When I began this project almost two years ago, I dreamed of doing this entire project for free. I know - a crazy dream! Can you really take a framed, stubbed half bath and expand it to a full bathroom and finish the entire thing for free? Maybe!
Okay, maybe not, but we are trying! I figured there were a few things I would never find for free on Craigslist. Nobody is really going to give away copper tubing and fittings, right? After all, thieves will pull the wires from houses under construction, strip the insulation and sell the copper!
At this point in the project, I just need to get it done. I can't wait around for free stuff to show up on CraigsList. So I am pretty much buying what I need at each step. Later today I will buy 14 2X4s and 6 bags of QuikCrete for the floor. It is okay, though! It is time to get the project done! I will keep looking for deals for what I need, but I will also buy what I need at the time.
So here is a financial update on this project, having just completed one stage.
Building Permit: $231.00
Cutting the floor to plumb the shower drain: $7.20 Thanks to my friend Brett, all I had to buy was some plastic drop cloths to cover the vents, washing machine, furnace, etc.
Shower drain supplies: $97.88 (I bought some 2" ABS pipe at the Habitat ReStore to vent the drain, and since I am not using it, I am hoping to re-sell it on CraigsList. Hopefully that will bring this price down.)
Water lines supplies: ? (I just bought some copper tubing and fittings today for about $80, and I hope to return some of it, so we will see...)
So as of now this project has cost me $275, including the permit, but not including the water line supplies.
Maybe I should have called this the one thousand dollar bathroom project!
My attempt to finish my basement bathroom . . .for FREE!
Your opportunity to learn how to save big money!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
I passed the first inspection!
Some people have the project that will never end. This has felt like the project that will never begin. After one year of collecting materials, I finally got a permit in March, but then didn't really start the project. I knew that the first part would be the hardest for me, as I have no experience cutting into floors and plumbing drains. So I waited, procrastinated, etc. I finally asked a friend to help me cut into the floor. Then I waited some more, did some "research" on how to properly plumb a drain, and waited longer...Yes, I am a classic procrastinator.
Like most procrastinators, I need a deadline. And I discovered on in the fine print of the building permit. If I did not start the project within 6 months of the application date, the permit would be void. Likewise, if I don't finish within 12 months, the permit will be void. I already paid way to much for a crazy permit, I don't want to pay for another!
So last week I dove in again. I knew that I wanted to connect the shower drain to the main line, but wasn't sure if there were code issues with doing that. Just to make sure I was doing everything correctly, I stopped by City Hall and talked to the building inspector. He said I could do it, but told me that I needed a back-water prevention valve to insure against sewer water backing up through the shower drain. That cost me $40, but to be honest, I was worried about this issue anyways. After all, a shower drain in a basement is a virtual floor drain, and backups are nasty, and tend to ruin nice bathrooms! However, he also told me that since I am running only a 3 foot drain to the main line, I could wet vent the drain and would not have to run vent pipes! That saved me some money! I am glad I talked to him!
On Saturday morning, armed with everything I needed, I cut into the main line. It was do-or-die. After all, there would be no flushing in our house until it was all glued back together. I purposefully waited until I had plenty of time, with many hours available to run to the store. (You don't start this kind of thing at 9 PM) It took longer than expected, but I got it done.
This afternoon, the building codes inspector stopped by and approved the drain system and told me I can fill my holes, pour concrete, and move onto the rest of the framing, plumbing, and electrical!
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| I cut the main toilet drain! |
Like most procrastinators, I need a deadline. And I discovered on in the fine print of the building permit. If I did not start the project within 6 months of the application date, the permit would be void. Likewise, if I don't finish within 12 months, the permit will be void. I already paid way to much for a crazy permit, I don't want to pay for another!
So last week I dove in again. I knew that I wanted to connect the shower drain to the main line, but wasn't sure if there were code issues with doing that. Just to make sure I was doing everything correctly, I stopped by City Hall and talked to the building inspector. He said I could do it, but told me that I needed a back-water prevention valve to insure against sewer water backing up through the shower drain. That cost me $40, but to be honest, I was worried about this issue anyways. After all, a shower drain in a basement is a virtual floor drain, and backups are nasty, and tend to ruin nice bathrooms! However, he also told me that since I am running only a 3 foot drain to the main line, I could wet vent the drain and would not have to run vent pipes! That saved me some money! I am glad I talked to him!
On Saturday morning, armed with everything I needed, I cut into the main line. It was do-or-die. After all, there would be no flushing in our house until it was all glued back together. I purposefully waited until I had plenty of time, with many hours available to run to the store. (You don't start this kind of thing at 9 PM) It took longer than expected, but I got it done.
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| You must use a "Y" connection when tying into a drain line! |
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| Note the cool clean-out access for the backwater valve! |
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Back At It...Again
The building codes department of the city of Raymore called me last
week to inquire about the status of the project. I was glad to tell
them I had started the plumbing and the framing, as the building permit
expires if you do not start the project within six months of issuance of
the permit. I was embarrassed to tell them I was not far along.
But I am feeling a renewed energy for the project. (In the last few months I have been working on building a nightstand for my daughter. It was suppose to be a birthday present....last January!) Two nights ago I did more framing and plumbing prep. Unfortunately the batteries in my drill died and stopped me for the night.
I am determined to get this project finished! Hold me accountable, my friends! Let nothing stop me!
For in a few weeks, I will have pictures of a framed bathroom, completed plumbing and completed electrical!
By the way, here are a few pics of the nightstand that I made using mostly scrap wood. I only had to purchase one 18" X 48" board, which I used for the top and for the bottom shelf.
But I am feeling a renewed energy for the project. (In the last few months I have been working on building a nightstand for my daughter. It was suppose to be a birthday present....last January!) Two nights ago I did more framing and plumbing prep. Unfortunately the batteries in my drill died and stopped me for the night.
I am determined to get this project finished! Hold me accountable, my friends! Let nothing stop me!
For in a few weeks, I will have pictures of a framed bathroom, completed plumbing and completed electrical!
By the way, here are a few pics of the nightstand that I made using mostly scrap wood. I only had to purchase one 18" X 48" board, which I used for the top and for the bottom shelf.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
I Finally Started Construction
A "point of no return" is just that - the result of a decision or
action from which there is no going back. Kind of like the minute your
toe leaves the diving board. You will get wet. After a year of
gathering materials and, honestly, just procrastinating, I cut a big
hole in my basement floor. And we are not looking back. This unused
space is on its way to becoming a working bathroom.
This
bathroom was designed and roughed in to be a mere half bath. But we
realized that we needed one more full bathroom in order to make it easy
for guests to shower. It is not too difficult to add a shower - except
for the drain. The drains are already plumbed for a sink and a toilet,
but not for a shower. In order to add a shower drain, I have to
connect to to the existing drains, and vent the line to an existing vent
pipe. That means cutting a trench in the concrete. Not too difficult,
right?
I was initially going to cut the floor with a circular saw equipped with a masonry blade. It probably would have worked. But it would have taken a long time. It turns out that the floor was 5" thick in some places, so it would have taken a really, really long time! When my friend Brett heard about my project, he volunteered to bring his gas powered concrete cut-off saw with a 14" blade. That did the trick. It even has a water line attachment, to which we connected a garden hose. Nice! We vented the room and covered the doors, furnace and laundry machines with plastic. I ran the wet vac and Brett sawed the floor. He broke up the concrete and I pried out the chunks. It went fast!
We thought we were done -
but if you know how construction projects work you already know that we
were not done. We assumed that the sink drain connected to the toilet.
So cut the trench and find the pipe, right? Wrong. It turns out they
weren't connected. So we cut another section, going around the toilet
drain, and I will have to tie it in there.
So my basement sits with a long trench inside a soon-to-be bathroom. Next I will plumb the drain line and the vent. Then I will frame the walls and run the water pipes. At that point, I get to call the inspector and hope it passes.
Thank you, Brett Parsons for helping me! If you live in the Kansas City area and are looking for a massage therapist, give Brett a call. If you are a looking for a chiropractor, give his dad, Charles, a call. They work together at Parsons Chiropractic in Peculiar, Missouri. You can reach them at (816) 7791022.
One more thing - I discovered a new tool today. Of course, I have heard of a hammer drill. Who hasn't right? But did you know that Makita (and maybe a few other companies) make a combination hammer drill/chisel? Basically, with the flip of a switch. you can turn off the rotating drill and use the hammer feature only as a chisel. Want one for yourself? Here it is at Amazon. (And yes, I get a small commission if you buy it)
This
bathroom was designed and roughed in to be a mere half bath. But we
realized that we needed one more full bathroom in order to make it easy
for guests to shower. It is not too difficult to add a shower - except
for the drain. The drains are already plumbed for a sink and a toilet,
but not for a shower. In order to add a shower drain, I have to
connect to to the existing drains, and vent the line to an existing vent
pipe. That means cutting a trench in the concrete. Not too difficult,
right?I was initially going to cut the floor with a circular saw equipped with a masonry blade. It probably would have worked. But it would have taken a long time. It turns out that the floor was 5" thick in some places, so it would have taken a really, really long time! When my friend Brett heard about my project, he volunteered to bring his gas powered concrete cut-off saw with a 14" blade. That did the trick. It even has a water line attachment, to which we connected a garden hose. Nice! We vented the room and covered the doors, furnace and laundry machines with plastic. I ran the wet vac and Brett sawed the floor. He broke up the concrete and I pried out the chunks. It went fast!
 |
| The shower will sit here |
 |
| Here is where we tie into the drain |
So my basement sits with a long trench inside a soon-to-be bathroom. Next I will plumb the drain line and the vent. Then I will frame the walls and run the water pipes. At that point, I get to call the inspector and hope it passes.
Thank you, Brett Parsons for helping me! If you live in the Kansas City area and are looking for a massage therapist, give Brett a call. If you are a looking for a chiropractor, give his dad, Charles, a call. They work together at Parsons Chiropractic in Peculiar, Missouri. You can reach them at (816) 7791022.
One more thing - I discovered a new tool today. Of course, I have heard of a hammer drill. Who hasn't right? But did you know that Makita (and maybe a few other companies) make a combination hammer drill/chisel? Basically, with the flip of a switch. you can turn off the rotating drill and use the hammer feature only as a chisel. Want one for yourself? Here it is at Amazon. (And yes, I get a small commission if you buy it)
Monday, March 18, 2013
It's Go Time!
After a full year of collecting sheetrock, shower pans and Sakrete, it is time to move to the construction phase of this project. My plans are finalized and I know what to do. Now it is time to dot it. I still need a few items, but at this point I will have to either buy them on the day I need them, or hope to still find them. Enough waiting... let's go!
The launch of the construction phase was initiated by the application for a building permit. I guess I should have done my homework. I thought a building permit for a 100 square foot bathroom would only cost $50 or so. But after applying for a plumbing permit, an electrical permit and a general permit, the final cost was $231. Oh well. Someone has to pay for the inspectors' salaries- and the conservative in me says it ought to be those using the services and not the general public taxpayers. And a building permit really connects me to some additional resources. For instance, when I applied for the permit, I asked the inspector if building code allows me to connect PVC pipe to ABS pipe. He was able to save me a lot of research time by giving me the official answer. (Which, if you are interested, is "yes, provided you use the proper fitting).
So, I must ask for an exception to the "free" part of this project. In this crazy endeavor to do a free bathroom, I cannot conceive of how I could ever obtain a building permit for free. And yes, for this project of this extent, and especially since I am broadcasting its progress to the world, a building permit is necessary. So, with your permission, I will not count the cost of the permit in consideration of the free-ness of the project. If that is not okay with you, you might want to then think of this as the $231 bathroom.
Step one of the project will be to cut the floor and connect a drain line from the shower to the current drain at the sink. My friend Brett has a large concrete saw and has volunteered to help! (That will be much easier than using a carbide blade on my circular saw). Anybody have an electric jackhammer that I might borrow to break up the concrete? (That would be much easier than using a sledge hammer)
So here we go....
So, I must ask for an exception to the "free" part of this project. In this crazy endeavor to do a free bathroom, I cannot conceive of how I could ever obtain a building permit for free. And yes, for this project of this extent, and especially since I am broadcasting its progress to the world, a building permit is necessary. So, with your permission, I will not count the cost of the permit in consideration of the free-ness of the project. If that is not okay with you, you might want to then think of this as the $231 bathroom.
Step one of the project will be to cut the floor and connect a drain line from the shower to the current drain at the sink. My friend Brett has a large concrete saw and has volunteered to help! (That will be much easier than using a carbide blade on my circular saw). Anybody have an electric jackhammer that I might borrow to break up the concrete? (That would be much easier than using a sledge hammer)
So here we go....
Thursday, December 6, 2012
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!
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:
Thursday, September 6, 2012
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.
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?)
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| 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.
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?)
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