Prior to beginning the demolition we settled on replacing the bathtub with a walk-in shower. Since neither of us like taking baths but prefer showering and as we get older gaining access to a shower is a lot easier. So I bought a shower pan, glass doors, waterproofing supplies and plumbing supplies. In addition we ordered a custom vanity cabinet with a one piece counter top.
So beginning mid May Jordan and I began work by first removing the old fixtures then stripping the walls to the studs so that everything that needed to be replaced was, including the vent stack up to above the highest drain and replacing the insulation in the outer wall.
First, here is how it started out looking:
Removing the old tub was quite the chore as it was made out f cast iron so was very heavy! We got it out and then after placing a rug underneath dragged it to the front door and down the ramp.
As Janice asked me to save as many of the old plastic tiles as possible and salvage as much of the old vanity as I could the job started out being more time consuming than a regular demolition. Based on the experience with the kitchen I had learned that when the house was built expanded metal lath had been used in all the corners. So rather than ripping them out and pulling down the plaster on both sides of each and every corner I bought a brand new oscillating tool with metal cutting blades. I did not want to damage the ceiling and this made that aspect much easier to accomplish.
Once stripped to the studs the work began for the actual rebuild beginning with adding screws to each and every sub-floor plank to reduce squeaking. We replaced all of the copper water lines with PEX, replaced all of the copper drain lines with ABS, and in the case of the shower resized the drain line to 2". The outside wall was insulated with fibreglass bat insulation and 3/4" foam board since the studs are a full 4" deep. We installed the shower pan on top of a mortar base, after using self-leveling cement to provide a flat foundation. Then I installed Kerdi Board around the full shower niche to prevent any future moisture problems.
The rest of the walls were covered with mould resistant gypsum board then painted. I then tiled the shower using large tiles that Janice had selected.
Then it was time to install the new vanity and top. This is where I discovered an error on behalf of the shop we had ordered the cabinet. It was too deep! In fact it had the same depth as the top which would have resulted in no overlap and left no tolerance for fitting the top to the wall. In the end I got a partial refund and came up with a fix; as the vanity had full panel backs I just cut them out which reduced the depth by almost 3/4 of an inch. A positive fallout was that this now made installing so much easier in that I didn't have to worry about getting holes cut in the right locations for the drain and water supplies. In addition to the vanity we also got two new wall cabinets to go either side of the new mirror. We also bought new elegant LED lights to go on either side of the mirror.
Other than a bit of a screw-up in my tile job in one corner (a little bit of a stagger between two columns of tiles) it turned out really nice. Both Janice and I are very pleased in the final product!
This was the very first wall tiling job I had ever tackled! While not 100% it turned out not too bad. Next time, if there is a next time, I now know what to watch out for! Even so, finally the main floor is done! The only major project I have for the house now is to replace the roof with steel but that can wait until next year! Time now to enjoy the summer!
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