sears Crabtree to pick up. The Cary Mall Sears no longer carries paint. Next time we will have to get this stuff matched up at Home Depot or Lowes to get a different brand, same color.

We used Hardibacker cement board glued down with thinset and screwed into the old sub flooring with galvanized Sheetrock screws. This job was daunting since the drill needed to be pressed hard into the screw in order to not strip the head. I was the most exhausted after this task than any other of the project.  The flooring went well - the lines were straight thanks to the bag of spacers and cutting was made easy by the purchase of a tile cutting saw.  I originally tried cutting with a jigsaw but unlike cutting the ceramic tub tiles, the floor tiles would not yield. The diamond blade water lubricated tile saw cut through the tile like butter. Straight lines were done with the score and break cutter but L shaped pieces needed the diamond saw.

The weekend of June 29, 30 and July 1 was a plumbing weekend. All the fixtures were hooked up starting with the new toilet, then all the bathtub controls, shower head and spigot got installed. The last piece of plumbing was the sink. The drain turned out to be a challenge since it initially leaked then piece of pile needed to be cut flush with the wall and bored out so a male adapter could be inserted. Eventually this was complete and on July 3rd the shower curtains and towel rods went up signifying a complete job!!!!

Note: As a Postscript, a mirror over the sink was purchased and installed Monday July 8. No further construction work on the bathroom project is planned or needed.

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