How to Love Your Spouse When You Need To Pee
We own an adorable 1928 historic bungalow in peaceful rural town. When we bought the home, not much was changed through its years, including the bathroom. It was, functional but despicable. Let me make mention a few of the unforgivable highlights; a mirror hanging from the ceiling in front of the only window. A toilet set so close to the built-in dirty clothes bin it was not able to fully open. The original cast-iron tub that has worn to a dull dingy gray, I know I heard it laughing at my bottle of bleach. The floor was a rolling sea of unlevel tiny white tiles with impossibly “white” grout, please do notice the quotes. The walls were bubbling away from a bold milky-blue flowered wallpaper. The tile on the tub was not at all level and the grout had been taken over by mold. And if your eyes were not assaulted enough, the smell will certainly make your brain question how badly you needed the facilities. Must, mildew or mold, all equally lovely.
Before we get into the details of the renovation, a few important facts should be revealed. This is the only bathroom in the main house and I was 6 months pregnant at the time. Therefore, the work had to be done quickly and on a tight budget.
Our first step in the renovation was hiring the work. We called several recommended contractors who left running never to return with a quote. We hired a friend who has done work in the past; he was dedicated, hungry for work and gave us a two-week schedule timeline (wink-wink).
The Demolition started and during the process we found some treats in the walls, see the photo to see our prize. The excitement of ridding the smell, ugliness and awkwardness gave us a huge boost. We gladly walked, maybe even skipped, to the the other house on the property to shower, shave, and use the restroom. It was only two weeks anyway, right?
The Design and Materials were decided and purchased by us to keep the costs on budget. Since this was the only bath in the house, I wanted a large tub. Our first lesson: bathtubs are not easily available in big box stores. I wanted the Kohler Expanse curved tub and it would take 6-8 weeks to arrive. There went the two-week time line. We also had to quickly source and choose tile, grout, paint, vanities, toilet, and fixtures. This was extremely stressful but we saved a lot of cash doing it this way.
Fast-forward past the two-week deadline and straight to a full month ahead. The excitement has worn off and my growing belly has only squished my bladder further. During my nightly late night bathroom walks, I made friends with the night creatures while I counted 63 steps to get to the potty. Our second lesson: always over-estimate time and cost by at least 10% 20% 30%.
The waiting While I waited, progress had been made; the walls were cleaned, floor opened up, plumbing re-plumbed, tiles removed, ceiling removed, electric redone, toilet relocated, insulation added, ceiling fan cleaned and our new tub arrived. It is important to discuss with your contractor what will be accomplished each day and to check the work.
Six weeks into the renovation and I am starting to loose hope. Third lesson: Celebrate every tiny moment that makes you smile. This is the best stuff life has to offer. The cuteness found in these moments made it all worth it over and over.
Finally the reveal happened 8 weeks after we started, two months of no bathroom in our home. I was brought to tears when I was able to shower, pee and wash my hands in the same room. I wanted an HGTV camera crew to capture our moment.
Lessons Learned:
- The exercise of patience is a good one.
- Renovation will bring stress like a 100 year old clogged pipe; at some point some
thingone is going to blow. - Stars are beautiful at 3:30 in the morning and the stillness of the air is almost eery.
- Through the struggle, stress and bladder discomfort – you push yourself to still love, smile and be nice.
- HGTV is a lie. No way it gets done in 2 days. No. Way.
- Modern plumbing is a luxury most of us take for granted, much of the world does not have it. Next time, for flush sake, have a moment of gratitude.
If you go down the great road of renovation, be excited to learn about your self, your mate, and your house in ways you never thought possible. It is a journey worth traveling.