Bathroom Remodel: Part 2

Paint, Tile, and Plumbing

Time to paint! It wasn't a perfect process, since I had some adhesion issues with the first coat of paint. I had to re-prime, then re-paint, then I had to patch some stuff we missed, then re-prime that, then re-paint, then do the second coat, and I had to do a third coat in some areas (mostly where the purple wall was). At least it sure was nice to start seeing clean walls.

While getting some paint on the walls, I also put the subfloor down in preparation for the tile. You can see that in the first picture below.

When the big tile day came, my dad and father-in-law were both generous enough to come help cut tile, mix mortar, and butter the tiles. All I did was set the tiles, and it was still surprisingly strenuous at that! That was my first time putting down tile, so I'm just happy I got them all right-side-up.

After letting the tile mortar set up for a couple days, I could get back in there and work on other stuff, like the shower hardware, shower curtain rod, and the access panel. I ended up having to replace the entire plumbing fixture for the shower handle, so once again, I called my dad in for help. I can do some plumbing stuff, but I don't trust myself to do solder work. After a few hours, we had it in and looking good.

Our previous shower curtain rod was perfectly functional, but it was oil rubbed bronze, which wouldn't work with our new white and black theme. Instead of buying a new one, I sanded, primed, and painted ours. It looks like new, and cost about $3 worth of paint.

Since the access panel I made is held in with magnets, I put a knob on it so we can pull it off. Maybe we'll hang something on the knob, or maybe it's just fine the way it is.

Between working on those pieces, I was grouting the floor, waiting for it to dry, and sealing it. That was tedious and tough on the back and knees. I got lucky with the grout. I mixed the exact amount I needed to do the entire floor. That was nice.

Finally, I could put our new toilet in! That was my first toilet install, and as far as I know, all went well. I think it looks great. I'll put a bead of caulking around the base of it soon.

I was hoping we would get the vanity base in, but we were away for the weekend. I'll have to keep you in suspense for at least one more post.