Happy Mother's Day!!! Here's a New...Bathroom?!

I can be my own worst enemy.

The only problem with completing a home project is that you turn your mind to WHAT ELSE needs fixed.  Well, I had just come off of two very satisfying bathroom remodel projects in my Cleveland home.  That could only mean one thing...

I wanted another bathroom to tackle!!!

I didn't have to look too far.

Mother's Day was fast-approaching, and my brother, sister, and I are always looking for creative gift ideas.  Well, leave it to me to come up with the wildest gift idea ever!  "Hey, what if we redid Mom's bathroom for Mother's Day?  She's been wanting an update for awhile, and I just wrapped up mine, so..."

That "so" could have easily been followed by "I'm about the most confident man out there in bathrooms right now, and I'm ready to tackle another easy project!!!"

Well, I wish I could say the answer was different, but my brother went along with the idea!!!  If we had only known!!!

The funny part is that I had planned in having the bathroom remodel project completed in 24 hours!!! I'm not kidding!  I had the whole project planned out.  I would fly in with peel-and-stick tiles from Cleveland.  My brother and I would install those over the old flooring.  We would then grout the tiles, paint the walls, install a new vanity, put the toilet back in place, and voila!

Sounds like a day project, right?!  IN MY MIND IT DID!!!

Mom and Dad's bathroom as I found it.  A wee bit dated.

Well, I went head first into our plan.  I flew in and arrived at Mom and Dad's with tiles.  The bathroom itself wasn't too bad, but it just needed some updates.  Mom had previously painted the vanity, but even that update was dated.  I did see something I didn't like, though...look at the discoloration around the toilet.  I just figured Dad had been missing while peeing (I'm not even joking!).  Little did I know...

Well, the first order of business was seeing what to do with the old linoleum.  I had considered putting the tiles right over the top of these, but that plan was quickly scrapped.  As soon as I removed the toilet, I knew that this simple little project would turn into a nightmare rather quickly.  For it wasn't Dad missing the toilet after all...

Why was this linoleum bleeding colors?!  This is not good, Andy, not good...

I had a broken flange on my hand!!!  And the toilet had been leaking for who knows how long!  (Actually, Mom could tell you!  She kept pressing Dad that it was more than just missing the pot, but needless to say, the problem was let go for years...).  Agh!!!

Well, I decided that I needed to inspect the floorboards.  So I took a utility knife and cut away the linoleum around the toilet.  But the more I cut, the more I realized that the rotten wood (and mold) had spread quite a ways.  The parts immediately around the flange looked in terrible shape, and I was afraid of what the rest would look like under the linoleum.  So in a decision that even I wasn't excited about, I knew I had to pull up the linoleum.  I had never done such a thing before, and it's obvious why some contractors just lay new linoleum on top of old.  This stuff is nearly impossible to get up!  I would spent way too many hours peeling and scraping up the very tore-up linoleum.  That glue is STRONG!!!

Agh, this project!!!  I had to keep reminding myself it was for Mom.  :)

Well, after pulling up the linoleum, it was obvious that the leak had been leaking for quite some time.  The floorboards around the toilet were ruined.  You could take a screwdriver and stick it straight through the wood into the crawlspace!  It had absolutely zero strength or support.  Yikes.  So I knew I had to replace it.  The good news was that the bad wood had been confined to the area around the toilet.  Phew.




The broken toilet flange and the wood that ripped apart in my hands.  What a mess.

But this small project turned big really quick.  My dad and brother both helped, so that was nice, but we were pressed for time!  This was only supposed to take 24 hours!

After removing the linoleum, I cut away the damaged floorboard.  We then installed some sideways supports between the floor beams for additional support.  I also bought a new plastic flange for the toilet.  I was also able to purchase a sink and vanity for only $49 at Lowe's.  I was pretty pleased with that!

Cutting out the old damaged floorboard.  What a project this turned into!

Once we removed the floorboards, the rest of the project actually wasn't all that terrible (as had been the plan the entire time!!!).  My sister came over to do her share (paint the room), and she did that while we worked on the floor.  I tell you, it was quite packed in there!  It's only 25 square feet!

The new tiles being installed.  I have already cut out my toilet hole!  Lookin' good!  Finally...PROGRESS!!!

My brother had to work, so I was left laying the tiles by myself.  That was fine by me.  The new floorboard was set, and I took the tiles and took the painstaking job of lining them up evenly (impossible with different size tiles!).  I did my best, though, and it turned out quite nicely.  I was pleased anyway.

I mixed up the grout and started to grout the tiles.  FINALLY, the project was actually starting to move forward.  But it wasn't going to be perfect.  For after laying the floor, it was time to set the vanity back in position.  Well, that was supposed to be ANOTHER easy project...except for the terrible job done by Dad several years ago!!!

He had replaced some drywall or plaster behind the sink after a leak, but he didn't really care about how it looked since it was behind the sink.  A poorly-done job was now rearing its head!!!  AGH, DAD!!!  So I had the unwelcome job of sanding and mudding to try to get the wall flat again for the new vanity!  There is always something with a remodel!!!

The original 1979 sink and vanity.  You're telling me blue marble swirl isn't in anymore?!

The new vanity!

Well, I was able to get the wall smooth, and after replacing the 1/4-turn shut-off valves (both leaked), it was time to set the vanity in place.  I installed the new plastic flange on the floor and the old toilet back on top, and all of a sudden, I had a new bathroom on my hands!

The old linoleum floor.

Replaced with new tile!

But wow, what a project that was!  Note to self:  Do NOT be so overly ambitious!!!  The project ended up being full of surprises!  But at the end of the day, the job was done right.  It was good that we found the leaky toilet and fixed that (good-bye mold!), although that was NOT a pleasant surprise.

Before!

After!

At the end of TWO DAYS, though, Mom had a brand-new bathroom!  And I had the satisfaction of bringing their 1970's and 1990's accents up just a few years.  Quite unexpectedly, I did have to leave a few projects undone during my stay.  The wood trim was left undone, the sink drain was left undone, and the toilet paper holder was left undone.  All three were completed by Dad after I left!  Hey, what can I say?!  I hadn't really expected the loss of a half a day due to a leaking toilet, right?!

Thanks, Pa!  :)

I already told Mom she would be getting something store-bought next year.

The Massive Bathroom Project Completed!!! Before and After Photos!



Well, it was quite a process.  But the hard work has paid off.  I've heard it said that the two most important rooms in a home are the kitchen and the bath.  I'm thrilled to have an updated bath now.  The work has all been detailed in previous posts.

For your viewing pleasure, here are some before and after pictures.

The bathroom before...

And After!

Before...



And After!



Before...

After!!!

Before...

After!!!

Before...

After!!!

Day Ten: The Massive Bathroom Project

Well, the only thing that was standing between me and a brand-new bathroom was putting it back together!  I had purchased a new vanity and sink combo from Lowe's, and I was reinstalling the original toilet.  And that was it!

Just waiting on a toilet!

Just waiting on a sink!

The new vanity and sink!

The toilet reinstalled!

It's hard to believe, but this monstrous bathroom project is finally complete!!!  I'm so thrilled.  I'll post the Before and After pictures side-by-side in another post.  But what a feeling of relief and contentment and satisfaction that this project is not only done...but looks great!  It's a brand-new room!

The completed bathroom!!!  I LOVE IT!!!

Day Nine: The Massive Bathroom Project

Well, I was ready to grout the floors!!!  I had already gained some experience by grouting the bathtub tiles, and I was hoping that this wouldn't be any different!

I was very happy to learn that it was just about the same!  Fill in the gaps, push it down, push over it some more, move on.  Then wipe up the mess at the end!  Seriously, it's not that hard at all.

But the difference is night and day.  Another skill learned!

The bathroom floor is done!!!

I carried it into the closet, as well.

Words don't really capture my satisfaction with this job!  I'm so pleased!

This bathroom looks NOTHING like it did last week!



The grout dried to a lighter color, and I think I like that even more!!!

Day Eight: The Massive Bathroom Project

Well, the big bathroom project was almost done!!!  But I wasn't out of the woods yet.

My tub contractor had given me the idea of a new product that he loved to use.  It's called TrafficMaster.  I had never heard of it before, but it's basically ceramic tile without the ceramic!  ha!  I checked it out at Home Depot, and the floor display had me sold.  You could do it with or without grout, but far and away, the grout was the way to go.

I bought myself several boxes, some snips, and headed for home.  But I have a confession first...this wasn't my original intention.  This was only after a previous project went south in a hurry!!!

You see, I had learned that you could paint tiles yourself, and after seeing the job done by a professional, I wanted to try my hand at it.  haha...I was worthless.  I have the confidence to try anything, and that can get the best of me.  This was one of those times.  I had placed a primer seal over the floor, and well, it looked terrible.  At least the floor was now primed, right?!

My "new" floor.  A failed project.  I simply primed the floor tiles, hoping they would look new.  Not so much.

The ugly old color was gone.  But up close, this wasn't that much better!  A failed project!

But I was smart (wise?) enough to see that the results weren't as expected, hence me going after the tiles.  The tile project itself was pretty fun.  Because these aren't ceramic, you don't need any special tools outside of tin snips.  And when it comes down to hard corners...well, there is no such thing!!!  I would simply make a mark on the tile with marker, then cut it with the snips!

Don't get me wrong, the project was a bit tedious.  The tiles aren't perfectly square (don't believe the box!), and making same-width tile spaces was a bit of an art, but the difficulty level is pretty low.  It just takes time and patience.  And a few tough fingers for cutting!  These tiles are tough!!!

Laying down the tile.  All you need are some snips and some patience!

The best part is that you can follow the shape of anything!  Check out my wood trim piece!  I was proud of that one!

No dust, no saw, no concern about circles!  Just cut and place!

One by one, though, the tiles came together, and after each square-foot went together, my excitement grew more and more.  This bathroom was starting to look sharp!  It looks NOTHING like the previous one!  And that has me very, very excited.

I was able to follow the contours of the wood trim, the newly-exposed bathtub, and the toilet flange.  Seriously, this stuff is incredible.  It sure took the work out of tile cutting!!!  And perfect cuts were possible!

The floor is ready for grout!

I LOVE my new floor!!!  Agh, this is so rewarding!!!

I'm completely sold on the new tiles.  Now all I have to do is grout.