Remodeling, or Recap Part 2

We are in full swing on remodeling projects again. Clint installed the door and window trim, and will start on the baseboards as soon as they come in. It looks so nice!

We finally chose our cabinet hardware, so Clint is in the process of installing knobs and pulls. I think there are about 50 altogether for the kitchen and bath alone. We decided on a simple style matte black knob and handle that I found at Home Depot, and a copper knob for the bathroom. They were in the mid range as far as price, $2.50 for the knobs, and $5 for the handles. It was still shocking to see the cost though; it really added up, with all those pieces. The cabinets were becoming damaged because of the lack of handles. They aren't designed to be knob-less, although they look nice that way. They don't have any place to grab them, so fingernails bubm and dent the wood. We are still getting used to grabbing them by the knobs. Even half done, they look so much better!

We veered off the remodel path and onto home maintenance to repair the upstairs bathroom tub surround, which had water leaking behind the surround, damaging the studs and creating an ugly mildew problem. We decided to replace the tub as well as the surround, after discovering the tub was rusting through at the seam. After an afternoon of tub shopping, we brought home a replacement 2 piece fiberglass tub/surround, destined to resolve the mildew problems inherent in using a separate plastic surround. We went to great lengths to ensure that the pieces would fit through the bathroom door and into the space available, only to discover when we got it home that it would not make it up the stairs and around the sharp angle from the landing to the bathroom.

I was all for putting the old tub back in and putting up a cheap new plastic tub surround, and just replacing it every 5 or 6 years. But Clint felt the old tub was not useable, so it was back to the store to assess options for plan B. This time I let Clint handle it on his own. He came home with a very nice 4 piece plastic tub and surround. Of course it was three times as much as the 50% off fiberglass one we had purchased the week before. We've decided to keep that one for the downstairs bathroom remodel, which we are planning for July. There is no tub or bath in that room at all, thus the need for the remodel.

So, while Shelby and I spent Saturday on an all day trip to Pendleton for a seminar on "Raptor Rehabillitation and Wound Management Techniques", Clint installed the new tub and surround. It totally exceeds my expectations. The tub he chose is beautiful, and BIG. I may even be able to convince some of the kids to bathe up there instead of in my tub! And it's so clean! We aregued a bit on the fixtures. He wanted to replace them with the same old clear plastic knobs style that was there before. I wanted a more modern metal lever. Same price either way. I said I would rather put the old knob back on than spend money on a newer model with the same dated look. That made him mad! I think the issue was the plumbing valve for the different style lever. He was worried that it would require a plumber to change out the valve. But in the end, after the tub came out, he found it was not difficult to change out the valve at all.

This whole process involved ripping out drywall, sometihing we hadn't planned on. I was going to paint the bathroom as soon as the surround went in. Cilnt has replaced the drywall, but we will need a professional to tape and texture it if we want it to look right. I'm voting for leaving it like it is until we do the downstairs bathroom, since we will have the same situation once we move the sink and add the tub. Then we can just have someone come out once and do both bathrooms.

Last on our remodel list are installing the stone columns on the front porch, the baseboards,the bathroom remodel, and painting the exterior of the house, which needs to happen soon or the weather will start damaging the still unpainted siding. We plan to get all four projects done this spring and summer, before Clint's fall tournament schedule, which is very busy. My dream would be to finish all this AND start to work on the yard, which needs to be completely redone, but I'm thinking it's not realistic. It's a bummer to have a scrappy yard for another year, though. But there are limits to what is humanly possible.