Over the last weekend we went from this:
to this!
Before the New Year, Slav had finished wiring for recessed lights and a new fan. However, he was too busy at his day job to install the recessed lights or close up the ceiling.
After the holidays Slav picked up the project again. The goal of the weekend was to install all three recessed lights, and close the ceiling with new drywall.
Slav started by installing the drywall around the ceiling fan. To create more place for attaching the drywall, he sistered another 2″x4″ onto the middle joist.
Then Slav installed the recessed cans along the middle joist.
The next step was to put up drywall around the recessed cans. The bathroom is small and the moisture resistant blue board drywall is heavy. So Slav put up the drywall in pieces.
After securing all the ceiling drywall, Slav took a trip to the attic and removed all the plywood pieces. He then reapplied the insulation onto the bathroom ceiling. Believe or not, I could tell the difference in the climate immediately after the bathroom ceiling was closed up and insulated! The bathroom, although unheated at the time, immediately went back to almost the same temperature as the rest of main floor.
Slav did a good job cutting the ceiling drywall around the ceiling fan and lights:
And all the corners were aligned with very little gap between the wall framing and the new ceiling.
We then installed temporary light bulbs and the bathroom was immediately bright. This small bath will get a vanity light down the road, but during the rest of the construction, these ceiling can lights will become the main source of lighting.
With the ceiling closed and the climate under control, we can officially move onto the next stage of bathroom renovation: the plumbing. This will be the first time Slav does plumbing work. However, I am confident that with his self learning skills and attention to detail, he would deliver more customized and much neater result than any contractor. So please, be patient with us and cheer on!
Here is an updated to-do list in the bathroom:
1. Demolition – removing all the fixtures and wall/floor materials;
2. Assessing the water damage and mold control;
3. Installing new bath window and insulating the exterior wall;
4. Removing the ceiling drywall from the attic, wiring for new recessed lights;
5. Installing a new exhaust fan;
6. Upgrading wall electrical, including adding outlets and wiring new switches;
7. Installing recessed lights and ceiling drywall;
8. Upgrading the sewage pipe for toilet and shower;
9. Purchasing a new toilet, a sink/vanity, and shower fixtures; Upgrading/installing water lines to all the fixture;
10. Pocket door framing/installation;
11. Replacing all the subflooring and closing up the walls;
12. Waterproofing (in preparation for tiling);
13. Tiling the floor, then the walls, including a shower niche;
14. Installing new window stool/trims;
15. Priming/painting untiled drywall and the ceiling;
16. Caulk all the seams and seal the grout;
17. Installing new glass shower door (hire out);
18. Installing new toilet/bidet, vanity/sink, shower fixtures, and mirror/vanity lighting;
19. Installing pocket door trims, and updating the closet and front door trims at the same time;
20. Accessorizing and enjoy!
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