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Bathroom Remodel Feb 2018/2026
- Thread starter Huntn
- Start date
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Wallpaper- Since the last time I hung wallpaper, it has changed a bit. I have a nonwoven wallpaper. No longer is the paste on the paper itself, no more soaking the paper in a water tray to moisten the glue. Now it is apply the paste to the wall, with a micro-fiber roller and hang the dry paper. As I’ve not done this before, any tips for installation? I watched the following video:
My impression which may be incorrect, is that when you soaked the paper, it was more flexible and easier to adjust, than this will be. For anyone with experience, is this a true statement?
My impression which may be incorrect, is that when you soaked the paper, it was more flexible and easier to adjust, than this will be. For anyone with experience, is this a true statement?
It is a triple switch, the center switch is two be installed.
since this is the de facto home DIY:
the other day i finished up a project to replacing carpeting with a manufactured wood floor in a rental (no nails). ~500 sq feet.
I pulled up the carpet to expose the sub floor. Wear a face mask. There were a lot of staples and carpet tack to clean up. Leveled the floor with dry wall mud because i had existing bags i could use up. Either laminate (fiber board material) or engineered (plywood) types are available. I chose a laminate brand "Hdro Shield" balance between cost and water resistant. I picked a lite brown color. In front of the egress front door I used construction adhesive and put down 1/4" 3x5' sheet of wonder board. Using white thin set i set 12x12" porcelain tile. I chose a real cheep grade and it was brittle, get what you pay for. I used up some snow white sand grout from a previous project. For the threshold between tile and wood i used a manufactured threshold kit. It is the type with a metal channel you attach to the sub floor and a melamine resin "wood" strip plugs into the channel. I went dumpster diving at home depot for various shim materai. Unexpected but useful was adhesive backed vinyl flooring as shim material. Each threshold install was a snowflake requiring differing shim material. Left right on each threshold i put a 2.5" long GRD brand cabinet screw, spline drive, through the threshold into the sub floor for additional security. Drilled pilot holes. This may have not been the best for the long term as the melamine construction if finicky. I bet better results on the thresholds if i matched the threshold thickness to the manufactured flooring. The flooring was 1/2" and the threshold kit was not.
notes:
-the house was built 1890 and has no two edges that are perpendicular. About 2012 the house had a re do and all the old flooring was ripped up, covered with 1" locking glued under lament. Still the floor is not totally level. You can get nice wood simulated tile for $2.00/ft-sq but an old house is not rigid enough to support a large tile installation. I worked a lot with tile but no so much with the manufactured wood. give the choice the tile would have been easier for me and less expensive.
-i had access to a really good portable table saw for this project as there were a lot of rip cuts to accommodate the uneven construction in the old house. In the kitchen of the house I setup a shop vac connected to the table say to collect the dust.
-i used the typical vapor barrier but the thin stuff, under the manufactured flooring. In low spots doubled tripped up on the barrier some places.
-at least 2 of 4 walls you will not be able to get the flooring right up to or under the existing molding. Your supposed to leave a small gap anyways. I got some home depot white quarter round. I used the white plastic wood replacement. It went in super fast and is the same color all the way through. I did not have to paint anything. It covered up gaps in the floor wall.
-after the next tenant cycle i am going to rip of the remaining up stairs carpets. Will use inexpensive manufactured flooring since this is the bedroom area. The current project used 1/2" or 12mm laminate flooring, plan to use thinner flooring up stairs.
-I saw some solid 1/2" bamboo flooring which has some characteristic of the manufactured flooring. Seems you had to nail this in place.
-solid wood flooring is expen$ive... Some of the upper end manufactured flooring is totally water proof. In another unit with a smilliar floor after 10 years shows little wear. I really really liked the bamboo just didnt want to mess nailing it.
the other day i finished up a project to replacing carpeting with a manufactured wood floor in a rental (no nails). ~500 sq feet.
I pulled up the carpet to expose the sub floor. Wear a face mask. There were a lot of staples and carpet tack to clean up. Leveled the floor with dry wall mud because i had existing bags i could use up. Either laminate (fiber board material) or engineered (plywood) types are available. I chose a laminate brand "Hdro Shield" balance between cost and water resistant. I picked a lite brown color. In front of the egress front door I used construction adhesive and put down 1/4" 3x5' sheet of wonder board. Using white thin set i set 12x12" porcelain tile. I chose a real cheep grade and it was brittle, get what you pay for. I used up some snow white sand grout from a previous project. For the threshold between tile and wood i used a manufactured threshold kit. It is the type with a metal channel you attach to the sub floor and a melamine resin "wood" strip plugs into the channel. I went dumpster diving at home depot for various shim materai. Unexpected but useful was adhesive backed vinyl flooring as shim material. Each threshold install was a snowflake requiring differing shim material. Left right on each threshold i put a 2.5" long GRD brand cabinet screw, spline drive, through the threshold into the sub floor for additional security. Drilled pilot holes. This may have not been the best for the long term as the melamine construction if finicky. I bet better results on the thresholds if i matched the threshold thickness to the manufactured flooring. The flooring was 1/2" and the threshold kit was not.
notes:
-the house was built 1890 and has no two edges that are perpendicular. About 2012 the house had a re do and all the old flooring was ripped up, covered with 1" locking glued under lament. Still the floor is not totally level. You can get nice wood simulated tile for $2.00/ft-sq but an old house is not rigid enough to support a large tile installation. I worked a lot with tile but no so much with the manufactured wood. give the choice the tile would have been easier for me and less expensive.
-i had access to a really good portable table saw for this project as there were a lot of rip cuts to accommodate the uneven construction in the old house. In the kitchen of the house I setup a shop vac connected to the table say to collect the dust.
-i used the typical vapor barrier but the thin stuff, under the manufactured flooring. In low spots doubled tripped up on the barrier some places.
-at least 2 of 4 walls you will not be able to get the flooring right up to or under the existing molding. Your supposed to leave a small gap anyways. I got some home depot white quarter round. I used the white plastic wood replacement. It went in super fast and is the same color all the way through. I did not have to paint anything. It covered up gaps in the floor wall.
-after the next tenant cycle i am going to rip of the remaining up stairs carpets. Will use inexpensive manufactured flooring since this is the bedroom area. The current project used 1/2" or 12mm laminate flooring, plan to use thinner flooring up stairs.
-I saw some solid 1/2" bamboo flooring which has some characteristic of the manufactured flooring. Seems you had to nail this in place.
-solid wood flooring is expen$ive... Some of the upper end manufactured flooring is totally water proof. In another unit with a smilliar floor after 10 years shows little wear. I really really liked the bamboo just didnt want to mess nailing it.
While I have no issue with your post in this thread, I’d suggest it go here for better visibility:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-home-improvement-q-a-thread.1890307/
Now that Christmas/New Year’s is over, I’m actually going to hang some wall paper. Regarding inside corners, in the past, I just wrapped around the corner and kept going. However this video discusses if your walls are not square, which I thought was interesting.
Lay the paper so that it stops about 5” short of the corner, measure the widest distance to the corner top to bottom add an 1/8” and wrap around, then cut the entire edge, so that it is all 1/8 overhang on the other side of the corner, then overlap the next piece butting it into the corner. It sounds reasonable to me:
Any thoughts on hanging wallpaper?
Lay the paper so that it stops about 5” short of the corner, measure the widest distance to the corner top to bottom add an 1/8” and wrap around, then cut the entire edge, so that it is all 1/8 overhang on the other side of the corner, then overlap the next piece butting it into the corner. It sounds reasonable to me:
Sometimes oak flooring is cheaper per square foot over tile plank flooring. It has its uses. Not sure why the price of the wood fluctuates, though.
One of my favorite floors was/is an oak floor (not engineered) with a deep dark, red stain. It was beautiful. 🙂
Wallpapering- I have become a convert to using unpasted non-woven wall paper. It is much easier to work with, you don’t have to soak it in bathtub first, you can apply paste on the wall conviently for each piece of paper The only thing I did which was not mentioned in instructions was to spritz the back of each piece of wallpaper with a mister, before hanging, because it adds just a little more moisture to the situation making it easier to adjust the paper right after it is put on the wall.
I still have to finish the drywall in the toilet stall, hang a cabinet and wall paper in there, and put baseboard and crown modeling on the cabinets, hang one more light fixture And I think I’m done! Once the bath is finished and cleaned up I’ll post a pano shot. 🙂
That is until Mrs. Huntn gets an idea for building a deck extension with feeder boxes and above ground planters.
If I’ve not mentioned this before, one thing I’ve learned about bathtub faucets, they look cool in the middle, especially with our bathroom layout, but I much prefer them at the end of the tub because when I’m sitting in the tub and add hot water, I don’t like it splashing on my leg. 😱 Consequently, I have to assume an odd posture to get my leg out of the way.
Thread revival
When I cut the shower floor tile, I tried to cut the tile still on the sheet around a square drain that was not in place. No surprise the end result was on the shabby side. I forgot to take a picture before I redid this area, but I cut out the marble tiles adjacent to the drain and have replaced them.
Not yet grouted
Not yet grouted
My question is should I secure this drain in with mastic, grout, or something like Liquid Nails or should I just let it sit in the hole for any future scenario where I need to run a snake into this drain?
Thanks!
When I cut the shower floor tile, I tried to cut the tile still on the sheet around a square drain that was not in place. No surprise the end result was on the shabby side. I forgot to take a picture before I redid this area, but I cut out the marble tiles adjacent to the drain and have replaced them.
Not yet grouted
Not yet grouted
Thanks!
rhett7660
macrumors G5
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I could see you needing to lift the cover so I’d not seal it in. Doesn’t it have a bottle trap for hair etc?
I agree. Just the little squares which may not stop hair. On a traditional tub drain, I have a hair trap that fits over the drain. Not sure what they make for this kind of a drain Without research.
[automerge]1601140951[/automerge]
Please do!
Guest Bathroom Remodel 2026!
After a couple years being bugged by my spouse, finally got around to it. This is a small room, 5’ wide and about 8’ deep.
Original vanity
Original tub
Original toilet with Vanity (forefront) already removed
I sold all 3 of these items via Facebook marketplace.
The most technically complex task is replacing the tub. More to come! 😊
After a couple years being bugged by my spouse, finally got around to it. This is a small room, 5’ wide and about 8’ deep.
Original vanity
Original tub
Original toilet with Vanity (forefront) already removed
I sold all 3 of these items via Facebook marketplace.
The most technically complex task is replacing the tub. More to come! 😊
Because I’m placing a 5 foot tub in a room that’s 5 feet wide, this was the most complex aspect of this project. The new drains must align with the new tubs, drain connections. In addition, the new tub’s did not fall within the existing concrete hole in the ground. So I taped down a piece of cardboard, place the tub and marked the exact spot where the drain has to be.
I cut off the old tub drain plumbing just below the junction of the old joints/connectors with a hand held PVC cutter that acts like a pair of plyers with a blade. This would fit down into the existing hole so the pipe could be cut level.
Of note, this drain had typically exhibited drainage issues during the years before this project. What I found in the drain was 40 years of crud, mostly hair and what looked like dirt, and it was almost solidly blocked. It looked so bad, I was briefly worried that that drain pipe had cracked, allowing dirt into the pipe. This would have been a $20k nightmare for a house on a concrete slab, where the PVC drains run under the house in the dirt. Usually they excavate. 😳 Fortunately I was able to snake out this crud, and wash down the rest, then dragged in a garden hose and sprayed water down onfull blast to reassure myself that the drainage was functional.
This is why on the new drain pipe, I added a drain access on the backside, and cut an access hole in a bedroom closet wall, with a door so using a snake is easier. Because trying to run a snake though the tub drain or overflow is more difficult.
Template for tub drain
Then I used a handheld power hammer to jack out the edge of the concrete hole which you can see in comparison to the previous image of the old tub plumbing. Of note, there was a piece of reinforced rebar (going through the concrete) right where this tub drain needed to be. I’d not seen this before, it was metal wrapped with small wires, greased and encased with a platic coating, I assume to avoid corrosion in the concrete. I have a metal bade on my Sawzall (reciprocating saw) but that would not cut it. Fortunately I had hand held angle grinder with a Diamond blade from the last big project which made quick work of this.
Floor jacked out, dry fit. The white pipe to the left is a AC condensation drain that wil be reconnected, in addition to snake access.
Then I dry fit, connected the 3 pieces of the pipes for the tub drain and overflow drain, actually glued them as they are a set dimension, then dry fit the rest, placed the tub to check fit, marked thr pipes, checked the fit again, and then glued it all together.
Tub drain completed with bug barrier.
This hole in the ground is reported to be a primary avenue for bugs to get into the house, yet I saw no signs of bugs, especially termites. I read that 6” of sand can stop termites because their tunnels would collapse. So I bought a bag of sand, filled the hole partially with sand and then laid in some dense polyurethane foam sealing the edges with spray insulation foam.
I’ve note our house is built on a sandy soil, in fact they may have filled in this lot in with sand so that may help termites in general.
This was the fit which was flexible enough to screw in the tub drain.
Tub in place.
I cut off the old tub drain plumbing just below the junction of the old joints/connectors with a hand held PVC cutter that acts like a pair of plyers with a blade. This would fit down into the existing hole so the pipe could be cut level.
Of note, this drain had typically exhibited drainage issues during the years before this project. What I found in the drain was 40 years of crud, mostly hair and what looked like dirt, and it was almost solidly blocked. It looked so bad, I was briefly worried that that drain pipe had cracked, allowing dirt into the pipe. This would have been a $20k nightmare for a house on a concrete slab, where the PVC drains run under the house in the dirt. Usually they excavate. 😳 Fortunately I was able to snake out this crud, and wash down the rest, then dragged in a garden hose and sprayed water down onfull blast to reassure myself that the drainage was functional.
This is why on the new drain pipe, I added a drain access on the backside, and cut an access hole in a bedroom closet wall, with a door so using a snake is easier. Because trying to run a snake though the tub drain or overflow is more difficult.
Template for tub drain
Then I used a handheld power hammer to jack out the edge of the concrete hole which you can see in comparison to the previous image of the old tub plumbing. Of note, there was a piece of reinforced rebar (going through the concrete) right where this tub drain needed to be. I’d not seen this before, it was metal wrapped with small wires, greased and encased with a platic coating, I assume to avoid corrosion in the concrete. I have a metal bade on my Sawzall (reciprocating saw) but that would not cut it. Fortunately I had hand held angle grinder with a Diamond blade from the last big project which made quick work of this.
Floor jacked out, dry fit. The white pipe to the left is a AC condensation drain that wil be reconnected, in addition to snake access.
Then I dry fit, connected the 3 pieces of the pipes for the tub drain and overflow drain, actually glued them as they are a set dimension, then dry fit the rest, placed the tub to check fit, marked thr pipes, checked the fit again, and then glued it all together.
Tub drain completed with bug barrier.
This hole in the ground is reported to be a primary avenue for bugs to get into the house, yet I saw no signs of bugs, especially termites. I read that 6” of sand can stop termites because their tunnels would collapse. So I bought a bag of sand, filled the hole partially with sand and then laid in some dense polyurethane foam sealing the edges with spray insulation foam.
I’ve note our house is built on a sandy soil, in fact they may have filled in this lot in with sand so that may help termites in general.
This was the fit which was flexible enough to screw in the tub drain.
Tub in place.
Plumbing altered to accommodate new Sink Base. Before we had 2 sinks in a vey tight area. Wife wanted it to be one sink, with more available counter top.
Fiberock, drywall going up.
Of note the original tub as two layers of drywall around it built up causing the tile to have a 1/2' bump and needing rounded edges bull nose type edges. We wanted the tile to smoothly slow into this bathtub, no bump. The thing is, this is a 5' tub in a 5' wide room. The back 3 sides of the tub have a lip that the wall above it must be an equal depth so that the tile in this area can cover the lip. Without having to build up the drywall, I decided to shim out this left wall 1/2' so that I could achieve the smooth tile along the wall with no bump in the tub transition.
You might be able to see the 1/2 plywood firing strips I attached to the studs on this wall. PS, putting up drywall by yourself is a bitch, but doable with the help of 2x4's screwed into the wall to help support it until you get it snug to the ceiling and attached to the wall. For the light, put up a new bracket between the studs and lowered it 3".
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macrumors Ivy Bridge