On renovating the bathroom - demo

Demo - That four letter word

This can be one of the most exciting and terrifying stages throughout the entire process. Day by day, hour by hour, you are able to visibly see progress. I think it's one of the few areas in renovation where you can actually measure the amount of work done. Oh...the left wall is opened up. Check. And today, all the debris has been removed to the dumpster. Check. Check.

It almost seems like the universe planned it this way. You write the big deposit check and then you (almost) immediately see results. I might describe it as feeling a little cocky - "like, yea, I can do this! This isn't so bad..." It builds this inflated sense of accomplishment. Of course this is before the inevitable slowdowns occur, the no-show subs, or the dreaded out of sight plumbing/electrical stuff that seems to move at a snail's pace.

Yikes!

As mentioned, this stage is also the most terrifying since you see/sense the force it takes to get this job done. Sledge hammers swing wildly. Crowbars jam into crevices and yanked hard. If you listen closely, it sounds like the wood is straining to hold on then crying out with a large crack as it finally gives up. At one point, I think I actually began to apologize to the house. She's been here since 1927, relatively unfazed, to now have some of her innards ripped out.  Ok, maybe that's a little too graphic, but you get my point. Homes today aren't built like they used to be. Lighter materials, hollow instead of solid, plaster boards vs. metal mesh and horsehair. This grand dame isn't going to yield without a fight. I felt a little guilty...

Collateral Damage

As to be expected with all this raw destruction, there was some collateral damage.

My initial victims:

The plastered wall on the other side of the ones being demo'd. I guess the guys used a little too much heft behind their swings. We are not talking simply about cracks in the plaster. Nope. There were literally holes where the head of the sledge hammer made its journey all the way through. BTW, this was not just one wall. There were three walls that needed demo. The opposite side of all three walls needed repair. The first thing for the contractor to absorb.

Also lost was my vintage (original to the house) hanging light fixture in the second bath. Demo was supposed to be modest in this location since it was simply a new floor and a replace/swap out of the fixtures. Not so much. Came home and it was dangling in pieces. Ker-ching. Another thing now needing to be replaced on the contractor's dime.

Then there was the fan the contractor "borrowed" (smashed, how?),  the walls going down the back stairs (scraped and gouged from the debris removal), molding/trim that was supposed to be salvaged for re-use...hyeah. Good times...

And dust for days

There were exhaust fans sucking air out the windows, doors closed and taped shut, plastic sheets draped between rooms. No use. This cloud was everywhere. I think it was compounded since this house not only had horsehair/plaster walls, but also old blow-in cellulose attic insulation. When the ceiling came down, so did 12 inches of this crud. The dining room was a floor below, behind a closed door and then a plastic sheet, yet still had this film over everything. (The outline right was made by a subtle move of the candlestick .)

It was futile. This was just the beginning of non-stop dirt and dust until the project would be finally over. After an initial quick vacuum, sheets were now placed over all of the furniture (even behind the closed doors, plastic sheets and tape). We were now living in a house that looked like it had been closed down for the season.

Well, they said it would take only 6-8 weeks, right?

Famous last words.

Till the next time...

On renovating a bathroom - moving past go

The project is now moving into action. All the prep work is complete. The contractors each walked the space and made their own notes to the bid specs provided. Now came the numbers.

I have to admit. Waiting for the numbers almost feels like you are waiting for the college acceptance letter. You've applied. Put together a complete packet. Comfortable with what you know, but uncomfortable with the fact your future lies in the hands of someone else.

I guess I should say the numbers came in...um, sigh...as expected (or unexpected). They were more than budget - not just a little, but more than double. They just blew right by both those figures stated in the prelims and that little unspoken extra we were holding in our back pockets. I never quite understand how or why this happens. In my professional life, I know when a client begins suggesting additions in certain areas, a red flag goes up and I warn them that these little items will likely drive things over budget/estimate. I have yet to have this type of conversation with any contractor, on any project, ever. I never know if: 1.) they simply don't know, 2.) they are in the business of giving the client what they ask for, or 3.) they do this knowingly to possibly get the client to trade up. If you ask me? I think it's some quasi-combination of 2.) and 3.)...

Since both contractors numbers came in pretty close, we decided to move ahead with the one whom we determined was our best comrade-in-arms. So, now I like to say "the dance" begins.

What follows next is a doe-see-doe between options and costs. You enter a crash-course in construction materials, plumbing terms, types of insulation and man-hours. This is where you get a more concrete sense of your alignment with the contractor. Is he/she helping to solve or just providing information? Is he/she willing to explore options or just discouraging it? You get the picture. They need to demonstrate the right balance of exploring what's possible while guiding the process to a close. I don't envy them.

The first shoe to drop

We reach a number for the two baths. We agree to a start date (luckily it was pretty quick since it was before the Spring/Summer crush.) In my mind, let's go!

We're casually talking about the demo scheduled to begin the next week and I pose (in my mind) a simple question - "So, which bath are we doing first?"

Silence.

The contractor then replies, "the bid was based on both being done simultaneously." Something about efficiences, labor..

Silence.

Um, while we have other 1/2 baths in the house, "these are the only ones that have bathing facilities. And what are we supposed to do for the projected 6-8 weeks?"

Silence.

More silence.

The solution.

Hyeah. Welcome to our lavish setting in the middle of the cellar floor. It was the only location that had access to both water lines and adequate drain connection/slope.

We now have to shower in the field-stone/unfinished cellar. Two flights below the bedroom.

Oh what adventure awaits....







So the demo begins. Till the next time...

On renovating a bathroom - the ideas and prepping the bids

So you now know we decided to move the project forward. I have to say the first phase has got to be one of the most fun parts of the entire process. You know, "where anything is possible and money is no object!" It's the one area where you can be totally free to imagine the most perfectly designed outcome. The one bath that will meet all your needs and satisfy your personal sense of style

Words to consider

A few years ago, I purchased a book on bathrooms from Waterworks. While outfitting our entire bath with Waterworks products is (ahem) a little out of our price range, I found the book to be an enjoyable read and thoughtful approach when considering design.

There were two quotes in particular that stood out to me and, to this day, have helped shape our overall thinking. 

" Design Integrity.  Design integrity depends on good craftsmanship. In the bathroom, it means hardworking equipment should be built to last and that each furnishing should be pleasing to the touch and eye. Design integrity promises that finished quality makes a difference and that classic colors and materials will be more rewarding that trendy ones. Like any other decor, the emphasis in the bathroom should be on enduring style."

" Decoration. Extravagance is not the same thing as luxury. True luxury is a richness of material and craft, a wise and comfortable use of space, a spirit of decoration. It is the practice of sensuous restraint, where a selective use of design elements can often prove that less is more."

Sources of inspiration

While decorator books and home magazines are great resources, today they seem pretty archaic to what's available online. In my opinion, don't settle for the mediocre stand-by's like the websites of the leading home center stores (Home Depot, Lowes). True, they've spent money and time to develop special sections to be destinations for ideas. My issue, however, is that their range of ideas is limited since it basically needs to feature only the products they sell. You'll be better going to other sites that aren't so beholden to their self interests.

My favorites have been sites/apps Houzz and Remodelista. They both feature tons of photos of designer homes from across the US and around the world. Both entities also make it easy to scroll through pages of designs and create folders to hold various items that appeal to you. My own folders are for specific rooms (e.g. bathroom, entry hall) but also for exterior colors, yard layouts and lighting fixtures. They also let you apply notes to each photo to remind you what you found of interest. Like my notebooks, I find these folders a fascinating look at my constantly evolving sense of style. I'll revisit a folder months later to find areas that still are as relevant today as they were before and others that, shall we say, are more "what was I thinking...?!?"

Here are some of photos that were our key design influencers...

The bid packet


If you are working with a designer or architect, they will be the ones to put this packet together. Since our project was a little more straightforward, we chose to work directly with a contractor and do this ourselves. The benefit of a written project recap ensures all persons bidding on the job receive the same level of information. When the bids come in, you want to be fairly comfortable that you are comparing apples-to-apples. It's not always a guarantee but at least you are doing your part to make it so.

Since we were quoting on renovations to two bathrooms, our packet clearly itemized each room separately. In a basic computer Word or presentation file, we provided:

• Full room dimensions including windows, trim & doors
• Photos of current layout
• Any other details (e.g. tile location, height on wall, location of radiators)
• Crude drawings of before floor plan
• Crude drawings of after floor plan
• Detailed list of services requested (e.g. demo of 4 walls, installation of double vanity, installation of new toilet, paint of wall and trim)
• Various inspiration photos that helped us communicate our desired end look  - tile types and installs, glass walls, partitions, sconce locations 

Here are some of the pages from our bid packet:

So it seems like we are nicely prepared for a very smooth process. We've taken the time to know what we want. We've spelled out in detail the project's parameters. We've located a couple of credible, licensed and recommended contractors. What could go wrong?

Stay tuned. There's always something...

Till the next time.

On renovating a bathroom - Consumer Reports Dos & Don'ts

OK. The timing was too coincidental for me to just let this pass by.  This week Consumer Reports sent out their latest Dos & Dont's with bathroom remodeling. (Uh oh, I am afraid to look.)

I thought it would be fun to do a quick recap of their Seven Good Ideas and Seven Costly Mistakes to see how we've already fared with our project. This should be interesting...

If you want to read the complete article, go to    http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/03/bathroom-remodeling-guide-dos-and-don-ts.html

The Seven Good Ideas

1. Budget for the unexpected

What they say: Given the prevalence of water, I guess this makes even greater sense with bathroom remodels.  CR suggests an extra 10-15%.

Where we are: We built in some extra padding, but I think CR should suggest more if you are dealing with an older house. There are so many other unknown factors that come into play when dealing with building techniques and materials used at the turn of the century - knob and tube wiring, out of code plumbing, poured cement floors used for reinforcement, etc. We're still in demolition phase and we've already surpassed the 10-15% mark. 

2. Hide the toilet

What they say: A toilet's placement should have a little privacy.

Where we are: Too late. No half walls or alcoves here. The space already has to work with an articulated ceiling due to a low roof line. We're trying to open it up verses closing it in. The toilet was open to the room before, it'll also stay that way. 

3. Do choose appropriate surfaces

What they say: Consider materials that stand up to abuse and consider larger tile sizes to ease upkeep (eg fewer grout lines to clean).

Where we are: Mixed bag. We are working with larger tiles so we are moving into the easier cleaning category. We are, however, using marble tiles, not CR recommended porcelain, for the walls and floor. In the master, we wanted a little more of an elegant, sophisticated look. We assumed the master bath wouldn't take as much "beating" as say a kids bath.

Our sinks are porcelain, again not CR recommended (for sinks in particular). Since we opted for marble on the walls, we needed a different surface for the sinks. There's too much variation in marble products, colors & finishes to try and match them. Sorry CR. Other variables in play here.

4. Splurge on the shower

What they say: Tubs are passe. Create a sensual experience with the shower.

Where we are: Nailed it! Our shower is getting a complete makeover. Larger size, rainhead, handheld, shower seat, marble surround. This was a primary focus for us. Glad CR approves. 

5. Consider water efficiency
What they say: Conservation is always a good thing.

Where we are: We knew our fixtures were dated and opted for them all to be replaced. (The toilet in the guest bath was 1920 original.) Swapping them out was not just the economical thing to do, but also the right thing to do.




6. Make room on the vanity

What they say: Consider vanity counter space. Possibly a vanity size large enough to handle 2 sinks, but housing only one to yield all that extra square footage.  

Where we are: We absolutely planned for extra counter space. Our original master space had only one sink for the two of us. We knew we needed more room to spread out. We differ from CR on how we approached the solution. We opted for 2 complete side-by-side freestanding sinks. While we considered double sinks on the same platform, we never found options that worked (The styles we liked were only available with marble tops and, as already mentioned above, our need was for for non-marble materials). There were some oversized single-basin porcelain units available, but we don't subscribe to what CR says  - "couples usually realize that the second source of water is less important than the additional countertop." Not in our household! There have been too many toothpaste spits on unsuspecting arms reaching across the basin. Yea. We'll spend the extra plumbing money. We need our own sinks...        


7. Provide adequate ventilation and light
What they say: Moisture not only breeds mold and mildew, it can take a toll on finishes and painted surfaces. Get a fan. Also plan for different layers of light. 

Where we are: Check. Check. Exhaust fan not original in 1920's house. It's now being put in (code factor, anyway). As for lighting, the room has been designed with lighting from several sources. Two cans will be placed lengthwise on the ceiling.  Sconces will be on either side of the two medicine cabinets. And two mini-cans will be inside the shower stall. All will be on dimmers.

Seven costly mistakes

 
1. Don’t rush the process

What they say: Poor planning is the leading cause of cost overruns on these projects. You should spend several weeks to a few months on the planning process.

Where we are: I'd say we're in the middle on this one. In terms of design, we've been gathering ideas, probing experts and formulating some planning guidelines for some time - on and off for a good couple of years. In terms of getting the project started, we probably jumped in a little too quickly and it's becoming obvious. As mentioned above, we're only in demolition and the scope of the project has already experienced some costly creep. (We'll get into this in later posts). I think there's merit in this warning...        

2. Don’t skimp on skilled labor

What they say: Be wary of DIY as a way to cut costs.

Where we are: Total agreement. We've seen too many homes where you don't need to ask "so, you did this yourselves?" Pay for the people who know what there are doing. Also get a credible contractor with customer recommendations. Realistically, I think it's tough to get three really thoughtful bids. Expect to get "ballparks" in the first round.  Then choose the one contractor you want to work with - eg not necessarily the lowest cost. Then go over the bid again with them to really make sure the numbers are, as they say, well scrubbed. 

3. Don’t cut corners on key materials

What they say: Don't cheap out on the materials that get the most use. 

Where we are: Agreed. We've been very sensible here. Looking for lasting quality. Maybe paying a little more for better design, but not breaking our bank.
                          

4. Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow

What they say: Consider how you will age with the space.

Where we are: Honestly, this never came up in our thought process. Our expanded walk-in shower, hand held spray and a built in seat coincidentally delivers on some of CR's stated future needs. (Um, sure, we planned that...) Zero thresholds, grab bars and comfort height toilets? Sorry, not planned in this scope. It's a two story home with all bedrooms upstairs - it already has much larger access issues that just the baths.

5. Don’t forget to factor in water use

What they say: Tricked out showers can drive water consumption. 

Where we are: While we have added some extras to our shower, we did not add features that would necessarily be used simultaneously. There are no body sprays, etc. We have a standard shower head, a rain shower head and a hand held. I guess we could use a couple at a time? I wouldn't expect to be an regular situation though...

6. Don’t buy products online without seeing them in person

What they say: Be wary. Materials and finishes aren't always as they appear on your computer screen. 

Where we are: Not sure how to answer this. We actually shopped both brick & mortar and online stores and bought about 50/50. We found much more competitive pricing online with the additional bonus of no sales tax and, in many cases, free shipping. I would absolutely agree there's more risk going online. Then again, there are so many buyer protection services out there on Amazon, EBay, PayPal that help provide some buyer assurances. If you are really needing something with an exact match, yea, go local to see and feel. We specifically went local for faucet fixtures to ensure design and quality. Dunno. I'd say both options should always be considered...


7. Don’t forget about storage

What they say: Think convenience

Where we are: We're actually adding a second medicine cabinet so in a sense we're adding space, right?  That being said, the original layout never had a closet or undersink cabinet and the new layout doesn't either. Hummm. Zero loss. Zero gain. The new configuration, however, does open up more room for us to consider a freestanding dresser or pharmacy cabinet. We've also seen in Waterworks the use of wicker baskets under the console sinks to store additional items. We'll be exploring all of those...  


So there you have it - the good and the bad.  I think we did pretty well. Phew. I honestly was expecting the worse. Stay tuned. 


Till the next time...


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