I don’t know about you, but we are addicted to home renovation shows. One of the shows we particularly like is “Renovation Realities.” Basically, the show’s premise is to follow around people as they take on a renovation project. Usually, hilarity ensues as the couple struggles through the project. Wires are shorted, windows broken, spirits (and sometimes fingers) are crushed, and budgets are vaporized.
Well, it’s our turn in the spotlight now. We’ve just kicked off a renovation of our kiddo’s bathroom. We are self-performing all of the work. Keep reading to follow along on our trials, tribulations, victories and setbacks.
This is the first of (hopefully only) two posts on the remodel. Any more and this project has likely gone on waaay too long. Part I will cover the following:
- Our motivation for starting the renovation
- Our budget
- A summary of the early stages of the work
- Discoveries along the way
So, Why the Hell are We Tearing Apart Our Bathroom?
Functional Issues and Aesthetics
The main issue with the bathroom was that the shower valve was barely operable. It took two hands pulling and a foot for leverage to get the water flowing. The valve and supply plumbing were loose, which resulted in an appallingly loud racket during bath time. Also, the tub was covered in deep scratches. Were the old homeowners washing bricks in there?
The vanity top was an almond color that appeared quite yellowish. The mirror over the vanity had pieces of baseboard framing it that were attached with Velco. Velco! WTF? The mirror on the door on the medicine cabinet was cracked as well.
The Business Case for Renovation
We purchased our house below the average market price in the area. One of the main reasons for this was that the kitchen and the bathrooms had not been updated in 15 to 20 years. Being avid DIYers, this screamed opportunity to us. While it’s nice to buy a house fully updated, I really can’t stand the idea of financing someone else’s renovation.
Plus, remodeling a bathroom can add value to your home when you go to sell it. According to HGTV a minor bathroom remodel (similar to what we are undertaking) can boost the value of a home approximately $10,700. The same article states the average total cost (labor and materials) for the same project runs around $10,500. This is consistent with what another couple we know recently paid for a similar remodel done by a contractor.
We hope to stay around $3,000. So potentially, we could add around $10,000 in value for an investment of $3,000, which would be a return on investment (ROI) of 333%!!
Now, I am sure the actual value increase will vary by region and by quality of the work and thus can be debated. However, I am confident that we will get well over our money back from this project. Quite a deal when you consider we get to enjoy the updated bath for years to come.
My DIY Addiction
I have a confession: I am a DIY addict. Some people like to go to the movies, others like to drive fast cars… I like blowing things up and putting them back together. DIY projects provide me a mental and physical challenge that distracts me from the hectic reality of my day job. But most of all, I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when the project is complete.
That’s not to say I am “whistle while I work” happy while I am in the middle of a project. Rather, I can, and often do, get very frustrated during the work. Just ask Mrs. Heartland on FIRE…. err… maybe not.
I joked with her a little while back that DIY projects are to me, like giving birth is for a mom. It’s pure hell during the process, but afterwards you tend to forget about the struggles and only remember the good parts. Next thing you know, you’re planning the next one!
What is the Remodeling Scope and Budget?
For $3,000 we plan on the following work (with links to purchased items):
- Remove the existing tile, add backerboard, waterproofing, and new shower tile (4″x12″ wavy white subway)
- Replace the damaged tub with a similar enamel-coated steel tub.
- New shower valve and trim kit
- New vanity, top, and faucet
- New mirror
- New medicine cabinet
- New light (not yet purchased)
- New 12″x 24″ floor tile and backerboard
- New paint
I did not include replacing the toilet. This is because the old one shot craps over the summer. The existing commode is already brand spanking new.
Here is a excerpt from a spreadsheet showing our initial budget. We had not selected any of the fixtures or finishes at this stage:
| Item | $/unit | Extended Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tile | $3.00 | $90.00 |
| Grout | $20.00 | $40.00 |
| Grout Sealer | $10.00 | $10.00 |
| Grout Sponge | $10.00 | $10.00 |
| Backerboard | $12.50 | $62.50 |
| Redgard | $56.00 | $56.00 |
| Redgard tape | $20.00 | $20.00 |
| Backerboard Screws | $20.00 | $20.00 |
| Thinset | $28.00 | $56.00 |
| Vanity | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| Vanity Top | $250.00 | $250.00 |
| Faucet | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| Shower Valve | $90.00 | $90.00 |
| Mirror | $75.00 | $75.00 |
| Paint | $75.00 | $75.00 |
| Shower Head | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Shower Trim Kit | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| Light | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| Shower Tile | $10.00 | $370.00 |
| Medicine Cabinet | $75.00 | $75.00 |
| Tub | $230.00 | $230.00 |
| Misc Plumbing/Electrical | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Tax | $223.16 | |
| Dumpster | $350.00 | $350.00 |
| Total | $3,052.66 |
Getting Started
Shopping
First off, we visited the local Home Depot and Lowes to check for the fixtures and tile. We bypassed the expensive specialty tile and remodeling stores. The main reason being that we really wanted to hold the budget down, and we had seen several nice off-the-shelf options available. Lastly, this is just the spare bathroom for the kiddos, not the master, or the main bathroom that guests will use. There is no need to go overboard here.
Demo
On Black Friday the roll off dumpster was delivered and the dust started flying. This is both my favorite part of a remodel and the scariest. I enjoy getting rid of all the offending fixtures and finishes, and it just plain feels good to relieve some stress by swinging a hammer and smashing something. On the other hand this also the discovery phase. When it comes to remodeling virtually every discovery is a bad one. This project is no different.
Right away I found out that the shower was not properly waterproofed when it was constructed. It was simply tile over drywall. Moisture had gotten into the wall and was deteriorating it and causing mold. On the positive side, it all came out quicker than I expected.
The tub actually came out much easier than I thought. I purchased a special drain removal wrench which made the job a piece of cake. It was $10 well spent.
If only the new tub installation went so well…
Another somewhat expected surprise was finding out there were no shut offs for the water supply lines to the faucet. Whomever did the plumbing in this house must have bid the job lump sum, because there were only a couple shut offs in the entire house when we moved in. So, I had to shut off the water to the whole house to remove the existing vanity.
Plumbing
I’ve gradually been adding shut off values throughout the house as I get take on new projects, and I added some for the faucet for this project. Here’s a tip: You can purchase push-to-connect, quarter turn shut off valves at any big box store for around $10 each. Here is the valve I used. They go on in minutes and all you need is a pipe cutter.
As it turns out, each shower trim kit comes with a different type of shower valve. Each valve is sized differently. The one we purchased needed to be set much further back into the wall. As a result, I had to cut and reroute the supply lines in the wall. Simple, but costly, as it required 5 different connectors and copper pipe.
Tub of Sorrow
It seems like every remodel has a moment when things are at the breaking point. Installing the new tub was that moment for this project.
Getting the old tub out and even getting the new tub into the bathroom were no sweat, but installation was a bitch. The drain for the new tub, which is almost identical to the old one, didn’t quite line up the same. This resulted in the tub rocking and not sitting level. I spent a couple hours with my arm pinned blew the tub trying to hand tighten, then loosen, and re-tighten the drain while the wife was precariously holding the tub up to keep from crushing my arm. At one point the tub was wedged and then suddenly popped loose while I was trying to free it. I recoiled backwards and put a 16″ diameter hole in the drywall next to the tub. Yay! Drywall work! (I absolutely despise taping and mudding). In the end, a modification to the recommended 2×4 stringer (ahem: ripping it out) and using a portion of the former drain piping took care of the issue.
When it Stands Today
I’ve just finished installing the backerboard for the shower and the floor. I have to say, the 1/2″ backerboard is a real pain to work with as it is heavy and hard to cut. The next steps are to paint on two coats of liquid-applied waterproof membrane (Redgard). I also need to tape and mud that hole in the dry wall…
Current Cost Projection
| Item | Actual | Variance (- is over budget) |
|---|---|---|
| Tile | $97.08 | -$7.08 |
| Grout | $14.47 | $25.53 |
| Grout Sealer | ||
| Grout Sponge | $9.88 | $0.12 |
| Backerboard | $121.83 | -$59.33 |
| Redgard | $60.51 | -$4.51 |
| Redgard tape | $6.97 | $13.03 |
| Backerboard Screws | $26.44 | -$6.44 |
| Thinset | $39.74 | $16.26 |
| Vanity | $379.00 | $121.00 |
| Vanity Top | $189.00 | $61.00 |
| Faucet | $89.00 | $11.00 |
| Shower Valve | $0.00 | $90.00 |
| Mirror | $72.00 | $3.00 |
| Paint | ||
| Shower Head | $0.00 | $50.00 |
| Shower Trim Kit | $159.00 | -$9.00 |
| Light | ||
| Shower Tile | $240.02 | $129.98 |
| Medicine Cabinet | $29.96 | $45.04 |
| Tub | $139.00 | $91.00 |
| Misc Plumbing/Electrical | $185.30 | -$135.30 |
| Tax | $122.79 | $100.36 |
| Dumpster | $295.00 | $55.00 |
| Total | $2,276.99 | $535.66 under budget |
So far, so good. We are $535 under budget and I am forecasting a total project cost of around $2,600. Most of the savings has come from making economical tile selections. Also, I had figured individual costs for the shower valve, shower head, and trim kit. It turns out that all of these come included with the trim kit. I did purchase the wrong backerboard thickness for the shower and, as always, I needed more plumbing fittings than anticipated, so there is a bit of a bust there. All in all, I am happy with the budget so far.
The Next Steps
I will cover the rest of the remodel in Part II. Next up is waterproofing, mudding and taping, followed by painting. Then we will lay and grout the shower and floor tile, replace the light fixture, and install the vanity, medicine cabinet and faucet. Lastly, I will add some new baseboard, and re-install the toilet.
Hopefully, I will have Part II up in a couple weeks! Enough talk. I better get back to it!
Thanks for reading!
Good luck with the rest of your reno. We just did a kid’s bathroom re-model this year as well. The layout is almost identical to yours. Based on your chosen materials, I’m betting it will look great.
It will be fun to see the comparison after its done to what we ended up with.
Thank you! I can’t wait. Any horror stories or lucky breaks that you care to share?
We had some challenges. We were replacing a 5 foot vanity with a 30″ one, so had fun figuring out how to change out and center our new lights and mirror without putting new holes in the walls.
Our subfloor was particleboard over ply, so we ripped out the top layer and replaced it with backer board for the ceramic tile. In the end that was better because we then had better control over the final floor height for the transition to the hallway.
Luckily no tub demo for us.
Thanks for sharing. That can be tricky indeed. I’m sure you are much happier with that floor height and stability with the backerboard. My very first tile job (several years ago) I neglected the backerboard. What a horrible miscalculation that was! After a couple years I had to replace a few different tiles each year. Yuck!
Good luck. Bathroom remodels are always scary because you never know if you’ll find water damage once you start pulling things out. Subflooring and such often has to be replaced. Sounds like you got lucky with such stuff.
Thanks! While there was plenty of water damage, it was all stuff that was slated for demo anyways.
Can’t wait to see the finished product! We have a DIY bathroom remodel project up next after finishing our kitchen. It’s a small basement bathroom so hopefully won’t be too tough.
Thanks! And best of luck on your two projects! We did our kitchen a couple years back and I needed a nice long break after that one, ha!
Your bathroom looks exactly just like my old bathroom. Exact same tiles and everything is neutral in color. Never like it. Had mine remodeled about nine years ago FYI and I feel like it may be due for another remodeling seeing all the new and beautiful tiles and colors at the stores. Great job on making the cost projection. Although I had a budget, I was not as detailed as yours. I’d love to see the finished product and will be waiting for your next update for sure.
Thank you very much! The old bathroom was the definition of “builder grade”. While I’ve done a number of renovations, this is the first time I am really tracking the budget.
Best of luck with your bathroom. It’s always a gamble when dealing with a bathroom remodeling, but you seem to have everything under control, despite the tub problems.
Thanks! There were a few bumps in the road, but it’s finally wrapped up and we are happy with the results.