Amanda's Bathroom Remodel

Amanda's Bathroom Remodel

Each of the images is clickable to display a higher-resolution version.

Here you can see the bathroom as it was before any construction started. The only non-original (from 1979) item here is the light over the mirror. The rest of the bathroom dates from the construction of the trailer.
The protrusion you can see from the center of the picture to the left is a closet from one of the bedrooms. To the right of it, there is a square counter which is a few inches higher than the main countertop. This was entirely dead space. In the ceiling, you can see a [non-working] exhaust fan to the left of the globe-style light fixture.

This is the old bathtub. While large by 70's standards, it is a little small today. There were a large number of leaks between the edge of the tub and the walls, and once it became clear we'd need to pull the tub out to perform repairs, we decided to get a new tub instead.

Here you can see the old toilet, as well as the floor. The floor had been damaged by a leaking water heater some years ago. Unfortunately, the subfloor was built out of particle board. Once particle board gets wet, it permanently loses all of its strength.
Also, you can see one of the things that gave the bathroom its "character" - there are 3 different wall treatments in the room - the floral paneling in the shower area, this white weave paneling by the toilet, and wood paneling on the opposite wall.

A wider view of the bathtub.

This is the countertop, sink, and tiny cabinet. Apparently this unit was constructed by people who normally do motel rooms - the cabinet is miniscule.

This is the living room shortly after we brought in all the supplies. You can see the new Jacuzzi tub (46" x 72"). I'm laying on 14 sheets of fiberglass drywall, and to my left, under the blankets are 9 sheets of cement board. Amanda is sitting on the couch looking very amused.
During construction, when people who didn't know we were remodeling came to visit, we'd tell them that a Jacuzzi in the living room was the latest fad.

Demolition in the bathroom has started. The inside faces of the walls have been removed and construction lights have been installed. The pipes are the water lines for the whole house. Due to the way the place was built, the lines ran through the old cabinet, so we had to demolish the cabinet around the pipes.

As I mentioned earlier, the floor lost all of its structural integrity due to a leak. The tile and subfloor has been ripped up, exposing the floor joists. The various pieces of 2x4 are to provide reinforcement where the edges of new 3/4" plywood will be located.

The original wiring had a single outlet at the countertop, and two switches - one for the exhaust fan and one for both the ceiling light and the vanity light.
The new wiring plan has 4 outlets. One each for the countertop, under the countertop, on the wall where this ladder is, and above the toilet (for a towel warmer and LCD screen.)

Here you can see the new wall between the bathroom and the second bedroom. The closet shown in the first picture has been removed to make room for a larger tub. We needed to install a new wall as the "studs" in the old wall were 1x1's. This was way too thin to support the drywall and tile we were planning on installing. Rather than rip out the old wall (and disturb the paneling attached to the other side), I just built a new wall out of 2x3's. The blocking you see near the bottom of the picture matches where the top of the tub deck will be, and is used to provide additional support for the drywall.

These are the switches that replaced the old two switches. From right to left, these are:

Dimmer for main overhead light

Dimmer for vanity light

Dimmer for tub lights

Switch for exhaust fan

Here we see a closeup of the new switches.

This is the start of construction of the tub frame and deck. The temporary plumbing is still in place, but will be removed shortly.

The tub frame from different angle.

Here you can see the vent stack for this section of the unit's plumbing. It used to proceed out of this picture at the bottom right and go up to the roof through the closet (which is no longer there). It has been redirected to go up in the wall at the head of the tub, then along the ceiling joists to meet up with the existing roof vent. The fat silver line is a dryer exhaust vent.

We've started installing the new drywall (which is actually a new water-resistant product which uses fiberglass instead of paper for the faces). Additionally, you can see 2 of the 3 recessed lights that will illuminate the tub. At the very bottom edge of the picture, you can see plywood on the surface of the tub deck.

The rough-in for the shower controls is finished in this picture. The tub has separate controls for the tub and shower, so these controls are just for the shower. Now that the rough-in is complete, the shower lines can be pressure-tested and then the drywall can be installed.

Here you can see the three lights above the tub.

The rough-in for the tub faucet has also been completed. You can see the two outlets for the tub (one for the pump and one for the heater). While you probably can't make it out in this picture, each has a "GFCI Protected Outlet" sticker as each of these circuits has a GFCI breaker in the panel.
You can also see the dryer exhaust line. Access to the Jacuzzi pump for service will be done by pulling the dryer away from the wall and reaching in under the tub.
Because space is so cramped and access is difficult, I went overboard with labeling the water lines, in case anyone needed to work on them in the future.
At the bottom center of the picture, you can see the drain line which will connect the tub drain to the unit's plumbing.

A close-up view of the tub's water supply.

This view shows where the new (white) plumbing lines connect to the existing (gray) plumbing which provides water to the kitchen.

Cement board has been installed on the tub deck and the joints have been taped and cemented. We're almost ready for a tub...
You can also see the new water supply lines coming in at the bottom right of the picture, along with the new drain line for the bathroom sink.

A different view of the tub deck.

The tub has been installed and has been filled. It is now being run for an extended period to check for leaks before proceeding.

This is a close-up view of the tub controls and the four back jets.

After some well-deserved soaking in the tub, we proceed with installing the tile. We selected 12" square green tiles for the floor and tub surround. In this picture the tile has all been installed and is ready to be cleaned, sealed, and grouted. The supplies on the edge of the tub are grouting supplies.
Between the last picture and this one, cement board underlayment has been installed over the plywood of the floor and the tub sidewall.

Here we see the floor tile from another angle. We're looking toward the outside wall, where the counter will go. Observant readers will note that the left-hand window has been removed, as it would have ended up inside the new shower enclosure.

The rest of the floor tile. The cut-out at the far edge is for a heating register. By this point, the toilet has been out and back in something like a dozen times, as the old floor was taken out and various stages of the new floor were installed.

This is Genghis, one of Amanda's two cats. He took great interest in the construction, up until I closed off the tub surround and he couldn't go sneaking back there any more. He's now decided his job is to sit and supervise.

This is the wall tile which will be used in the tub area. It consists of 6" square Italian tiles with a decorative border running around the wall 18" above the tub deck. The small round objects between the tiles are tile spacers.

Finally, we have a bathroom! The wall tiles are completed, all the grouting has been done, and the tub and corners have been caulked with matching silicone caulk.
To the right, you can see that the cabinet has been installed.

The tub, shower, and sink all use the same style of plumbing fixture. The shower is a telephone-style unit on an 8-foot cord. The showerhead itself is adjustable for 10 different flow styles.

Here you can see a close-up view of the tile and decorative border.

This picture shows the completed caulking of the tub to the deck and of the walls. Additionally, you can see the finished install of the tub faucet.

What can I say? It is a telephone-style shower head.

I had to modify a stock shower curtain rod to fit, since this opening is 88" wide and the longest "normal" shower rod only extends to 72". Two matching rods were combined.

The tub is all set for its first occupant. Stainless steel stands at the ends of the tub hold various odds & ends.

This is the almost-complete counter area (the countertop is a temporary laminate one while we wait for the marble one to be cut and delivered). The original cabinet and mirror are long gone, with an antique mirror in its place. A roman shade covers the window. The only piece left from before the start of construction is the light fixture. You can also see that the crown molding has been installed.

We all hated leaning over the counter to get to items in the medicine cabinet, so a new cabinet was installed to the right of the countertop. The wall was only 2x3's, while the cabinet was intended for a deeper wall (2x4's). So I built a wood frame around the cabinet to conceal the protrusion.

This is what you see when you look at the counter while standing in the shower.

Amanda had her heart set on one of these raised glass bowl sinks. It tool several tries to get one delivered in one piece. The faucet behind it is actually a kitchen faucet, but it works well here - the neck clears the bowl handily, and the raised deck of the faucet handles helps when you reach around the sink to turn the water on or off.

This is looking toward the hallway door from next to the shower area. You can see the combination light / exhaust fan / night light fixture in the ceiling, as well as the completed trim around the light switches.

At last - we can stop moving the old toilet out and back in! This is the new toilet, all installed and caulked to the floor. You can also see the completed baseboard trim

If there's one thing we all hate, it is opening a cabinet door and having a pile of assorted junk come tumbling out. We installed pull-out organizer baskets behind 3 of the 4 cabinet doors. The fourth door has spare tiles, etc. stored behind it, so it doesn't need a basket.

What bathroom would be complete without a fountain? This sits on the counter to the right of the sink.

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