Bathroom Do-Over #1

Be sure to check out Mary Scott Huff's blog post for 3/25/11.  I started to write this comment but stopped because it would have gone so very far over the letter limit.

Mary, Mary, Mary.   This was MY story 13 years ago.  Having only one bathroom and three users I tried to re-do it myself in the course of one long, long night while my kids were visiting their dad.  With limited means, I did all the work myself except for removing the old toilet and re-setting a new one.  My marathon began by tearing everything out, including the nasty shower doors, disintegrating tub surround, cabinets, and wallpaper.  I discovered just why the previous owner had put up butt ugly wallpaper instead of painting the walls - read 'bad drywall job'.  I ripped up 3 layers of flooring -- you don't think removing asbestos tiles is bad for my health, do you?  Ready to lay down cement underlayment.  Problem!!!!  Bad floor.  I pretended I didn't see it and carried on.  It was close to midnight -- what was I gonna do about it then?  Using my less than manly Black & Decker wimpy jig saw, I cut the openings for the toilet and heat register from the new sub-floor.  I managed to break all the saw blades but one -- good thing I had bought extras.  I installed new green board in the bathtub area -- even that was an improvement over the previous wall surface -- bleh!

Next up -- start laying the tile on the floor.  I had to finish half the floor before the very expensive plumber returned in the morning to put the new toilet in.  I started hanging the new wallpaper so that I wouldn't have to work around the toilet and cabinets.  Aren't I a smarty pants??!  I worked through the night until 5:00 AM.  When I could no longer see straight, I put my head down for a few minutes.  Mighty few as the plumber was scheduled to return at 7:30 AM.

And he did, shocked I had been able to get so much down over night.  Once he had installed the toilet and left with another $200 from me, I used my new toilet and headed for my bed for a brief nap.

Are you still with me??  I tiled the area surrounding the bathtub and finished the floor tiling.  Wallpaper finished.  Cabinets installed, using Liquid Nails on the new sink back (this will probably be a BIG problem with the next bathroom do-over!).  Installed the new faucet and light fixture.  Stood back in amazement.  

I was exhausted.  My knees ached.  My back ached.  My hands ached from pressing and pressing the tiles.  This was all before I started to knit again.  I would never repeat all this work today.  I will just save, and save, and save until I can pay someone else and stand back and admire their handywork!