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sandra_zone6

Our 2 1/2 week bathroom reno

sandra_zone6
14 years ago

A true family event! The bathroom is small, only 5.5 x 7.5 and really hard to photograph. We live in a 1984 Colonial in New England. The old bath had a light oak vanity, fixtures eaten away by well water and worn from old age, a white formica counterop and a Kohler toilet that wouldn't flush worth beans! Oh, and did I mention the tub leaking into the kitchen below? Having company coming put us on a speedy deadline to get our kids/guest bathroom redone. It had been leaking into our kitchen, and although we had been collecting things for it for the past 2 years, we decided to bite the bullet and get it done for our Thanksgiving company.

Details:

Vanity: Newport Empire 42"

Sink and Tub: Toto

Toilet: Toto Promenade

Granite counter and shower shelves: Blue pearl

Tile: Vallelunga Pietra Romana Avorio 6 x 6

2 x 2 accent tile and pencil trim: Negro Marquina Tumbled Marble

Grout and Caulk: Laticrete Smoke Grey

Light: Deco 33" in brushed nickel

Faucet and Soap Dispenser: Hansgrohe Swing C in chrome

Showerhead and Handshower: Hansgrohe Croma C Green 3 jet

Rough: Hansgrohe Thermobalance III with stops

Mirror/Medicine Cabinet: Maxx 36" from Costco

Paint: Sherwin Williams Upward (looks really blue in the pictures, but it's actually a very grey blue)

Not seen, behind door: Hansgrohe robe hooks - 1 for each child

Not installed yet: Ginger Chelsea 24" double Towel bar

Day #1 - November 8th the demo begins with my 12 year old having a blast on bathroom demo #2 for him...

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November 14th & 15th, new tub, new drain, new plumbing, new fixtures, Durock goes in, niches are built

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November 20th kerdi goes in (that's me!)

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I installed the light on the 21st, room was painted earlier in the week

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Tiling began on November 21st - guests arrive in 5 days - shower and floor were completed by 11:30 pm on the 22nd in between a few hockey games the kids had. (hubby's on the right, our friend on the left)

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Floor below vanity was grouted VERY, did I say VERY, early in the morning on the 23rd so the vanity could go in to accept the delivery and installation of the countertop that morning.

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Grout is done! And I made it to daughter's season opening basketball game that evening!

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Shower doors were installed on the 24th

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Hardware, crown and floor moulding, medicine cabinet, as well as towel ring and toilet paper holder went in on the 25th.

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Still waiting for the double towel bar to arrive and I need to fill in nail head holes on the moulding and install the electrical plates, but the bathroom was in use on the 26th!

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Thanks to all in the forum who have posted info and answered so many questions over the past months! This place is great! The entire bathroom ran about 6K including the labor we paid our friend who did an absolutely FANTASTIC job!

Comments (16)

  • User
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That is one incredibly gorgeous, speedy, and low money renovation that only looks like #1(gorgeous)
    I think you put us all to shame.
    Anyway, congrats to you and your "team". Enjoy enjoy enjoy- well done bravo hats off etc etc etc

  • User
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, you guys did a fabulous job, it's beautiful! You must be so excited! Enjoy!

  • girlcat36
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nice work! It looks great!

  • palimpsest
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Looks nice.

    I was a little freaked out by the picture that looked like you had a light fixture in the shower but I figured it out.

    Love the color combos.

  • andreadeg
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your bathroom looks terrific! nice choice of materials and everything looks very well done. Congratulations!

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Very nice, and incredible that you were able to do it so quickly!

  • pepperidge_farm
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh so very nice!!

    OK, but how is your kerdi so darn neat?!?! And you so clean doing it?!?!

    Great job.

  • weedyacres
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bravo and congrats! We've had similar "crunch-time" deadlines during the course of our remodeling that have stretched us to finish before visitors come. 4am painting because the carpet's coming today, late-night grouting because it needs to sit 3 days before someone can shower in it, etc. Your room really looks great. I hope your guests appreciated it as much as you do.

  • sandra_zone6
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you! We are thrilled with the new bath! Wish the mirror/medicine cabinet pic came out better, it is such a nice piece in the bathroom. Still waiting on the towel bar for over the toilet. Wish it would come, hate to have the room 'almost' done!

    Pepperidge - I was a MESS with the kerdi. But that pic was taken early on. I had hung one sheet the evening before to make sure I did it right and it stuck. That pic was taken first thing the next morning as I started hanging again. If I kerdi again, I will do over a few days; hang the majority of the kerdi, but leave the extra work on the niches till the first sheets are cut in and dried. We ran into issues when we were tiling where the thinset had moved a bit around the niches. Waiting for the kerdi to dry before going back and layering it would resolve those issues.

  • tigger2009
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow...it looks great.
    What shower door did you use?

    qv

  • desertsteph
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    oh that looks great - and what a great feeling it is to have a decent bathroom when company comes by! the kids will get many years of use out of it also.

    and you will smile more when you have to go in there to clean it!

  • sandra_zone6
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    tigger2009, The doors are Basco; 3/8" glass in chrome. They are just basic clear doors, no special coatings or anything. We ordered them through a local glass company, but I read here later on that Basco doors are available through Lowes as well. We've dealt with the glass company before; they cut all the glass that covers my wood tables, so I would have stuck with them anyway just to know who was installing the doors and have the piece of mind that I could go back to them if needed.

    The doors come in 1/4 inch for a much cheaper price, but I am glad we opted for the 3/8" glass. They are so much taller than the doors that came out of the bathroom. These doors feel sturdy, able to stand up to the kids and the glass is heavier so it moves slowly along the tracks - harder for them to slam.

  • minac
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Our bathroom is about the same size. I love the way your update is classic but also has design flare. Great job. How did you get the shower shelves in?

  • sandra_zone6
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The shelves.... We originally wanted a 30" x 12" niche but when we opened up the wall, there was a septic vent smack in the middle. We decided on 2 niches instead, I wassn't about to mess around with those pipes. When figuring the tile layout for the design I wanted, our friend suggested that we oversize the niches so the tile would lay out nice - he suggested 18 x 18 niches and I freaked. But the 12x12 would not have been big enough for the 3 kids and all their stuff. He suggested a granite shelf on the bottom and then one above it to make a shelf for soap, razors, etc. We talked about the length and width of the shelves, but never the depth.

    When I picked up the shelves from the granite fabricator, I freaked - they were 1 1/4" thick just like the countertop was being made. Friend said, don't worry, they would be perfect. They are. I honestly wouldn't want them any thinner. When he laid the tile, the bottom shelf slid in tightly and then he cut the bullnose on the side and the back tiles so the top granite shelf sits on the cut tiles all around. The tiles abouve the top shelf are full 6 x 6 and as you can see, we have enough height for those huge oversized shampoo and conditioner bottles. There is kerdi behind so no worries about water issues and they were all caulked and all afterwards.

    Being the over-emotional one, I figured this design that had been in head my for 2 years was ruined when I saw how thick those shelves were, but I wouldn't want them any different. I think they 'fit' the design perfectly as is. And I just love the niches. Before, the kids had a tiny corner shelf and bottles were all over the place, now there is enough room for everything plus space for guests when they are here.

  • john_tang
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi,
    I have a question on your shower set, how did you get water for your handheld? How do you switch between your handheld and fixed shower?
    I like the way handheld and fixed and want to do the same thing, but could not figure out how to make it work.

  • sandra_zone6
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi John Tang,

    The fixtures are all Hansgrohe. The particular piece you need for the 3 way switch; tub spout, handheld and showerhead, is a thermobalance III with stops. One stop goes one way and feeds water to the spout, one stop in the other direction is the showerhead and stop #3 is the handheld. You can run both #2 and #3 at the same time, but with my well water I don't have a ton of pressure, but it is possible.

    The thermobalance also controls water temp between hot and cold so that even with toilets flushing, the temp is not affected. Not a cheap piece, but well worth it.

    When I was looking for stuff, I called and spoke to a Hansgrohe customer service rep. She went through everything I needed and gave me a list of part numbers. I used all that to price compare.