Bathroom Re-Imagined

I’m looking for a contractor to update my bathroom, not a handy man. I want someone who can find other professionals if they are needed.

I have a housekeeper. She comes in twice a month to make sure I’m not buried in cat hair.  While I was in my mental funk she was  in cleaning when she mentioned her husband had just gotten his general contracting license. That caught  my attention. I’d put feelers out for someone to remodel/ redecorate my bathroom but no one was interested in a small job. By small I mean a tiny almost square box. 5 Ft X 5.5 Ft not counting the tub.

The tub takes up 5.5 ft. along one wall. The toilet and single sink vanity are on the opposite wall. You have just enough room to walk in and chose your side- tub or toilet. 

I have no intention of replacing my wonderful deep cast iron tub. That was a bone of contention between me and the other contractors. (even if the tub and toilet are a disgusting brown color.) They wanted to upgrade, everything from walk in shower to soaking tub with jets. 

 That’s how I came to hire my housekeepers husband. He was willing to take on my small bathroom with my budget and restrictions.  I wanted a new ceiling fan, new ceiling, new walls and paint and new floor. Also needed a new vanity top. 

I did not want a walk in shower or a soaking tub with jets. I didn’t want shower doors. They are are hard to clean, a shower curtain was fine with me. So once we agreed on the scope of the work we set a date and began. 

Let the Project Begin

Tear out was pretty quick and but not easy. He started with the ceiling since that was a big issue for me. The ceiling fan had never worked and there was a leak that the previous condo management was convinced was all in my head.  As soon as Brian opened the ceiling it was clear that I was not imagining  the leak. It was an old leak and appeared to have been repaired at some point but the yucky part was that leak was in the sewer pipe. That water that kept dripping on me was sewer water. Oh YUCK! I wanted to take a decontamination shower when I heard that!

And Mold

Of course there was mold and that had to be removed. Luckily it was just on the insulation so we could pull that out and replace it but now we had to bring in the HOA maintenance so work came to a stop while we waited for them to come out and inspect. They wouldn’t let us go forward until they had a copy of Brian’s Liability insurance. That took a couple of days for him to secure so we lost about a week while all that was going on.

New Ceiling and Fan

Once we got the green light from the HOA and Brian’s insurance squared away, Brian came back with an electrician. In less than a day I had a new ceiling fan and my electrical switches had been moved from the wall outside the bathroom to above the sink in the bathroom. I was assured I’d get used to the new location and like it. I’m still waiting for that to happen but I do like the fan and the new ceiling light. Apparently my cat, Banner, likes the lights too. He taught himself to turn the light on and off. The switch now has little kitty teeth marks to prove it.  I’ve installed child safe covers over the switch so I can get through a night without the light turning on.

Getting the new ceiling plastered took a little longer since now  we  had to do the whole ceiling. Walls and floor next. Hopefully no more delays.  That was a futile wish.