Monday, August 11, 2008

This Olde House - Bathroom Completed

With the exception of a window that needs to be replaced, the back bathroom is completed. It took longer than we would have liked, but I think taking our time saved us money and helped create better results.

We made a couple of the improvements from the old bathroom:
  • The walls are now mold resistant "green board." 
  • There is insulation behind all the walls (there was none before.)
  • I caulked all the gaps, to create a better air barrier.
  • Now there is a vent and it generates very little noise during use.
  • There is more lighting and they are all CFL bulbs.
  • All plumbing and wiring has been replaced, and we installed a GFI outlet.
 I took a couple of photos of all the final products. First up is the shower area. Really happy with the way the results of the staggered tiling and the accent work along the top of it. It is a much cleaner, modern look. And it is infinitely better than the old pink and yellow 1960s tile we had in there. We bought everything in brushed nickle, but I really like the chrome soap / rag holder than Cindy found. Pleasant to the eyes and functional.

The toilet didn't turn out the way I originally intended. I wanted to get a dual-flush unit. But the price was just too prohibitive for the budget. And maybe it would not have turned out as nice. At any rate, we're pleased with the results and didn't have any major complications. As with the tub, it is much more modern and we're glad to be rid of the old wooden toilet seat.

The sink and cabinet turned out nicely. It is rare that Cindy and I find something we both like so much. As above, the color and design are really modern. Clean, simple lines. Nothing complicated. Just functional and elegant. Brushed nickle hardware to match the faucet and shower on the tub.

Last but not least, the lights. Amazingly, we both agreed on these. The three bulb armatures have a subtle range of motion and we were able to adjust them slighting to illuminate the medicine cabinet below. It seems like a lot of light in a small place, but they only use the same power as a single bulb.

It was a long project, but ultimately we did almost exactly what we set out to do. We took an ancient bathroom from the 1960s to the twenty first century. And I learned several new skills that will come in handy for future projects.

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