Planning a DIY Bathroom Remodel
We knew we were going to be doing work on pretty much all of the house at some point, so the first thing I did was build a 3D model of the whole house. I took detailed measurements of all walls, rooms, doors, windows, etc., and turned these into an accurate, scale model of the house using Sketchup.
With this model, we were able to visualize different layouts for our bathroom remodel, move walls and fixtures around, and tweak our design until we came up with a plan that was the most appealing and fit within our specific space and constraints. I then used Layout to create floor plans and elevations which were necessary to obtain a building permit
More Bathroom Remodel Planning
Demolition
We planned to demolish the master shower, then build out the new shared tub/shower, while keeping the existing shared tub/shower intact, then switch to using the new tub/shower, and demolish the existing tub/shower, in order to maintain a working shower throughout the whole project.
We again ran into problems with this plan, this time because of building permits and inspections.
Bathroom Remodel Work
We had to get both bathrooms ready for rough in inspections at the same time. So, after a false start, now with building permit in hand, with some more creative critical path thinking, and hopefully a helpful plumbing inspector, I started work in earnest. Since I removed almost all of the subfloor, I had ready access to all of the plumbing.
This was by far the most difficult and time consuming part of the project. Re-routing 2 inch drain and vent pipes, working with the constraints of confined spaces, existing drain locations, and plumbing codes made for a lot of head scratching and bad words. Building the new water supply was comparatively easy. I cut the 3/4″ supply lines, sweated copper to pex adaptors, ran pex lines under the floor, and brought the lines up inside where the new wall will be. I used sharkbite fittings to connect to the existing tub/shower temporarily.
Framing
In order to get ready for rough in inspection, all plumbing needed to be in place, which meant new floor had to be installed, and the new wall had to be framed.
I replaced the old OSB with new plywood subfloor. Note that when removing old subfloor, plan your cuts if possible to land on joist centers. Otherwise, when you lay new subfloor, you’ll have unsupported seams which require blocking to be installed. Also, when cutting out old subfloor, ensure cuts are straight and square. This will make installing the new floor much easier. Use a long piece of hardwood, or anything with a good straight edge, squared with chalk lines, framing square, etc, screwed to the floor as a guide for your circular saw or whatever tool you’re using.
Once new flooring was in place, I framed the new partition wall.
Rough In
Then, with the wall in place, I roughed in the drain and vent pipes, as well as the water supply lines, and finally the shower, tub, and faucet rough in valves.
DWV Test
Our local codes require that all DWV pipes be subject to a fill test with a 10 foot head of water for at least 15 minutes for rough in inspection. After consulting with the inspector, I determined that it was sufficient to test only the new work and not the entire DWV system in the house, which is common with a residential bathroom remodel. I installed test tees at each point where my new work tied into the existing drain pipes. I used inflatable test tee plugs to seal the drain pipes, then filled the system with water up to the point where the new vent pipes tied into the existing vents.
The final step was to connect the new tub drain, which tied into the existing tub/shower drain. Which meant that I was now on the clock to complete rough in, pass inspection, and set up a temporary shower system before we could take a shower again.
Rough Plumbing Inspection
With all the plumbing roughed in, I called for the rough plumbing inspection. I was a bit apprehensive about the first inspection, having never been through this process before. I made sure everything was in order; permit posted, plans on hand, work area clean and organized, and DWV system “on test”. The inspector was cordial, friendly, and helpful. He inspected all the work, asked some questions, pointed out a few things he would need to see at the next inspection, and gave me the “approved” stamp.
Tub Surround
With the first inspection hurdle passed, I hustled to build out the tub surround, get it relatively water proofed, and get a temporary shower head/handle installed.
With a new working shower, I moved on to demolish the old tub/shower that we had been using up to this point.
We very quickly tired of showering in the temporary, plastic lined abottoir, so it was time to finish the tub surround. We wanted an alternative to tile, and after extensive research, settled on a concrete micro-topping product. It is suitable for indoor/outdoor use, applied with trowel or brush, and can be stained with a variety of colors.
I used a trowel to apply two thin coats, with some sanding after each one. The result is a very unique, hand troweled plaster sort of finish, which we are quite pleased with. I finished up with a high quality, hydrophobic concrete sealer.
Mechanical
Bath rooms need bath fans. This was a relatively simple and straight forward part of the project. I mounted the fan housings to roof joists. I used rigid metal ducting, wrapped in insulation.
Cut two holes in the gable end wall.
And finished with vent hoods outside.
Wall Mount Toilet Tank Frames
We opted for wall mounted toilets for space savings and ease of cleaning. There are some special considerations when installing the tank frames, especially existing plumbing and framing details. Since I was starting from scratch framing the new wall housing the tank frames, I used 2×6 lumber. The 3 inch waste pipes have to run inside the wall and down through the bottom plate, and the extra 2 inches is nice to have.
Read more about Wall Mounted Toilet Installation.
The horizontal blocking on top of the frames provides an additional attachment point. The empty space in the stud bays above the tanks will be used for shallow medicine cabinets.
Electrical
Circuits
The first thing I did to start the electrical phase of the bathroom remodel project was make a complete circuit map of the whole house. This took many many trips to the main panel to switch a breaker on or off, and then back inside to test lights and receptacles to identify which devices were on which circuits.
Home Runs
We planned to install electric radiant floor heating in each bathroom. The manufacturer recommended a dedicated circuit for each unit, so I made two new wire runs from the bathrooms to the main panel in the garage. Then installed two new standard 15 amp breakers. Amperage, breaker, and wire requirements differ according to the size of the heating units.
The heat mats have a power cable and temperature sensor that had to be run through a hole in the bottom plate, and up to the switch box containing the thermostat. I used metal boxes and half inch conduit to protect both wires inside the wall. Then temporarily secured the mats to be out of the way for the next inspection.
Wiring
I pulled wires to the fans, recessed light cans, ceiling boxes for hanging pendant lights, and to all switch and receptacle boxes. I used labels to keep track of each wire.
Once I had wires in boxes and sheathing stripped, I labeled each individual hot wire.
Then connected grounds, neutrals, and hots, using pigtails where needed. I left the hot wires delivering power to each switch, and the switch leg wires out of the boxes, along with grounds, and used wire nuts to temporarily connect the hots.
This accomplished three things; made for a nice, organized layout for the inspector, made it quick and easy to connect devices when ready, and allowed me to turn the circuit on and check my work before installing all the devices.
Electrical, Mechanical, Framing Rough Inspections
As with the first inspection, I was well prepared, with plans, circuit map, all boxes and wires clearly labeled, and work area clean and orderly. Again, the inspector was friendly and helpful. Twice being well prepared and organized, and able to communicate clearly about the what and why of my work went a long way towards establishing a good rapport with the inspector. Another “approved” stamp for all three.
Drywall
Vile. Disgusting. Awful. Some of the nicer words I used when hanging, mudding, and finishing drywall. This was the task I looked forward to least during this project, and probably life in general. If you want to know more about drywall, watch a video, read an article, or just don’t use it for anything. Ever. That’s about all I have to say about that.
Paint
We selected a charcoal/slate/blue color for the walls, as a striking sort of contrast to the light gray concrete and gold plumbing finishes.
Cement Board Underlayment
We used cement board as floor underlayment for two reasons. One, when combined with thinset and the eventual concrete micro topping finish, it would match the height of the flooring in the bedroom and hallway. And two, it would provide some thermal mass to increase the effectiveness of the radiant floor heat.
Toilet
This could have waited until after the finished floor was installed, but we were really looking forward to having a second working toilet so I went ahead and put it in. It was somewhat fiddly to get the mounting hardware just right, but still better than dealing with the size, weight, and wax rings of floor mount toilets. Read more about the installation process here.
Shower Surround
I elected to use Schluter Kerdi Board for the master shower surround, as well as Schluter’s pre formed and sloped shower pan. In our last house, we poured a custom concrete shower pan, which was a very difficult and time consuming task I wanted to avoid again. The Schluter shower pan was super easy. I sized it larger than the shower enclosure and trimmed it to fit, laid it in a bed of thinset, and that was it.
I wasn’t so thrilled with the Kerdi Board. Installation was fairly tedious, especially sealing all the seams and screw penetrations; Schluter insists on un-modified thinset, along with their proprietary Kerdi-Band, both of which I found difficult to work with. This could be something that would improve with practice, but if I had to do it again, I would use cement board and Redguard for the surround.
Heat Mat Installation
The heat mats we used are rated for shower use, so I started by removing enough wire from the mesh mat to cover the shower floor area, then secured it with hot glue. I then continued over the rest of the floor with the remaining mat, also securing it with hot glue.
Did the same in the guest bath.
Then covered all wire and mats in thinset. This took several layers.
Concrete Floor
I used the same concrete micro-topping used on the tub surround to finish the floors. It’s easy to apply, durable, and waterproof when sealed. It doesn’t photograph very well, but it feels nice on bare feet.
Check out the application process
Concrete Shower Surround
Again with the concrete micro-topping. Easy to apply, durable, waterproof. For this project, it’s pretty hard to beat. And it creates a really unique, hand trowelled, hand made look that fits well in the space.
Plywood Walls
I hate drywall so much I went looking for anything else to use for finish walls in the master bath. I settled on maple veneer plywood. I can’t really say it was easier or took less time than drywall, but I enjoyed it more. It was more like a woodworking project than a wall building project.
I cut the plywood into slats for the two short walls and used full sheets for the long walls, and finished it all with teak oil which really brought out the warm tones in the maple. I used a couple of stud bay spaces for some small built in cabinets.
We weren’t really going for it, but it ended up with a Scandinavian/Japanese luxury spa sort of feel. And I didn’t have to sand any drywall mud.
Wood Slab Floating Vanities
Way back before I even finished demolition work, I visited a local sawmill and cam home with some slabs of blue pine and redwood, and here I finally got to turn them into the vanity counter tops.
I’m working on separate posts about the whole build process for each of them, but here are a few pics in the meantime.
Final Fixtures/Trim
It’s all coming together now. Running water, flushing toilets, shining lights.
If you’re still with me, you probably don’t need me to go into detail about installing sinks, faucets, and light fixtures. These were the last things to go in before final inspections. Make sure you have everything ordered and on hand so you’re not waiting on parts.
Final Inspections
I scheduled all final inspections for the same day, cleaned up the project areas, and crossed my fingers. The inspector arrived, a different one this time, and we went to look at the work.
She ran hot and cold water, flushed the toilets, turned on all the lights and bath fans, checked all receptacles for GFCI protection, said the counter tops looked nice and that was that. All finals approved.
I’m certainly not complaining, but it felt a little anticlimactic after all of the work I poured into this project. Anyway, I’m happy to get the official nod and close the books on that part of the project.
I still have plenty of finish work to do; trim, casing, LED lighting, custom thresholds, doors, etc.
It’s been very challenging and very rewarding project, and I’m looking forward to more!
Thanks for reading.
