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toadangel

lisa'a master bath remodel part II

toadangel
16 years ago

hi all - i'm starting a second posting since the first one is so packed with pictures.

my friend, john, finished up the drywall last week & sanded it down, so i primed on wednesday night. nice primer - zinsser bullseye - a bit smelly, but coverage is fantastic.

i may do another coat since i'm going dark blue on most of the walls, but for now it is waiting for john to return from new york to check his work & finesse anything he's not happy with. i think it looks great, but i'll respect his wishes & wait for him to give me the ok.

he also finished up the other side of the new walls, where the laundry room used to be.

today i tiled more of the tub surround, and i feel so much better about my results than with the previous wall. i guess any bit of experience helps.

i also made friends with the tile saw and that made making exact sizes up the wall so much easier (duh, right?). i'm still a bit scared i'll cut off my finger when i suddenly realize what i'm doing and jolt into reality right when i pass the blade :) but i have enough confidence to keep moving forward.

here's my tub surround. i'm going to put the rest of the tile up after i paint.

hopefully next week john can try his hand at smoothing out the shower walls, sort of like he does with drywall mud. we bought kerabond & he's going to try it with water, over the versabond he used when he tried the tile on the wall a couple weeks ago. hopefully no issues with trying this? we're trying to get a smoother wall so tiles can go on more flush.

lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: my previous round of postings

Comments (48)

  • mommielady
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lisa,

    This is the first time I am reading all the way through your post(s). It has been so helpful to me, especially the parts about the the Kerdi install. Your little snafus, like 'being certain to get the Kerdi corners at perfect right angles' and details on what types of thinset products to purchase are putting me light years ahead when my guys do our Kerdi install in the upcoming week. Isn't Bill a life-saver? Because I don't actually DIY, I am certain to drive my tile guys perfectly crazy next week, as I stand over their shoulders bombarding them with my computer and all my newfound 'knowlege, information, and GW friends' posts!'

    I will have all kinds of 'cheat sheets' based on Mongo's post and everyone else's 'learning curve' snafus. Read today that someone discovered using a 'rolling pin' (what bakers use to make biscuits - the name is escaping me at the moment) to knead out the excess thinset once the Kerdi goes on. 'Necessity is the mother of invention.' :) Still haven't gotten around to reading John Bridge's stuff yet. How much info does a girl need to have, anyway? LOL.

    Haven't been on the forum all day, so I don't know if you've gone back to codnuggets' "Kerdi'd" post. Mongo came back, colored in the parts of the Kerdi drain, and re-explained how to install it. After that, it was clear as a bell. If I understood it, I KNOW you will!

    I do agree that Redguard is a wierd-feeling product, but is a much simpler waterproofing method than Kerdi. I must say again that you are doing an awesome job, and my hats off to you! Your bath is looking fabulously cool.
    You're my inspiration...keep pluggin' away at that tile work and plumbing, Computer Programmer!

    Anne

  • bill_vincent
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    but is a much simpler waterproofing method than Kerdi.

    As good as Redgard is for somethings, I'd NEVER trust it instead of Kerdi. First off, you can''t beat a sheet membrane. It just can't be done. Secondly, Redgard isn't even reinforded, like Laticrete's 9235, with the fabric, to keep expansion and contraction from putting too much strain on it. Lastly, unless you put several coats on, there's no way you'll get the Redgard to be nearly as thick a membrane as the Kerdi. All in all, it just doesn't stand up to Kerdi's integrity.

  • mommielady
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bill,

    Let me clarify. When I was reading Lisa's previous post, somewhere around January 3rd, she asked you (paraphrased) what type of waterproofing was necessary for her tub surround and deck. You replied (paraphrased) that this was an instance wherein she could use a product like Redguard, as a tub surround did not require the same level of waterproofing as does a shower. I noticed that her new pictures show the Redguard on the untiled portion of her tub surround. Hence my comment about the Redguard being a "simpler waterproofing method" than the Kerdi.

    Believe me, I am a committed Kerdi disciple! Having been displaced from my home for 18 months because of mold several years ago, I want NO PART of a shower leaking! So hold your horses, Pardner! :) We're on the same page!

    Anne

  • mommielady
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    One more clarification: Sweeby posted that she and DH had not used an actual baker's 'rolling pin' to imbed the Kerdi in thinset. She said it was a metal roller that her DH had from some other fabrication tool.

    So all you girl Kerdi fabricators out there, you will need to leave your Tupperware rolling pins in the kitchen drawer. :(

  • bill_vincent
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sorry about that!! My mistake!! :-)

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks for the support anne :) i agree bill is a life-saver! he has certainly helped me so much.

    i did see mongo's drawings but haven't had time to sit with the drain & come to a better understanding.

    glad you found my ramblings helpful :) i tried to note things that i did as a novice & a girl that were different than i had read other places. i work so slowly & had so much trouble with that big bucket & drill that i had to wing it with different things to figure out what worked. i guess it doesn't help so much while you're directing tile experts, though. they would certainly scoff at my 1-gallon shallow gladware containers & electric hand mixer that i used for thinset, but it works perfectly for me for the wall tile.

    hope your project goes well this week :)

    lisa

  • mommielady
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lisa,

    Laughing out loud at the 1-gallon gladware containers. That is, until I may have to use the same technique this week! :) The guys had some light switches to put in the last couple of days, so that we would be able to SEE in the shower to put in the Kerdi, and someone had to take his baby to the doctor, etc... the usual delays! So we haven't gotten started on Kerdi, yet.

    I am still shakin' in my boots about the whole Kerdi encounter, tho. However, it looks fabulous to see lights and outlets (with plugs in them) in that previously dark room of mine, though. I am trying to contain my excitement ... even over these tiny milestones!

    I want to encourage you (and everyone else) to REALLY READ and absorb Mongo's post (from codnuggets' thread, "Finally Kerdi'd" - exact title escapes me) with the colored paint lettering. You don't even need the Kerdi drain parts in your hands. Enlarge your computer screen and just look closely at how the lettering labels the parts of the drain, and read how he says each part functions. It becomes really clear. I KNOW you can do it, ... but, no pressure, tho. :))

    And finally, I'm imagining your new bath with 'Midnight Blue' walls and ceiling set off by those white tiles. Did you mention that the blue was a possible paint color? Well, you said that you wondered if the blue might not be too dark. Weedyacres suggested a light in the soffit above your tub to lighten the would-be dark area, but you said that you preferred not having light in your eyes, I am assuming for a relaxing soak. What about putting such a light on a dimmer, so that its purpose was mainly mood-setting rather than functional, since there is other general lighting in the room? If you say that the bath is a focal point when you enter the room, would not a pleasant, soft downlight in a 'midnight sky' over your tub be rather stunning? Were it the only light you see upon entering, it may just 'knock the socks off' your visitors, and you could possibly turn it down low (or off) for a soak. Just a thought.

    Anne

  • mommielady
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh, and Bill...

    All is forgiven. :)

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    paint was the theme of last week, tub tile this week. i got the tub alcove painted a deep blue that matches the glass tiles. i had planned to paint the whole room that color, since there will be so few bits of wall showing once i get everything in, but once i got a large wall painted along with the tub alcove, it was too much of a contrast. i love the contrast with the tiles, but this got to be too much. so i primed over the blue outside of the alcove, and finished off the alcove with a couple more coats of blue. I'm really pleased with it. i still have to paint the soffit ceiling, which i think i will leave white after all.

    i'm thinking a whisper of blue for the rest of the room - like almost white but with a tint of blue. then maybe carry that over into the master bedroom.

    thanks for your thoughts, anne, on the light. I'm thinking i will maybe use some light wood (maple or birch) for some beachy picture frames on my back wall & maybe some for molding along the soffit ceiling edge. the room is feeling "hard" with all the tile & i need to soften it up a bit.

    i got the tub deck & alcove tiled except for some top bullnose pieces - i need to go pick up a few more this week.

    i also tore out the old kerdi band & schluter corner trim from the two vertical corners of my shower & put up new kerdi band, since they weren't sharp enough corners. boy, i wish i knew what i know now when i first started :)

    here's a pic of the new kerdi

    and one of my new wall - it's really tough to get with the lighting & the reflections off the wall

    lisa

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    hey bill - i'm going to buy caulk today and am unsure about sanded vs unsanded. i know your 1/8" rule when it comes to grout, but i don't see anything like that in the directions for the caulk. it will be mapei caulk... what should i know?

    also, any tips on grouting? it'll mostly be unsanded on the tub deck & walls for now... bright white.

    thanks,
    lisa

  • kgwlisa
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I believe sanded vs. unsanded in caulk is just an aesthetic thing. If you are mostly using unsanded grout then use unsanded caulk.

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks, lisa :)

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    hey guys - here's my update... we're having paint issues on the dark blue wall by the tub. it started when we had put up a piece of maple molding & then decided it just didn't fit. i took it down & saw some bubbles of paint underneath. when i tried to scrape them, they peeled like a sticker, with primer on the back. john said it's likely because (1) it's semi-gloss & bathroom paint & (2) it was on top of drywall mud & had only cured for a short time. he's going to put mud over the peeled spot & try things again.

    in the mean time, we have gotten most of the tub supply plumbing done... cpvc to the valves & then copper over to the tub spout. i had started putting them all on the tub, where it's designed for it, but when i sat in the tub, it seemed like i would scrape my back on the spout. not fun. so i read a post here about someone who split the valves & the spout onto separate ends of the tub. i think it worked out well for me as well, though it did take some tricky thinking since the 2x4 supports for the deck had already (of course) been secured into the plywood & cbu & tiled over. i had to split them up because the only place on the deck that had enough room for all 3 of them was going to be right next to the toilet - i didn't want to be leaning over the toilet every time i turned on the tub.

    john drilled holes into the tiled deck successfully (!!) and we got things dry fit so far. i'm excited :)

    i also got the better bench placed - john's going to pack it full of mortar.

    i tiled the non-bench wall of the shower & i think it looks great. and john was nice enough to grout the tub deck for me! it was a real mess, since it was my first tile job... lots of irregular gaps, etc. I got some matching unsanded caulk & he used it really well.

    we also got my rainhead installed, and i put in my light & med cabinet.

    it's coming along!! :)

    lisa

    here's the peeling paint

    here's my grouted tub deck & you can kind of see the new plumbing

    my light & medicine cabinet

    my rain shower head & newly tiled wall - i need to finish painting up to the ceiling since we scrapped the crown molding idea

    the better bench - i think they only sent us 3 screws, but there were 4 holes, so i bought a zinc set of toggle/screw & used that as the fourth. i put kerdifix on the top edges & in all 4 screw holes.

    bench again

    here's how my bullnose will lie... once i add the outer curb tile, they'll be very close. and i only had to cut that one tile! the other side of the wall is all full tiles. so nice.

  • mommielady
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Looks so-ooo good, Lisa.

  • bill_vincent
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lisa-- let me ask you-- why did you set the corner bench on the face of the tile, instead of on the edge and then tile it in? It would be a much stronger bench afterward, because it would be completely supported on the two wall sides, with the bolts only there to hold it in place.

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks, anne :)

    bill - it just looks that way. the tiles around the edge of the bench are cut out, so the bench is resting on their top edges & attached directly to the kerdi'd walls. i tiled up to where i wanted the bench instead of tiling up to it afterwards.

  • caroline94535
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh man Lisa; that's beautiful.

    Would you and John please drop everything, come to North Dakota, and work that kind of magic in my little bathroom? It could be considered "practice."

    I'll feed you good home cooked meals, and home made pie, and ice cream! LOL

  • bill_vincent
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    DAMN!! That's some clean cuttin!!

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    awww :) thanks bill - that makes me feel really good

    thanks, too, caroline - i've only been up that way as a kid, but it was beautiful... i'll let you know if i hear the call again soon. home cooked meals sure would beat my microwave magic :)

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    hey bill - i just found out that my subfloor is actually osb, not plywood. does this change my plan to use kerabond & kerelastic between the subfloor & ditra?

    do i need a thicker subfloor if it's osb instead of plywood, in order to support my ceramic tile?

    thanks

  • bill_vincent
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    By any chance, is that subfloor called Advantek?

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    i don't see that on it. i can't read anything on the top, but here's what i see on the bottoms of them, from my basement

    louisiana pacific
    L-P innerseal osb

    nominal thickness
    houlto, maine

    apa rated sturd-i-floor

    24 OC 23/32 inch
    sized for spacing
    exposure 1

    368
    PS2-92 single floor
    PRP-108 HUD-UM-40C
    NER-124

    roofs/walls/floors
    space panels 1/8 inch at ends
    this side down

    touch sand uneven joints


    the house is 12 years old & seems to have been put together well, built by a good builder... but it is an entry-level house, so nothing fancy. seems solid & well supervised, though, at least so far.

  • misstheatre
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Bill--
    Is Advantek good or bad? I saw it at Lowes and was considering it as my second layer of subfloor before I tile.

    Thanks.

  • bill_vincent
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's good, but not directly under the tile as the bonding surface.

    Lisa-- Give Schluter a call with that info and ask them. I don't think it's a problem, but give them a call and ask just to be sure.

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks bill - here's what schluter had to say, so we're all good with that.

    "Kerabond Keralastic would be fine over your OSB. Use Kerabond with water on top of the DITRA."

    do you still think i should make the kerabond + keralastic "like water" as you had recommended on plywood? then i just basically trowel/smooth it on the floor & lay the ditra on top & smoosh it a little to make sure it's all touching the ditra?

    how long should i leave it alone after that?

  • bill_vincent
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    do you still think i should make the kerabond + keralastic "like water" as you had recommended on plywood?

    Absolutely.

    then i just basically trowel/smooth it on the floor & lay the ditra on top & smoosh it a little to make sure it's all touching the ditra?

    Almost. Use a 1/4x1/4x1/4 notched trowel. If you try and smooth coat it, either you won't lay down enough thinset, ot there'll be too much, and you'll have small humps in the floor. use the notched trowel and keep it uniform.

    how long should i leave it alone after that?

    There are some that'll get right on it immediately, and although I don't have a problem walking across it, I tend to wait till the next day to actually work on top of it.

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    ok - i guess i take the "like water" too literally :) so i should get the thinset mixed very wet, but it should still hold a notch. kind of like when kerdi gets put up (the correct way)?

    should i see the ditra change color all over like the kerdi does? or should i peel up a part of it & check it. it seems like with the texture of the ditra, it may be hard to see through it. i got grey kerabond for under the ditra, though, just in case.

  • misstheatre
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Bill, sorry for my vagueness--I have my Ditra to put over that second layer.

    Sorry Lisa--didn't mean to hijack your thread.

  • bill_vincent
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    so i should get the thinset mixed very wet, but it should still hold a notch.

    Barely. Exactly like when putting up the Kerdi.

    should i see the ditra change color all over like the kerdi does?

    Yup. :-)

    it seems like with the texture of the ditra, it may be hard to see through it.

    Not at all. Even if you were to use white thinset, you'd still see a change.

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks so much bill!

    no problem, misstheatre - i do the same thing sometimes. reading posts from bill & some of the others inspires questions you didn't even know you had :)

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    hey bill - i printed out your excellent layout posting as i'm getting ready to lay out my floor tile. a question about the ditra seams...

    do i have to be mindful of where the seams will fall in the room?

    i plan to seal them with kerdi band.

    my floor ends up being about 6' x 5', so i would like to use two 3' x 5' pieces of ditra side by side. however this would put my seam from the middle of the door to the middle of the tub apron, which is right where i'd be standing in front of the vanity. will that be a problem?

    i could do it the other way and have the seam perpendicular to that line, but that would mean a bit more waste.

    thanks,
    lisa

  • bill_vincent
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Either way would be fine, especially being that you'll be "taping" the seam with Kerdi-band.

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks bill

    got the shower floor tile down yesterday - tricky getting the kerdi drain set, but mongo's post helped a lot.

    today i got the ditra & kerdi down on the main floor. i have to be honest - not a big fan of the kerabond with kerdi - seems too sandy, even with the keralastic, and it doesn't stick it very well. but for the ditra it worked fine.

    tomorrow i'm hoping to get the floor tile down, and my friend is going to grout everything, including the shower, on saturday.

    we still need to finish the tub pipes - the copper is giving my friend fits because of how tight we have to hug the deck & how i placed the faucet controls so far from the spout. but hopefully the tub will go in next week!

    i'm still hoping to be done by may 23rd, which will be a year since i closed on the house. it'll be close, but i'm hopeful :)

    lisa

    here's my bench, after the mortar - i actually didn't mind working with that stuff

    here's my ditra & kerdi floor

    here's my shower floor, and a peek at the bench (without grout yet). i kind of wish i'd not started the floor as my very first tile experience, long ago, because i ended up laying things out so that the drain required a bunch of cuts. it would have been tough to make it work to replace 4 tiles completely, because of the way the rest of the floor would have laid out, but i think with what i know now, i could have done it. but i think it looks good anyway. pretty darn good :)

    and here's a peek at my friend john's sculpture he's been doing while his company is in some down time

    (more if you're interested)

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    hey bill - i know i saw this somewhere, but now cant find it. how long after grouting/caulking can i use a shower & walk on my tile floor? the shower floor has been down for about a week, getting grouted tomorrow - 2x2 tiles with sanded grout, used versabond on kerdi floor.

    the floor tiles went down last night & will also get grouted tomorrow - 12x12 with sanded grout, unmod kerabond on ditra.

    also, the curb is not tiled yet, but it's well kerdi'd. that's ok to still use the shower a tiny bit if i'm careful, right?

    thanks
    lisa

    (if you can't tell, i'm a bit excited to use my new shower :)

  • bill_vincent
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Give it minimum three days after grouting.

    Nice work!

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks, bill

    i'll post some pics today or tomorrow of the grouted floors - i'm really happy with the room floor. the shower floor is more of a matte tile, so it all looks more hazy still, but hopefully once i can shower in there, i'll feel better about it. sponges come off clean, - i just think some wear needs to happen.

    i have a question though, & i can get pics of this if you need them. i have a small doorway (26"?) from the bath into the master & the door will open into the master & likely be left open most of the time.

    i wasn't sure how to handle the transition so i left that part untiled for now, right in front of the doorway & the threshold.

    i plan to put in new carpet in the bedroom soon - for now I just cut back the existing carpet so i could get the ditra down. whatever we choose for the tile solution will go through most of the threshold since the door opens out.

    i would like to tile through the threshold, and the tiles would likely only need to be trimmed slightly to fit nicely. my friend said the actual transition from carpet to tile should happen directly under where the door would fall when it's closed.

    he recommends either using schluter schiene or a separate transition piece, kind if like what you recommended i use on the top of my curb. i'm not thrilled with that idea (the separate piece of transition), but it's more of a priority for me to have a smooth transition that i wont stub my toe on & can step on without being stuck with a piece of metal trim.

    i also step hard on transitions, if that makes sense. the outer door transitions take a beating from me stepping *on* them instead of over them, though it's more of a problem with the ones that transition to a step down.

    so i was thinking that if i do go with tile, i may need to at least use the schluter schiene pieces, but the ones that were installed by my fireplace stick up just enough to make me really worried about kneeling on them - they are definitely not flush with the top of the tile.

    so, after all that - in a carpet-to-tile transition, with ceramic tile, do i have to use an edge protector like schluter? if i do, can i buy one that is slightly lower than my tile height so it for sure won't stick up, or does that defeat the purpose?

    any other options?

    thanks,
    lisa

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    here are some pics...

    here's the doorway i asked about...

    my floor

    shower

    top of shower

  • weedyacres
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That's quite a smashing shower, toad (sorry, I'm more fond of your screen name than your real one). I don't blame you for itching to use it.

    Here's what we did for our tile/carpet transition in our foyer/living room. We used one of those tile edging strips that run a few bucks at HD.


    The photo above shows the carpet pulled back from it. In actuality, since it's a frieze, it pretty much covers the edge in its natural position. And they're basically at the same level. If you put your foot over the transition, you notice it, because one side is soft and one is hard, but it doesn't make you lose your balance or anything. And our tile is thinset+ditra+thinset+tile, which is what you've got, I believe.

    Your friend is right: the edge should be placed under the door, so when the door is shut you see only carpet from one side and only tile from the other.

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks weedy (i'll take the toad over lisa too :)

    is that strip anchored under the tile like the schluter stuff is? or is it fastened under the carpet?

    i too plan to get some "wild" carpet, so it would cover something nicely, though i plan to get a dark color (likely navy) so the shade difference will be huge.

    do you feel like the strip offers protection? or is it just to make the transition less "harsh"?

  • bill_vincent
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That strip will certainly offer protection to the edge of the tile. As for using the Schluter strip, use the proper strip (the # 100 height strip) and if need be, you can always build up th edge a little bit. Another alternative would be to have your carpet guy turn and tack the edge of the carpet. Not only will it protect the edge of the tile, but then you don't need any strip at all.

  • weedyacres
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The strip has about 1/2" that goes underneath the tile (between the tile and the Ditra), so it's thinsetted in place. IMO, it both protects the edge of the tile, and finishes off the cut edge so it looks better. In our master bath, we didn't put in these strips and the carpet just butts up to them (carpet installed after tile). You can't see the edge, because it's also frieze, but it does feel different underfoot. I definitely prefer the edged tile.

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    i used my shower last night!! kind of :) i'm having trouble with getting the valve trim attached, so i had to cover it with plastic wrap, but i got to actually feel water out of my rain showerhead :) i was woo-woo'ing quite loudly

    i think the valve ended up getting mounted with a slight tilt backwards - it's a strangely shaped piece of equipment so i see how it's possible. my friend said he was very careful about using a level & making sure the two main pieces of it (volume/temp & diverter) were plumb with each other, but it's off at this point, for whatever reason.

    moen said to use their 1 inch extension kit for the diverter, which is the piece that won't fit on. the kit costs $35 though! crazy. and i don't even know for sure that would work. we may just go through the back of the wall, through my bedroom, and make it right. i haven't painted my bedroom yet, so not really a big deal. just sad to run into yet another roadblock.

    but i sure had fun last night, feeling the result of all this work. i stood under the rain head & touched my glass tiles & felt really good about things for a while :)

    lisa

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    i'm not quite 100% done, but my bathroom is finally usable!! we got the tub in last weekend and had a few leaky episodes before we figured out that i had missed one of the cpvc fittings when i glued everything together between the hot/cold valves & the spout. fortunately it was an easy fix, and i have been enjoying my new tub since then :)

    i got a euro type of vanity because of how tight the toilet area is already. never would pass code here because of how close it is to the tub deck, but it wasn't within code to begin with, and once i get an ada toilet it won't be a big deal, at least for me. i would have moved it over a bit, but there is a joist right there so we would have had to go way far or deal with changing the joists - neither was appealing.

    still looking for a good shower curtain, but in the mean time i'm using a cheap stall liner.

    also decided to leave the area to the left of the sink undone - i'm not sure what to do with it, so i'm going to live in the room for a while & see what it would be best as.

    the med cabinet looks a bit off center - just how the stud cavity fell - but it works well with the mirror inside the door, and i think once i figure out all of the rest of that corner, it will look more balanced

    here are a few pics - please ignore the unfinished details :)

    lisa

    from the doorway

    to the left

    the shower & ikea storage tower

    the tub

  • bill_vincent
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Pretty sweet lookin, Lisa!! So have you tried out those tub jets yet?

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks, bill :) yep, i've taken 3 baths already - i'm really glad i got air-only so i can use my bubble bath, and the chromatherapy is so fun.

  • weedyacres
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How fabulous it must feel to finally have a beautiful, working bathroom! Congrats! You deserve those 3 baths, toad.

  • hmsweethm
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You are truly an inspiration, Lisa. You deserve all the baths you can fit in. Really awesome work there. Enjoy! I'll keep reading and learning.

  • toadangel
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thanks hm & weedy :) i have definitely enjoyed them. not sure if it's more of a blessing or a curse knowing exactly what went into everything, though - in one way i can relax more because i know the kerdi is sound & i chose quality pieces to put the room together, that sort of thing... but sometimes it takes away from just laying back & enjoying a bubble bath without any knowledge of where that water or air is coming from or how that tub or tile even got there. i kind of miss the "magic" but at least now i am part magician :)