Home Rosings ParkBathroom Remodel: Before

Bathroom Remodel: Before

05 July 2005• by

In which I chronicle the state of our bathroom before the remodel begins.

Our bathroom remodel began today. I had the foresight to preserve the room in photographs.

The room has already been gutted. All that remains is the toilet, and I think that goes tomorrow.

Of course, the first day of any remodel reveals all the little hidden things for which one cannot plan, things such as:

  • The vent fan, which I want to keep, is not up to code. It will probably have to go.
  • The plumber had a headache picking up the bathtub from Rejuvenation. He was forced to wait two hours for somebody to help him. I’m hoping that’s not two hours for which we’ll be billed, but it may be.
  • The bathroom walls were built at various times and to various levels. By this I mean that one section of the wall is set back at least half an inch from another section. It’s a Headache.
  • The window casing is too deep for its enclosure and will require some tricksy woodworking.
  • And worst — and most expensive — the electrical panel is totally illegal. It’s currently mounted in the cellar stairwell, on the back side of the bathroom wall. Apparently this is Not Good. The electrical panel will have to be completely relocated.

This whole project, while necessary, and sure to be wonderful when completed, has been causing me a great deal of stress for the past six months. I cannot wait for it to be finished. Until then, I’ll be rather anxious.

Comments

On 06 July 2005 (05:52 AM),
serenity said:

wow, where did you go for..euh..you know.. i hope it’s not your only bathroom 😀

On 06 July 2005 (08:17 AM),
Tiffany said:

I wish you all the luck possible that things go smoothly.

On 06 July 2005 (08:53 AM),
Rich R said:

It is a stressful process that can drive a man to drink… Good luck with it!

On 06 July 2005 (10:12 AM),
jenefer said:

I agree with Tiffany, Luck is what’s needed. Luck with the contractor, luck with the individual workmen and luck that no more surprises will appear. When is your anticipated finish date? Too bad about the vent fan. Old bathrooms are so interesting, especially if they have been “updated” several times in old houses.

On 06 July 2005 (10:12 AM),
jenefer said:

I agree with Tiffany, Luck is what’s needed. Luck with the contractor, luck with the individual workmen and luck that no more surprises will appear. When is your anticipated finish date? Too bad about the vent fan. Old bathrooms are so interesting, especially if they have been “updated” several times in old houses.

On 06 July 2005 (01:43 PM),
Lisa said:

Somehow, the pictures make it look even worse than it does in person. Regardless, you’ll be thrilled when all the dust settles. My condolences about the electrical panel…

On 06 July 2005 (06:01 PM),
Cepo said:

yick! Good luck, i can’t wait for the day that i actually own a house that i can make look any way i wish.

On 17 August 2005 (07:01 AM),
Cori said:

You have my sympathy! My husband an I bought our first house last fall, and ironically enough, we started OUR bathroom remodel project within days of you starting yours. The room was originally a porch, so the floor sloped rather steeply away from the house, and they never bothered to level the floor when they put in a half-bath… A few months after we moved in, the toilet developed a leak, and that coupled by the fact that the floor was topped with TWO layers of carpet, made it necessary to pretty much redo the whole thing.

We’re undertaking the project almost entirely by ourselves, however (hubby is an electrician by trade, so that helps), and the biggest problem WE’VE found is that the bathroom itself wouldn’t be so difficult it it weren’t for all the related problems OUTSIDE of the room which needed to be dealt with first– replacing water shut-offs in the basement that feed the bathroom, since they had corroded open; rewiring the main electrical panel, essentially for the whole house, since it (like yours) was totally out of code, etc., etc. That, coupled with all the structural work that needed to be done (levelling the sloped floor was a major obstacle), has made this quite a stressful project! Luckily, though, this isn’t our only bathroom… but you’re right, I just have to keep reminding myself how great it’s going to be when it’s finished!

2 Replies to “Bathroom Remodel: Before”

  1. Brandon Hopkins says:
    18 April 2006 at 11:17

    Great article, the pictures make it a great article for someone doing their first bathroom, or their fifth. I linked to this post from my website.

    Thanks!

    Brandon Hopkins

    Reply

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