Guest Bath Remodel: More Demo is Boring but Necessary

I know it’s hard to muster up the enthusiasm to read about demo again, but that is life in the guest bathroom this week. During this stage of the One Room Challenge, I always worry a little. Will I be able to finish? So many of the other guest participants are elbow deep in paint, tile, and furniture, and I’m still over here tearing things apart. However, the only way to get past this mess is to go through it. So, more demo it is.

To bring everyone up to speed, I’m remodeling a partially remodeled bathroom done by a contractor I hired last fall. After four months, we parted ways. It was a bad situation all around, and I am removing almost everything that he finished–which was surprisingly little after four months. You can read more about the project here: week one | week two | week three.

Guest Bath Demo – Where were we?

Last week, I was trying to decide whether to take out the shower pan. The contractor had actually poured it twice. He was unhappy with the outcome the first time, and to his credit, he wanted to make it right. However, even though the second attempt looked mostly ok, I had concerns about the waterproofing. It appeared to be lined with something no better than a contractor-grade trashbag. In addition, the plastic did not extend up the sides of the pan to allow an overlap with the waterproofing materials that would eventually be on the walls. The concrete around the drain was also lumpy and pitted.

Since I felt like I might be a little too close to the project, I got a second opinion. I asked my friend Aaron from Plunjr a question. I said, “If this was your house, would you keep this shower pan or tear it out?” Without hesitation, he said he would tear it out. So, now I own a sledgehammer, and that shower pan is only a memory.

That Escalated Quickly

With the shower pan out, I could really assess the subfloor. I had the highest of hopes that I could save it, but unfortunately, it had to go too. In an attempt to level the sloping floor, the contractor had used a liquid leveler several times. It didn’t work. The floor still pitched over to the corner and sank in the middle. The patches of leveler had areas with sharp edges and several large bumps, and putting good over bad is never the right solution.

To remove parts of the subfloor, I had to take down some of the cement board in the shower, and that’s when the guest bath project started to remind me of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. You won’t get that reference if you haven’t read the book, but, after four kids, the story of that busy little mouse is tattooed on my brain.

So as I write this, the subfloor is partially removed, and I’m almost back to square one. It feels good and awful all at once.

One little bright spot is that RZ Industries sent me a ventilated face mask to wear while I’m tearing up the place. It keeps out the dust, and my safety goggles don’t fog up when I’m wearing both at the same time. The mask is also very soft on my nose and cheeks, unlike the scratchy paper ones. And it’s plaid! So, basically, I’m a fashion influencer now.

I sincerely hope to be putting things back together soon. I’ll feel better when that happens, and you’ll have something more interesting to read.

Currently, everything feels backward. Typically, demo is quick, and putting things back together is the slow part. This time around, the slow demo has me worried about what’s ahead, but moving forward is all I can do. It’s not helpful to think about the finish line at this stage.

If you’re itching for more updates, I always offer the play-by-play on Instagram. I’ll see you there.