About to embark on a bathroom remodel . . .

[sbj405]

Well I'm not going to be doing it, just paying for it ;-) Redoing the standard 1948-style closest sized bath. Interesting thing is that it is my only bathroom. Appreciate any words of wisdom, tips, good contractors in DC, etc. I have done a lot of work on the house, but this is the first major interior project.

[Lars39]

1. Buy a porta potty.

The kind with chemicals that neutralize the stuff. Baby wipes are also handy.
Good luck! :)

[Warpy]

9. I know how I'll do mine

because my bathroom is a blow up job: nothing to be saved, just toss a stick of dynamite in and sweep up the rubble after the bang and start over.

I'm thinking the first phase of renovation will include putting a 3/4 bath into what is now a very badly converted garage with a blocked off laundry room (also very badly done) at the other end.

Going outside to use a portajohn and trying to keep clean in the kitchen sink aint my idea of fun.

[NMDemDist2]

2. gonna break down a closet wall and make it bigger?

i'd post in the DC forum for contractors, or H2S lives next door I think, maybe he knows someone.

[sbj405]

3. I don't think I'll break down the closet wall.

I like have the closet and it's behind the door, so it really wouldn't open the room up that much. 5' by 8' is only so big :-)

[NMDemDist2]

4. i did all the finish work on a bathroom that size from that era in my

first house.

what are you having done? I had to take down all the sheetrock (you could see into the bath from the dining room :rofl:

I replaced everything but the tub. I hired out the tile work, sheetrock and window and toilet replacement, but I did the rest, installed a new cabinet and sink, painted, put down a new lino tile floor, lighting fixtures and everything

it came out really nice too! one of the things I ended up with in there that made a BIG difference was the window above the tub (in the far wall of the room)

instead of a standard window, I got a frosted glass garden window (a mistake in ordering from the home warehouse store, so I got it CHEAP) and it really made the room feel larger. check it out, it might work in your space too.

mine had frosted glass, but this will give you the idea

[sbj405]

5. Looks nice.

I love garden windows. Though, when I got new windows, the window guy recommended against them. The window is in the front of the house and also in the shower.

I don't have any real skills to do any of the work myself. If I had more time, it might be interesting to learn, but with only one bathroom it's tough.

[NMDemDist2]

6. i didn't when I started either LOL

but i dug in and before I knew it, it was done! now I watch HGTV all the time and there's not much I won't take on

rough plumbing and some electrical things are about it, but finish plumbing and basic electrical? Let me at em..............

:rofl:

funny about the window guy, I've had a couple of those windows and loved em. but on the front of the house it may do weird things to the curb appeal unless you balance them out

both my garden windows had side openings, I have heard problems with the ones with top openers though may be that's what he was talking about :shrug:

[Stinky The Clown]

7. My son does home improvements in Maryland .......

He works for a guy who has been doing it for maybe 20 years. Its just the two of them. They do only top quality work. Not volume. Slow, steady, and you deal with the owner of the company. They ain't cheap, but they're good.

I'm not sure they'll go down to DC, though. They usually have all they can handle in Howard County, but they did just finish a whole house, from the ground up, in Shdayside, right on the Bay.

If you want to PM me with contact info, I can connect you with them. I'm also not in the least offended if you don't want to. :)

As a word of advice .... you may wanna wait until the weather's warmer. You'll probably need a porta-potty since your only bathroom will be out of commission for, potentially, a few weeks. A 'walk out' at night in winter is hardly my idea of a reasonable amount of disruption. :)

[Kingshakabobo]

8. I agree on the porta-potty......

my bathroom contractor told me five days. It took three weeks...

Having your health club near by helps a lot. I won't go in to detail but there was one late night emergency that involved the un-installed new toilet with a contractor's plastic bag inserted in it.