Wow, sorry to hear that! We too started reno today on the guest bathroom, demo went smooth, only very slight water damage. When this is done in a few weeks the master bath demo will start, hopefully we don't run into the issues you have. Just be glad they were found and can be fixed. Better then living with all of that mold year after year.

Bummer - but better to find now than later...
Definitely always cost more than you expect...
Hang in there - the final results will be worth it!

Oh, so sorry. We discovered mold in our hall bath reno last summer. Remove everything, treat with microban, and install new insulation and walls. Be grateful to have it gone!

I hope this is the only challenge in your project. Good luck!

The unexpected can be the worst part, but it's so much better to find out this way than to have that soft spot give way and have a cast iron tub to land on your dining room table (or with my luck, the china cabinet and take out all the china and crystal) or discover a problem right after you've done all the work and everything is pretty and new. Hope day one gets all the worst stuff out of the way for you. Hang in there.

And yes, you can remind me of this when my demo begins. ;-)

UGH, sorry to hear of your surprises. Not for the faint of heart for sure!
I want to redo my kitchen, downstairs bath and MB and spend most of my GW time on the kitchen forum because I have more vision for that than the bathrooms. Nothing for the baths except I know I'm not changing location for any elements. Won't be DIY and think I want to do all at the same time be done with it and save some construction $, but they I wander over to this bath forum and it's one nightmare after another!
Maybe I am too faint of heart to tackle all at once, Just choosing the materials alone might make my head explode! :>)
Good luck and please keep us posted.

Thanks to one and all!

The mold is just in the insulation, so that will be replaced tomorrow.

Today's headache was that the tub I wanted will NOT be here for 6 weeks minimum, as its back ordered over 100 units, with no fixed due date in site (confirmed by the manufacturer). Which means I have to order a new/different tub. So 6 weeks of looking for 60x30 tubs deeper than 8 inches at overflow was a total waste.

I now have to settle for one that's 8.5 inches at overflow because that's all I can find for that size that's available.

Blech....

If you hunted high and low for that one, why not wait and get what you wanted? I would as long as I had another bathroom to use in the meantime. Not possible?

Yes, after 6 months or 6 years, you will still be using the tub you get now, so why put all this in and have a Blech? At a minimum, keep working, keep the order in place, hope some ahead of you cancel. and see how things come together.

It's good to know that you are not the only one in this situation . Last year I had to demolish my brand new kitchen floor , because we found out that it caved in because of lack of support and joist issues. So I had to go through demolishion twice on the row ,plus all the expense of the new old floor and labor down the drain . Now I am starting my MB demolishion in a couple of weeks and I am holding my breath, because the old tile has been cracking and I see a trace of old leakage on my dinette ceiling. This time I am getting someone , I don't know who, to inspect the floor before laying a tile there.

Well, today was somewhat improved.

My plumbing supply lady found a deeper tub for me, and the price is right, so I'm taking it. And she can have it to me by Friday.

On the down side, the contractors helper slipped on one of the tarps they laid down and twisted his ankle. Thankfully, he'll be fine, and the contractor took responsibility for it, along with the helper saying he wasn't watching where he was going.

It'll get better, right?

Please tell me your contractor supplied you with general liability and workers comp insurance certificates.... if not ask him to pronto.

Make sure your replacement fixtures all go in correctly.

Such as, if whoever is installing the duct for your new fan wants to use flexible ductwork, kick them out of your house and never let them back in.

Rigid duct work with sheet metal screws connecting the pieces and foil tape on all joints. No 90 degree bends - long smooth sections. No low spots for moisture to collect in etc.

Be thankful you've ripped out all the crap work that was done before and have the opportunity to do it right this time.

Toronto--
Tell me more about "no flexible ductwork". I was made to believe that I HAD to have insulated (flexible) ductwork for my vent fans. Is that not your experience/belief?

Yes, all 4 of my baths were vented with flexible ductwork. There would have been no way to get rigid ductwork through everything that the ductwork had to go through. The previous ductwork for one bath, for example, vented to the space under another floor, essentially a dead end. Now everything vents out, there are dampers that close off other runs and not only does odor exit very quickly, but every bath vents the steam and moisture quickly and properly. Not saying it would not be the case with rigid ductwork, but flex ductwork seems to be working fine here.