Demolition Mom

When last I left off, I'd showed you my bathroom BEFORE I ripped it apart. Then I walked you through the DIY for my glitter countertop. In this post, I will walk through the demolition stage of the bathroom. This is still the biggest project I have done in the house. I was also the hardest, dirtiest, and most rewarding. 

I had planned a week for the whole project. I made sure I had all of my materials ahead of time (or so I thought) and planned for a week of not having a bathroom. It was harder and took longer than I thought. I hit some lows when things got really hard and I was hot, tired, and overwhelmed. But I also hit some highs when things went right.

Demolition actually started a couple of weeks earlier when my son leaned back while sitting on the toilet and broke the tank. He knew enough to shut off the water before calling me at work - an hour away. I hadn't bought the new toilet yet because I had picked out a stock model at the Big Box Home Improvement store about a mile away. I thought it would be easier to just pick it up when I was ready. I was able to buy it online and have my father pick up and install it for me. 

The first step was shutting off the water and disconnecting the sink. It lifted out easily and the vanity came apart in pieces. I have no idea what had been holding it together. With the vanity gone, you can see the last remnants of the original Dusty Rose color of the original 1940s bathroom. 

I kept the toilet installed as long as I could, but when the time came, I flushed until the tank was empty and carefully disassembled the new toilet.

ENGINEERS NOTES:

1. You can see that I put rags in the drain for both the toilet and sink. I also put a dropcloth in the tub. This was to prevent debris from falling in and clogging the drains but more importantly to prevent sewer gasses from coming back into the house.
2. For this project, I was only changing fixtures and finishes, so I didn't need to pull a permit of call in a licensed plumber or electrician. Please check with your local authorities before you begin your project.

With the fixtures out of the way, I started on the tile. Since the wall tiles were falling off and the floor tiles were popping up, it was fairly easy work - until I got to the shower ceiling. I don't know who thought it was a good idea to tile the ceiling, but it was a good thing they weren't there when I took it down. that was one of the low points. I had to try to fit the step ladder in the tub and scrape and then SAND overhead. This was also the ONLY part of the bathroom where the tile wasn't loose! 

I think I took this selfie while I was trying to take down that ceiling tile. I was hot, sweaty, dirty and annoyed, but I hadn't lost my sense of humor! You see, I was recently separated and in the midst of what ended up being three years of trying to get divorced. I was hurt and angry and frustrated and I got to take all fo that out on the bathroom; from taking down tiles, tearing up the floor, cutting out bad drywall, and dismantling the window trim. It was cathartic and healing and amazing in ways I can not describe. 

I removed the fixtures, ripped out the tile, the plywood underlayment, all the bad drywall, the fiberglass sheets on the exterior wall, the window trim, and the moldy insulation. All that remained was the tub. The avocado green tub... that was a dilemma. it went in through the bedroom wall adjacent and the only way out was the way it went in or in pieces. Originally, this bathroom had a claw foot tub and no shower. I love the look, but they don't make great showers and, as my mother pointed out, I would have to clean under and around it. The other option was a smaller fiberglass tub. I didn't want smaller or "plastic". So, in the end, I decided to keep it with the intention of having it professionally reglazed in white. 

The slate was now wiped clean and it was time to start putting it all back together. I was only 2 or 3 days behind at this point. Maybe 4.

In the next few posts, I will show you how I put it all back together. Stay tuned!