LOTS of Progress!!
Well, Friday after work I went right home and started work on my bathroom. Since all the wallpaper was down, I picked up a tub of spackle and filled all the holes and things left from the TP holder, etc. being removed. I also filled in the drywall patch that the previous people did, but not well, I might say.
Saturday morning I sanded. And sanded and sanded and sanded! I went through half a package of sandpaper but my walls were nice and smooth with no wallpaper paste left on them, and all of my spackle was smooth, even the patch of drywall I did and the crappy drywall patch they did!
Then I decided to tackle the shutoff valves on the sink. I thought I was home free as the sink had shutoff valves. Not so much, as they were all calcified absolutely shut. The man at the Home Depot said that we would have to replace them. We had to shut off the main water shutoff, and still ended up all wet and drippy and frustrated. BUT we got them all replaced and they don't leak. We then did the same with the toilet. Unfortunately that one took nearly an hour to replace, with much cussing and swearing and creative solutions. But it got done! I went to turn the water back on and found to my dismay that the main shutoff valve was leaking! This is not good at all!
I got out the yellow pages and started calling plumbers. Oddly enough, "24-hour emergency service" often means "We're booked and we can get you in 3 days from now." I would hate to think what would have been the case if I had a geyser of water in my basement rather than a trickle! We finally found one that would come the next morning. We wrapped a rag around the valve and went to bed. The nice plumber repaired the valve and showed us a different one that we should have been using. Oh well, I suppose education is expensive, eh?
The important thing was at that point it was 10 a.m. on Sunday, I had 3 brandnew shutoff valves and perfectly smooth walls, and a full can of paint ready to go. It took me all day, but I got up 2 coats of Rain Water blue and 2 coats of glossy white on the woodwork.
It is *unbelieveable* to me how different the bathroom looks. It used to have a granite-colored floor, walls that were navy blue on the top and khaki stripe wallpaper on the bottom, and the 2 plumbing walls were left without wallpaper (I assume because it was too hard to paper around the fixtures). The only light was a dim fluorescent fixture with a dingy plastic cover. There was a rusty medicine cabinet and a foggy mirror.
Now the only things that are the same are the fish wallpaper border, and the gray floor. And the gray floor looks much different when surrounded by lighter colors than when surrounded by dark dingy colors! The woodwork is all shiny and white and clean, and the walls are a fresh and lovely blue. The baseboards were all yucky because the previous people had had a flood that stained them. But once they were painted over they looked just fine!
Tonight we are replacing the toilet. I do not expect it to be too hard. And then Tuesday night we will tackle the sink. I already have the cabinet and supply lines and need only the sink top and faucet. And I actually KNOW how to install those! Now that all the 'behind the scenes' work is done the visible stuff is going very fast. I am at the Home Depot at least 3 times a day but it is totally worth it! Even only half done the bathroom looks entirely different and very pretty! I cannot wait to see it done!
Now the Mister wants me to start in on his bathroom!
Saturday morning I sanded. And sanded and sanded and sanded! I went through half a package of sandpaper but my walls were nice and smooth with no wallpaper paste left on them, and all of my spackle was smooth, even the patch of drywall I did and the crappy drywall patch they did!
Then I decided to tackle the shutoff valves on the sink. I thought I was home free as the sink had shutoff valves. Not so much, as they were all calcified absolutely shut. The man at the Home Depot said that we would have to replace them. We had to shut off the main water shutoff, and still ended up all wet and drippy and frustrated. BUT we got them all replaced and they don't leak. We then did the same with the toilet. Unfortunately that one took nearly an hour to replace, with much cussing and swearing and creative solutions. But it got done! I went to turn the water back on and found to my dismay that the main shutoff valve was leaking! This is not good at all!
I got out the yellow pages and started calling plumbers. Oddly enough, "24-hour emergency service" often means "We're booked and we can get you in 3 days from now." I would hate to think what would have been the case if I had a geyser of water in my basement rather than a trickle! We finally found one that would come the next morning. We wrapped a rag around the valve and went to bed. The nice plumber repaired the valve and showed us a different one that we should have been using. Oh well, I suppose education is expensive, eh?
The important thing was at that point it was 10 a.m. on Sunday, I had 3 brandnew shutoff valves and perfectly smooth walls, and a full can of paint ready to go. It took me all day, but I got up 2 coats of Rain Water blue and 2 coats of glossy white on the woodwork.
It is *unbelieveable* to me how different the bathroom looks. It used to have a granite-colored floor, walls that were navy blue on the top and khaki stripe wallpaper on the bottom, and the 2 plumbing walls were left without wallpaper (I assume because it was too hard to paper around the fixtures). The only light was a dim fluorescent fixture with a dingy plastic cover. There was a rusty medicine cabinet and a foggy mirror.
Now the only things that are the same are the fish wallpaper border, and the gray floor. And the gray floor looks much different when surrounded by lighter colors than when surrounded by dark dingy colors! The woodwork is all shiny and white and clean, and the walls are a fresh and lovely blue. The baseboards were all yucky because the previous people had had a flood that stained them. But once they were painted over they looked just fine!
Tonight we are replacing the toilet. I do not expect it to be too hard. And then Tuesday night we will tackle the sink. I already have the cabinet and supply lines and need only the sink top and faucet. And I actually KNOW how to install those! Now that all the 'behind the scenes' work is done the visible stuff is going very fast. I am at the Home Depot at least 3 times a day but it is totally worth it! Even only half done the bathroom looks entirely different and very pretty! I cannot wait to see it done!
Now the Mister wants me to start in on his bathroom!
posted by knittykat @ 11:06 AM
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