2019 is becoming the year of the bathroom in our house. The time has come to renovate all of the bathrooms. Yes, technically I already did the powder room, but that’s a long story for another time. Starting right after the New Year with O-Man’s bathroom. And, well, life. So, I’m just now sitting down to share this hall bathroom renovation. I promise you it’s worth the wait. A few splurges, leftover tile from other jobs, and a few great deals resulted in an industrial farmhouse bathroom. It’s no longer embarrassing to send people to use it!
Bathroom Renovation Before
Upon moving into the house we remove the wallpaper and paint. O-Man wanted clouds on the ceiling of his bedroom to go with his Minecraft theme. This theme won’t last the test of time. I don’t mind painting… except for ceilings! I hate painting ceilings!
To compromise, my mom painted clouds on the bathroom ceiling. Leftover blue and white paint was all we needed. As a temporary fix, it helped.
The biggest problem in the room is the size of the vanity! So large it invades the toilet space with the toilet paper holder on the side of the vanity. It actually hangs over the toilet seat! No joke! You have to be careful not to impale yourself when sitting down on the toilet!
Despite scrubbing and re-caulking, mold continued to grow around the tub and I was afraid to find it behind the tub panels (very common when putting panels over the top of existing tile or tub walls).
Because of her allergies, Tasha takes salt baths a few times a week. The last thing I want her doing is soaking in a tub surrounded by mold!
This bathroom has been renovated at least once since the house was built. I suspect somewhere around the late 1990s to early 2000s. Upon demolition, I determined the bathtub had been re-glazed from yellow to a pinky color. Pinkish tub panels trimmed in wood cover the original yellow wall tile.
Just in case you don’t know… wood and water don’t mix too well. The wood trim was pretty waterlogged before we got into the house.
Down to the Studs
Dave and I ripped everything out, all the way down to the studs. Surprisingly there was no mold behind the drywall!
Up next, plumbing and electrical. I’m not sharing detailed pictures of this part of the renovation. Electrical and plumbing to the extent we do should be handled by a professional or skilled individual. Before working for Dave, IronFish and I hired out the electrical and plumbing portions of the bathrooms we renovated in our first house.
Obviously, after 8 years working alongside a contractor, I know what I’m doing at this point. (and Dave double-checks me!)
Next up, installing the new tub. A “Princeton” tub is basically the standard for a hall bathtub. It’s the style we removed. At 5’10+” with tall kids, I like a larger tub. Not wanting to expand the bathroom into IronFish’s office, my choices are limited.
The length of the tub can’t surpass 60” but deeper and wider can be accommodated! I selected a “Cambridge” tub which is 2” wider and 2” deeper. It may not sound like much, but it makes a huge difference. There are a few other options for tubs, but this is enough of an increase and the splurge doesn’t break the bank.
Cement board and Red Guard are then applied to the walls in preparation for tiling. We also built the wall niche between studs for shampoos, body washes and other products I know will clutter the tub.
Allergy-Friendly
When cleaning the bathroom (the whole house, really) we take a lot into consideration for Tasha’s allergies. Most of her allergies are chemical-based, meaning she uses special personal care products and homemade cleaning products.
Tasha does have to deal with issues from the actual construction but I take extra steps to lay the foundation for fewer allergies in the bathroom.
We use mold-resistant drywall or green board for the walls and ceiling. Tasha and I are both very allergic to mold. When it comes to tape and spackling, I opt for the dust control version. Consistency is slightly different than the traditional spackle Dave and I use. Since I have tried both in this house, she reacts less to the dust control version. (Please note: since you still have to sand, there will be dust… it just drops to the ground much faster instead of creating a huge cloud of dust.)
Dave and I work during the day when the kids are at school. At the end of each day, I vacuum with a HEPA filter vacuum after using our shop-vac to pick up the big stuff and the first layer of dust. Finally, I spray our homemade cleaning solution and wipe down everything to pick up any last bits of dust or debris that can bother her.
All of this is done after removing the drop cloths we use to keep the dust down. I keep other doors closed, blocking off other rooms in the house while working.
I can’t honestly say these steps are vital and make a difference in her allergies, but I would much rather take the precautions than not.
And I think I’ll leave you off here today. While it seems like I’m just getting started, the behind-the-scenes work sets everything up for a beautiful bathroom in the end.
