Remodeling a Bathroom

[popowich]

Any tips for someone looking to cheaply remodel a bathroom?

I started repainting, and will be getting some nice shelves and stuff.

The bathtub is getting reglazed too.

I'm looking for things that can help make it nicer, without it becoming a multi-thousand dollar project.

-Raymond

[Kaos]

We have to redo ours too. we live in an older house and the shower tiles are leaking. After multiple times of re-chaulking the whole thing we are going to do an insert over it and give up. It will look nice and clean atleast but what a pain it will be.I love house projects but this one I've been putting off as long as possible.

[popowich]

Are you doing the insert yourself or having a contractor do it?

I am under the impression that they are very expensive.

-Raymond

[Kaos]

I'm a cheap do-it-myself type. Actually they aren't priced to bad. You can go to Home Depot and buy what you need for a couple hundred bucks. The hard part will be cutting out around the spicket/knobs I guess but the rest should be pretty simple. Of course I haven't done it yet so we'll find out when I do how "simple" it is. But I can cheat, my father-in-law flips houses for a living and does all this kind of stuff so I can call him if we get in trouble with it.

[popowich]

I'm very interested in hearing about how this project goes for you.

Please keep us updated, thanks! :)

-Raymond

[popowich]

I don't suppose we could get you to write up a how to guide and any tips/tricks for issues that you ran into when you are done?

I'm going to need a lot of help if I try to do this project.

-Raymond

[esnagel]

When you caulk around the bathtub, make sure it's full of water. Otherwise, the first time you fill the tub, it'll pull away from the caulk.

I love the floor in my office, and now they sell something similar w/ a stone texture to the vinyl (http://www.whooshusa.com/search.php?q=home+depot+allure+tile+vinyl+floor&nSDCCatIDList=&nSDCSubIDList=Select+Category+First&x=0&y=0&b=products). I did my office w/ the woodgrain and LOVE IT. Looking forward to doing our upper bath & lots on the first floor with this stuff. It cuts easily and lays down nicely. Let me know when I'm coming over to help :)

[Kaos]

^ Cool tip, I never thought of that!

Sure Ray, but I don't know how soon we'll do it, like I said I'm trying to avoid it. Just been looking at a plan without intentions of having a start date

[Raven]

That must be a heavy job, flipping a house. :rofl:

my father-in-law flips houses for a living

[yukon]

I redid the bathroom in my old house in Roch before I moved to NJ - it brings to mind another wacky ray phone call:

me:
"hay man, its me - are you home right now?"
ray:
"yeah"
me:
"you know how I ripped my bathroom down to studs last friday? well now its monday and the plumbing is taking longer than I exepected, its not going to be done until tomorrow. I have a date in about an hour and half."
ray:
"yeah, that sucks"
me:
"so, do you mind if I come over and use your shower?"
ray:
"why don't you just go out stinky"
me:
"um, its a first date . . . and she's pretty hot"
ray:
"yeah sure, whatever"

[Kaos]

Nice of you to come around Ray and let him shower.. and did the date work out after all that?

[THERESA]

...........................
me:
"so, do you mind if I come over and use your shower?"
ray:
"why don't you just go out stinky"


:laughing6::rofl:

[yukon]

yeah, the date went well, I ended up seeing her for a couple of months. On a side note, I believe that is the same girl(could have been a different one, thought) (different date) I got this call (during a multi-day power outage of 2004, possibly late '03):
ray:
"hi its ray"
me:
"dude, I'm on a date right now, can i call you back?"
ray:
"how long are you going to be, I need help"
me:
"don't know, its going pretty well, what do you need help with?"
ray:
"well, I just bought this generator and its huge, I already dropped it twice getting it into my truck, can you come over and help me unload it?"
me:
"um . . . now?"
ray:
"yeah, I don't have power at home"
me:
"well, I have power, just go to my place, you know where the key is"
ray:
"but my basement is flooding . . . need to power the sump pump"
me:
"yeah, let me take her home, I'll be there in half an hour"


LMAO . . . nothing like reminiscing about a weird "ray call" to make you laugh in the morning.

[THERESA]

But did you really cut your date short?

[yukon]

well, I had to . . . I was guilted into it - my buddy needed help. Luckily I did, because when my finally lost power the next day Ray *had* to bring his generator over to pump out my basement too :).

[THERESA]

Ray would do anything for anyone, that's just how he rolls. :)

[Raven]

Another reason why I like it here. ;)

Ray would do anything for anyone, that's just how he rolls. :)

[Jessii]

These Ray stories were awesome. They made me remember what Ray is all about. Not that I really forgot. Thank you Ray (and Theresa) for the help and hospitality last night. Today is the Math test.... Keep your fingers crossed for stir.

[THERESA]

No problem. I liked watching Jasmine tell you that you were the only one allowed to answer the questions. :D


:hide:

[Jessii]

Nothing like children or animals to humble you every time...

[nikanone]

Hi all, I found some water stains on a corner of a basement wall. Should I ask the sellers to fix it? The home inspector said that most likely it is the lack of down spout extension that is the cause of the stain. I like this house but I am little nervous about this water stain in basement wall. It could be a simple one or a big one. Should I ask the seller to put this in writing?

[popowich]

Should you ask the seller to put what in writing? Water in a basement is bad. Not knowing anything about anything, I'd have a more in depth inspection done than the "what can be visually inspected" inspection if you like the house that much.

-Raymond

[Kaos]

Yup I agree with Ray! Get a better inspector to determine the cause.

Our house apparently had water issues in the basement according to our seller. But my husband simply added a french drain by the side of our house, then we painted all the walls with the water resistant paint, and I've never seen any evidence, so hopefully yours could be a simple fix like ours. And with the weather we've been having in the past year, crazy hard rain storms, that would have definitely leaked if it was something like a foundation crack etc.

[wawawebis]

We remodeled our bathroom just before we moved...and it ended up being a really nice bathroom but not inexpensive! then, we moved and now have just a regular bathroom.
Here's what I'd suggest having fixed up this "new" old bathroom and learned a lot from the "old" makeover bathroom.
There are some really nice vinyl floor coverings that look exactly like tile, but they aren't slippery when wet and aren't cold in the winter.
You can add a row of tiles and a trim as a backsplash behind your sink, and its really not hard to do....it takes some patience but I managed it and I am not famous for patience. You can buy some really cool glass tiles that are expensive but only use them for the accent trim or a few decorative spots and it can brighten it all up.
"Sponge" painting can look like expensive wallpaper.
You can hire someone who comes in an paints some coating over your old tiles that seals with a fresh acrylic and it looks brand new.

And in case someone ever wonders, there is no reason to buy a heavy porcelin tub when a fiberglass one will do just fine! Not sure why I believe that the porcelin would feel so much warmer on my feet....our contractor tried to tell me, but...oh well.

New floor, new paint, and you should like your new bathroom a lot!

[wawawebis]

And pay that bit extra for a really good but quiet venting fan that has the nightlight mode! well worth every penny!