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Our Passover Seder was wonderful and now it’s time to get back to business–the business of renovation that is. We’ve got two bathrooms, the classic pink 1950s one and the kids’ one, that need more than facelifts. We’ve got to rip out walls, enhance wiring, add insulation, replace pipes and maybe relocate a few. Oh, and there’s a bit of HVAC work to be done, too.
On the bright side, the windows and tubs will stay.
We’ll be hiring out for the work, but Hubs thought we should take on some of the demo. It could save us a few bucks. More importantly, he feels that potential contractors will provide more accurate estimates if they can see what’s going on behind the walls.
Makes sense.
I started peeling off the plastic pink tiles on Sunday. They came off easily enough, but the adhesive behind them did not and apparently the stuff has a half-life on more than 50 years because it was off-gassing some nasty fumes. I’m sure whatever volatile chemicals were used in the old glue were banned in the 1980s because they cause brain cancer or something.
So on Monday I decided I had to move beyond tile peeling to full-out knocking down walls.
I gave myself about 90 minutes to do some work, but once I started taking down chunks of wall, I couldn’t stop.
By the time I stopped, I was so filthy that I didn’t dare rinse down in my precious shower. Instead, I cleaned up in the boys’ bathroom. It’s the first shower I’ve taken in there and now I understand why they are eager for a renovation. The shower spray is pitiful and deeply unsatisfying.
As far as what’s going on behind the walls, thankfully, there was nothing (not even a secret stash of cash) behind the soffit in the shower. However, there are two ducts running up the shower wall and another three (!) running up the wall next to it. Glad I didn’t bang full force into any of them.
Yesterday I chaperoned a school band and field trip and now I’m grabbing my safety glasses, work gloves, hat and dust mask and jumping back in.
