OK - I started a thread for this last summer, but we had to halt the process for various reasons. Now, demo starts Monday in the second bath and the powder rooms. Have countertops, cabinets, and tile chosen. Currently shopping for fixtures. This is the first time we are replacing anything in this house, so I really am clueless here except for reading reviews. Is there any big difference in the fixtures by Kohler, Price Pfister, and Moen? The fixtures I like are in the same price range for a wide set lavatory sink set ($150-175). Just wondering if one brand is better than another. Builder put in American Standard blah looking stuff 20+ years ago. Way past time to update and upgrade! Bathroom Gut and Remodel Photos update Thurs 6/29
They will all last long enough so that the difference between .00001 and .000015 cents per day means you should buy what you wish to look at every day.
i think the differences are more noticeable when you get into the higher end stuff like wall mounts, bridge faucets, etc.
Thanks for the info. That is kind of what I suspected. It's a second bathroom so we are not going high end here. A second question - anyone have experience with solar tubes? I saw it on a show this weekend, and it seems to be a good option for this bathroom (upstairs, no windows). Demolition started today.
Everything else being equal, I would avoid Moen. They have cartridge problems common on their fixtures. It's been the same basic design for 40+ years and is known to fail often. They send free replacements no questions asked though. I put one in my master shower three years ago and wish I didn't.
We have Moen shower valves and they've been going strong for 25+ years with the original cartridges. I suspect you'll have good success with any of the major manufacturers, so pick what looks good.
Look for ceramic washers vs. rubber... they don't disintegrate or suffer like the rubber (or neoprene) ones. A ceramic set, the more they wear, the better the seal (& they don't war enough to worry about).
Found the source of the leak, but had to tear the tub out to find it. Good news, it's not in any of the plumbing. The leak seems to have been in the gasket that seals the overflow drain to the tub on the inside of the tub. It was crumbling and disintegrating. Some corrosion around the overflow hole as well. New tub going in today. No other damage in the bathroom, so the only repair will be the ceiling in the living room. A/C people will have to come out and redo ductwork too, so there will be an unexpected slowdown until that gets finished. Old bathroom was two very small rooms, and builder put two separate ducts/vents. Since we are taking out the wall and making it one room only 1 duct/vent is needed. That will get done Sat morning - thank you Air Control! Pics at either link. Village was acting funky today, so you get both links. Bathroom Gut and Remodel Village Photo site Bathroom Gut Facebook page
Additional photos are on the FB link. I have exceeded my limit on Village so I can't post any more there. Shower tile done, floor tiles started today. Looks pretty! But...the ceiling started to leak again this morning, just a couple little drips, but we are getting the plumber back out before things get too far gone. Fun times!
About to tackle this myself on a rent house that we are using for business. Your bathroom is looking good. Thanks for giving me some inspiration for this kind of job.
i'm glad that your iPod didn't suffer from the leak, although, that's a weird spot to dock an iPod..... good luck with the remodel. i've been working on different rooms in my place for the past year. the learning experience and satisfaction of knowing i did the work is slowly overriding the frustrations of the projects.
Thanks guys, and good luck in your remodels. Buying stuff is fun, looking at paint, fixtures etc is fun, living with dust, dirt and headache inducing smells is not. But the end product will be worth it. We had a panic moment yesterday, after the shower tile was set but not yet grouted. In the morning one of the boys felt a couple of drips in the living room, so we put the bucket back under the hole. Sure enough, a few hours later there was a small amout of water in the bottom of the bucket. Ahhiiieee!!! Called our contractor quickly who called his plumber and both showed up here in a matter of about 15 minutes. The plumber determined that it was coming from the shower valve, but because they only put a temp drain in the tub, it was not sealed. He put a temp seal of caulk and all is well so far. I just need all my plumbing fixtures to get here so they can put the drain and stuff in. The cabinet guy came by today for final measurements and they are supposed to go in Monday or Tuesday, as soon as the ceiling gets finished. Then it is countertop, paint, and the finishing touches. Can't wait to have my house back! We are also redoing the downstairs powder room, so the master bath is the only working bath right now. Not fun. dalhorn - that's the only place I can put my iPod where someone won't mess with it!
Cabinets installed today, countertops tomorrow. Took forever to get the walls and ceilings done. The end is in sight. Pics on the Facebook link above.
Work on my bathroom started yesterday. They did the demolition, and then today they put in floor joists, decking, upgraded the plumbing and electrical, and installed the tub. By the end of the week, it will look like a Philadelphia hotel room bathroom circa 1930. I'll have to learn how to post pictures, because it's going to be sweet.
I just finished a complete DIY master bathroom remodel. Here are the photos: Shower and Surround Remodel More important to the above question, I also just put in a solar tube in my hallway. It is now the brightest room in the house even though it has no exterior windows. It's a small hall, so we put in the smallest tube diameter available and are very pleased with the results. I did all the work myself and it took most of a morning to complete. We added the lightbulb option so encorporated the existing light switch and replaced the existing fixture location so didn't have to add a new hole to the ceiling. If you want more informaiton on brand and specs, PM me.
Except for making a new shower curtain and purchasing new towels, the bathrooms are finally done and...under budget!!! Woo hoo! If you have the time to shop the stores to see what you want and then shop online for prices, it sure saves. Cabinet hardware at hardware or home stores was easily $4-6 per handle. Found the same ones online for $1.50 each. If I had more time I would have shopped the vent fans and plumbing fixtures too. Overall I am happy with the results. Final pics posted in the FaceBook link above. MarylandHorn - love your new shower and the deco stripe. Nice work!
