We finally got into the thick of the bathroom remodel over the weekend. And by “we” I really mean “I.” The wife helped demo the baseboards and wainscoting, but there’s just not enough room in our tiny bathroom for two people to work. She primed and painted the bead board outside while I worked in the bathroom. In what I hope wasn’t an omen, I had to call a plumber early Saturday morning. One of the faucet shut-offs was so brittle and corroded that it had to be replaced. After that, I disassembled the sink and got the vanity out of the room.
We’re planning to run the new bead board as high as the tile in the shower, which is about six feet tall. That will leave about two feet of wall space between the bead board and the ceiling. Although I tried to talk myself out of it all morning, I decided the light fixture needed to be moved to the center of that space. I got out my keyhole saw and electrical tools and took care of it. It’s a little extra work, but it’ll look better when it’s done. I learned that lesson from the ceiling fan fiasco during the kitchen remodel.
The part of the job I’ve been dreading is the tile demolition. If this was a modern house with modern building methods, it wouldn’t be so bad. But my walls are not sheetrock; they’re plasterboard. That means there are horizontal rows of gravelly backer board throughout the house. On top of the backer board is 3/8 inch thick plaster. Whenever I hang a picture in my house, I have to pre-drill a hole, insert an anchor, and pray that a crack doesn’t form. As annoying as that is, it’s nothing compared to the way the tile is installed in the bathroom. The workers nailed a sheet of steel mesh directly to the studs. On top of that mesh, they applied an inch of plaster cement and capped it with porcelain tiles. What is the point of this? A bomb could go off in the tub and the shrapnel wouldn’t make it through the wall to the bedroom. Look how thick this stuff is, and this isn’t counting the cement that oozed through the mesh.
The only way to remove the tile is to beat it into submission with an eight-pound sledge hammer. I had to rear back, being careful not to shatter my toilet, and hit the wall hard enough to crack the tile but not go through the entire wall. The last thing I need is to have a hole in my exterior wall or crack the plaster in my bedroom.
This process was grueling. I laid a thick blanket in the tub to protect the cast iron. After knocking off some tiles, I had to pick up the pieces with my hands. I could only fill a box with so much debris or else I couldn’t carry it to the front yard and empty it into a wheelbarrow. This stuff is so heavy that I’m amazed the floor hasn’t caved in. After the tiles were off, I bashed the cement until it crumbled into a million tiny pieces. I son discovered that you can’t really pry the mesh off the wall. Anytime you find a spot to use levergae, the tool rips through the mesh. The best way to do it is to rip gashes in the mesh between the studs with the pointed end of a three-pound hammer. Then you pull on the mesh with your hands and a small pry bar. After much toiling, you get this.
After hours of work and dozens of cuts (and maybe a few tears), I finally saw some progress. I measured success by the fact that the window didn’t shatter during my belligerent assault. Such success was tempered by my disappointment in the damage I did to the wall above the tile. I scored the seam with a utility knife before pounding away, but that didn’t do anything. Now I’ll have to remove about 18″ of plasterboard from above the tile area and replace it with sheetrock after the new tiles go up.
I only did two walls. I was afraid I’d damage the plumbing on the third wall, so I’m going to pay my tile guy to do it. He has more experience with this process than me. I put in new insulation and tacked up some plastic over the bare studs so we can still shower.
The wife is going to try to prime the ceiling and upper walls today so I can see where my mud work is subpar. Tomorrow morning, the toilet comes out and the tile guy shows up. To recap, here’s where we are in regards to the plan:
Remove everything that’s not necessary or nailed downScrape the walls and ceilingSkim coat the wallsPatch the ceilingRemove the old tile (down to the studs)Remove the sink and vanityPrime andinstall the new beadboard- Remove the toilet
- Tile work done
- Install a new toilet
- Prime the walls and ceiling
- Paint the walls and ceiling
- Buy and install a new sink
- Return everything to the room
- Bathtub refinished
I’ve had a bad feeling about this project from the beginning. So far, every step forward has resulted in another step back. I don’t really mind that as long as it means more work instead of more money. Still, I’ve been expecting bad news and I’m afraid I’m going to get it over the next few days.
UPDATE: Bathroom Remodel 4: Progress
