Floorplan Re-Design

Yes, I am still working on this bathroom project.  After almost a full year of gathering materials and planning the project, it is now time to start working.  I am almost ready to submit my application for a building permit.

As I put the project plans on paper, I decided to set some of the actual pieces in place to get a better idea of the layout.  Since I am not an architect, what looks good on paper doesn't translate well to an accurate mental picture of the finished project.  My suspicions were correct.  My original floorplan was much too small. 

I know what you are thinking.  I should have done this much earlier!  However, it required moving one of the framed walls.  It was a no-going-back-now moment!  So in order to relieve the ultra-cramped space, I decided to move the wall further out and turn the shower ninety degrees.  This will create more space for a person going into and coming out of the shower.

The only problem is that now I need more tile to cover the floor and more drywall to cover the walls and ceiling!  Oh well, it is time to move forward!

Having said that- here is the revised floorplan:

For reference, here is the previous version.  Notice that space in front of the shower.  I now know that 3 feet is not enough space!

Full Sheets of Drywall

I couldn't believe it when I saw the post.  Full Sheets of drywall!  The guy had recently finished his basement and had leftover drywall.  He lived in one of those outlying towns that many people think are "way out in the country" when in reality they are merely the outer edge of the metro area.  In other words, one of those towns that will be overlooked.  I told him I couldn't come until the next evening.  Someone had already asked for it but failed to show.  He offered it to me.

Sorry for the boring picture.  Drywall is not very photogenic.

So we took a little family drive and picked up some drywall.  It is not easy to transport full sheets of drywall, plywood, or anything that comes in a standard 4 foot by 8 foot sheet.  The inside of my minivan was purposefully made to be a tight four foot width!

It worked out, though.  We stopped for ice cream on the way home.  Later, I unloaded six full sheets of drywall in the blazing August heat, carrying them downstairs, around a tight corner, and stacked against the wall.

He also gave me a few cut-offs and partial sheets.  Don't laugh- they will go farther than you think they will!

By the way, if you have ever wondered what is the real name for this stuff- "drywall" or "sheetrock" the answer is, drywall, or even gypsum board.  Sheetrock is a very popular brand of drywall, which, because of its popularity, has become a common term of reference.  (Kind like folks in Oklahoma who refer to any kind of soda pop as "coke."  Seriously, a coke Sprite?)

I Bought Some Lighting!

If you read the title, you may be wondering if I am giving up on the free part of this free bathroom project.  Not really, but just kind-of, sort-of.  You may remember that I sold a few items that I originally obatined for free and then decided not to use.  For instance, that white 6 panel door- sold it off for $10.  So before purchasing these lights, I was up $47.  Now I am down to $32.  For all you math geniuses, I spent $15.

But I got 3 lights!  And that is probably all I will need in this small bathroom.

Here is the story.  I have been searching hard for lighting!  Vanity lighting, recessed lighting, track lighting, natural lighting, or you name it.  For a while I thought I would have to settle for flashlights!  When it comes to lighting, there is not much of Craigslist.  And what there is leaves much to be desired.  Not that I am complaining about free, mind you.  But remember rule #2- this bathroom has to be visually appealing.  No avocado green toilets, no glitter-infused clamshell sinks, and no yellow brass chandeliers!

After having no luck finding lighting, I saw a listing for some items removed from someone else's bathroom renovation.  Those items included 2 recessed "can" lights and a vanity light that sits above the mirror.  I offered him $5 each- or $15 for all of it. Now they are mine!  Here is one place the spray paint comes in.  When done correctly, spray paint can add a quick, evenly-covered coat of bright paint over rusty tin, such as the baffle of a recessed light.  Good as new!

Lighting is really important in bathrooms.  Many bathrooms feature small square footage and small windows.  The result- a dark, claustrophobic bathroom.  In my project, the bathroom will have no outside windows and will only have seven foot ceilings (neither by my choice).  I need to do everythign I can to make the bathroom feel spacious!  That means I will need lots of light and lots of bright, fresh colors on the walls, floors and ceiling!  For this reason I will most likely wire all three lights to the one wall switch so that when you walk in and turn on the lights you are flooded with lots of light!

Paint: To Antique the Vanity?

I was at home.  The location listing on Craigslist showed Belton- our sister city (and arch-rival!).  I knew I might need some more paint to complete this bathroom project.  The picture also showed a can of white spray paint- and I have a very specific need for some of that!  So I loaded the kids in the van, drove a whopping 3 miles and received a load of used paint from a guy who was cleaning out his garage.

Of course, it was a hot day, and as he kept himself busy cleaning out his garage, his young kids were playing in the sprinkler in the yard.  That inspired my two kids, and before I could get the paint out of the back of the van, our sprinkler was dispensing water to the giggly delight of Olivia and Easton.

Seriously, though, I found in the pile of paint a nice surprise: a couple of cans of antique paint.  You know, the kind you use to make new stuff look like old stuff.  Erica has been consdering painting my beautiful vanity black to add some pop to the bathroom.  At first I was cool to the idea, but the more I think about it, the better it sounds.  How about a black vanity, antiqued and distressed?

Below is a sample picture of a new, made-for-retail vanity, with a distressed-black color.  The color scheme would then be:  black vanity, white sink, toilet shower base and wall tiles, and earth-tone tile on the floor.  Any thoughts?

Source:  www.homeportfolio.com

The Long Awaited Bathroom Update: A Shower Faucet

Has it really been two and a half months since I posted the last update?  Wow!  Sorry about that!  Honestly, the progress has been slow.  There are a few reasons, and about eight million excuses.  First of all, Craigslist made some changes and shut down a couple of my favorite search-assistance programs (more on that later).  Second, I am down to a small list of items that I need, so my searching is very specific these days.  Third, I have been crazy busy with church activities, family vacations, family fun, etc.  Finally, we have experienced the hottest Kansas City summer in sixty years.  So basically, if I wasn't running somewhere with my family, I was sitting on the couch in the air conditioning.

I have wondered if anyone other than a few local friends follow my progress.  I was pleased to hear from an old friend that he enjoys reading the updates in this crazy project.  So I will keep writing!

What treasure might a small box hold?

My first find of the summer was a big one!  Actually, the packaging was rather small.  An offer on Craigslist for a small box of plumbing parts containing the guts of a bathroom update.  The picture showed a shower faucet valve and knobs.  After several emails and attempts to connect, I finally piled the kids in the car, drove for what seemed like forever, and found the house with the small box of plumbing parts sitting on the front porch.

When I got home and opened the little potential-treasure box, voila a shower faucet, complete with the rough-in valve housing, valve stems, knobs, shower head, arm, and plenty of flanges.  From a quick online search, it seems that these kits start at $80 at the local big box home improvement store.

From top: Shower head and arm, valve housing, knobs, flanges

This was another one of those really specific items that I wondered how long I would have to wait to find!

What To Do With Eight Inches?

In a previous post, in which I shared the first draft of the floor plan, I noted that there will be about 8 inches between the edge of the left edge of the sink and the shower wall.  What to do with eight inches?  Comments included suggestions to build shelves of some kind.  So what about this:  I can make the bathroom a bit larger, so that the space will be 12 inches instead of just 8.  I will fill the entire space with a wall, and then create built-in shelves above the sink, in which to store rolled towels, baskets, etc.?

Here is a sample picture I found online.  This picture was on a blog that described how to build built-in shelves and included lots of ideas.  You can find the page here.

What do you think?  (And no, I will not have the oval mirror or or the table-top sink.

Here is my only concern.  This is a very small bathroom- only 55 square feet, plus some closet space.  Plus, by necessity it will have low ceilings- 7 feet- due to the HVAC vents running over the room.  It will feel small, so everything in the design must help it to feel larger than it actually is, so that it will feel normal.  By building out the wall to accommodate built-in shelves, I will be losing/covering available cubit footage.

Maybe I will do some research into open shelving and present a few options in my next post.

Remodeling Is Expensive: Part 3 - the basement storage room doors

In this series of posts, I am attempting to show that remodeling is always more expensive than we think it will be.

No one wants to see this mess from their family room!

Our basement includes a huge storm shelter.  It has four concrete walls, a concrete floor, and a concrete ceiling that doubles as the stoop/slab on our front porch.  It runs the length of the house, so it is huge!  A framed wall separates it into 2 rooms.  While we are not seeking refuge from a tornado,  these two rooms store our camping supplies, hunting supplies, a boxed Christmas tree, and pretty much everything else.  The door of one room enters into our basement family room.  The other door enters into the kids' play room.  And in the winter, the uninsulated storm shelter pours cold air into the adjoining rooms.  The doors also show the unsightly mess in the storage rooms.

To help insulate the rooms, and to hide the mess in the rooms, I decided to install two doors.  How hard can it be right?  and how expensive can it be?  A couple of doors and we are done, right?  (Wrong!  Remember how we tend the grossly underestimate the expenses involved in remodeling projects?)

Last fall I discovered ReStore, a building materials donation and resale store operated by KC's Habitat For Humanity.  Check them out here.  I found two matching doors that were the right size for the doorways.  They were used and I couldn't beat the price- $10 each!  What a great deal!  I could put doors on the storage rooms for like $20!

New door for the family room!

For this project, I made the mistake of not putting my list of materials on paper.  I just kind of bought 2 doors and dove in!  (It's too late now, right?  These doors are non-refundable!)

I returned to ReStore one week later for 2 door strikers and 6 hinges.  Total cost: $6.50.

The doorways were rough-trimmed with 1 X 6 pine boards.  I needed more wood to make door jambs, as well as door casement trim.  One trip to Lowes:  $36

Oh yeah- door knobs.  As it turns out, the extra knobs I thought I had did not match at all any of the other knobs in the house.  So I bought 2 sets of round, polished brass knobs.  And weatherstripping the doors will do no good if there is a gap at the bottom creating drafts.  2 door sweeps needed. A trip to Home Depot:  $29

Oops.  I need more weatherstripping.  Yet another trip to Lowes: $6

In the end, a project that started with two $10 doors turned into a $78 project.  I know, that is not a lot of money.  But it will still take a long time to re-coup that in energy savings.  However, the doors look a lot nicer than the quilt that hung in that doorway!

New door for the playroom!

Lesson learned- projects never cost $20!  Sit down, think it through, and put it all on paper.

Apparently, underestimating the cost of a project is not something new.  Even Jesus talked about it.  Check it out:   

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’  (Luke 14:28-30)