My Ensuite Bathroom Reno- Project #2

[zannej]

I now have the trim secured with staples and next step is prepping for thinset. I need to make sure I have everything I don't want to get it on protected and have all of the tools and stuff I will need to apply it and rinse the tools after. Don't have a working hose outside currently so I'm thinking of having a 2nd bucket with water so I can rinse stuff in it. Then I can carefully carry it out and dump it. I will put plastic all over my floor, wear a painter's suit just in case, and wear gloves so I don't get the stuff on my hands-- as I may resort to using my hands to push the thinset up into some areas. The right side panel needs some build up to the trim. I found that if I don't build it up, the fiberglass panel won't fit properly. The trim is sitting at the right depth for the panel to fit plumb.

Now I suddenly want a plum....

Pics with the trim secured (I had to temporarily screw a 1x2 to the wall next to the left side panel to hold the trim where it needed to be but I already removed it).

I actually used a rubber roller to roll over the mesh tape to make sure it was on securely and smoothly.

Next step is to find all of my tools that I will need and organize them into one spot where I can find them. May need to grab a bucket from another room just to store stuff in. I want to have a small bucket for putting the powder in so I get all of together and measured out before mixing it into water. Q&A said 4 cups powder to 1 cup water. So I'm going to do 16 cups powder and 4 cups water and see if that is enough. Worst case, I mix more. I will put a lid on the bucket when it is not in use.

I felt like a wuss hauling in that thinset bag because I thought it was only 25lbs but it was 50lbs. LOL.

 

[Wingnut]

And here I am bellyaching about painting the bathrooms, lol... I hope that all works out the way you want it to be. For me, it helps to envision the project as it will look once it is done... then I just take one step at a time and cross tasks off the list until the project is finished. That seems to help me, that "creative visualization" of the desired end result.

 

[zannej]

And here I am bellyaching about painting the bathrooms, lol... I hope that all works out the way you want it to be. For me, it helps to envision the project as it will look once it is done... then I just take one step at a time and cross tasks off the list until the project is finished. That seems to help me, that "creative visualization" of the desired end result.

LOL. Painting can be a hassle so no problem with bellyaching about it.
I made collages of stuff in the bathroom, drawings in MSPaint, and some sketches in Sketchup. I think I enjoy the planning part more than the execution. LOL. I love the visualization part.
Taking a break right now and have a massage pad on my back. If my back cooperates tomorrow I'll get everything ready for thinset.

 

[zannej]

I keep saying thinset but it's mortar. Not quite the same. LOL. Making a list of everything I need to work on it and trying to remember.

• Shop towels
• Tape & plastic sheathing for tub & floor
• Mudding knives (I have 3 different sizes)
• Gloves
• Coveralls
• Shoe covers
• Bucket to hold extra water for rinsing or if it needs to be thinned out
• Bucket with lid for the bag of mortar once it has been cut open
• Bucket with lid for mixing the mortar
• Container to hold the mortar powder once it is measured out to pour into the mixing bucket after water is added
• Measuring cup for water
• Dry measuring cup for powder
• Mixing attachment for cordless drill
• Cordless drill
• Bag of Mortar
• Mud scooper for buckets (helps get all the stuff off the walls of the bucket)
• Sandpaper
• Shop vac
• Framing square to make sure the corner is as close to 90° as possible

Any suggestions for stuff I'm missing?

 

[zannej]

So, I learned that the mix needs more water than it says, having the bucket of water nearby was a good idea, the stuff doesn't spread nearly as nicely as stuff shown in videos, and I am a total monkey and suck at mudding. Coveralls were a good idea-- I needed them. The mix dries FAST even with a lid on the bucket. I needed about half the amount of the mix. So, next time I'll do half and hope I am fast enough to get it up. Now that I have a bit better feel for the technique I hope it will go better. I couldn't even figure out how to get the mud to stay on the corner trowel thingy to use it.. Some of the fiberglass mesh tape moved when I was spreading the mud (the stuff over the screws) but the screws got covered so I don't care. I'm so glad that the surround has ridges on the back and that the caulk will need to be 1/4" thick to create a buffer of sorts. I'm hoping I can get the part with the corner grab bar square so the grab bar will fit. Absolute worst case I skip using the corner grab bar shelf, use one of the tension rod shelves instead, and add a suction cup grab bar or something. But, I'm still hoping to fit the corner one.
This is what I got done so far before the stuff in the bucket dried up:

Nowhere near perfect but close enough for government work.

 

[havasu]

Once that thinset hardens, it will never come off. you would have been better off using a wet sponge immediately and getting the thinset wiped down. Thinset is not the substrate you want to use to build up the edges for that plastic lip edge. Cut the plastic edge and if the concrete backer board was installed correctly, it should already be smooth. Remember, you are adding a waterproof plastic (probably acrylic) liner, so you are looking at smoothness only.

Now, if you were tiling, you would have the proper substrate and it would turn out great.

 

[zannej]

Well, I mixed a smaller batch this time and used icewater (I put a container of water in the extra fridge that we hardly ever use-- it is set to very cold so it sometimes freezes stuff). It lasted longer but I made a mess. I am not good at this. Didn't help I was having a bad coordination day but I needed to get it done so I pushed through. Plus my back was already screaming at me just from mixing.

I wouldn't say I'm happy with the results but I'm satisfied. Definitely need to practice and improve. After taking these pictures I did some organizing and made sure to find the things I would need-- shower arm & flange, showerhead, tub spout, stub in for tub spout, PEX pipes, pex fittings, Holdrite bracket & clamp, curtain rod, curtain rings, curtain, shower trim, shower valve, etc. Found some rusty pliers that I'm soaking in white vinegar to get the rust off and see if they will work again. I saw that on Youtube and it worked. Rust is already coming off.

With the color and splatter of the mortar it looks like someone had explosive diarrhea in the tub.

I used a 1" putty knife to cram mortar under the trim that wasn't touching the wall and filled it all in and then put mortar over the top. That stabilized the trim and padded the wall out a bit more so the wallset will sit flush. I'm going to be liberal with the adhesive for the surround and possibly use some doublesided mounting tape if need be. We shall see how it goes. The back panel has some doublesided tape on it already. I'll let my friend mess with removing the paper from it because I will probably get it stuck to my hand. LOL.

Not the prettiest job but hopefully it will work.

 

[zannej]

The bathroom is still a mess. I'm waiting for my friend to be available to come over and help. While I did botch the tub repair stuff a bit, it still looks better than before. From afar you can't even see it. Even sitting on the toilet I don't see it without specifically looking for it. Still going to see if we can fix it better and do tests with other colors from the kit to see if one matches better. I might take a crack at it myself if I can figure out the dremel tool.
As a reminder, this is what it looked like before:

And this is the current look.

• So, short term goals:
  Change filter in shop vac & vacuum up tub
• Dry fit surround again
• Put up painter's tape and spread plastic to protect tub from any possible drips from Loctite adhesive
• Apply some adhesive to the cement board in areas that will be harder to mark out on the surround (around tub spout & controls locations)
• Apply adhesive to side panels
• Set side panels in place & use roller to secure them (making sure it goes square for the grab bar location)
• Use roofing nails to secure inner edge pieces & use silicone on side where nail hangs off the surround edge
• Measure width & find center for the center point on the back wall piece
• Apply adhesive to back surround piece
• Line back wall piece up with center marks and use roller to secure it
• Use "blocking" to hold the side panels firmly against the walls while adhesive cures
• Cut & install PVC boards & L-trim for outside wall corner
• Paint & caulk (may pre-paint the PVC boards and do touch-ups afterward)
• Drill pilot holes from inside closet through surround right side panel
• Use larger drill & hole saw for cutting holes for tub spout and controls
• IF time permits, will apply aquadefense to the larger hole to reinforce it
• Attach drop ell and get it lined up with hole in wall
• Install support board for drop ell for shower arm
• Connect PEX hot & cold to shutoffs
• Turn off water & drain any sediment/dirty water from the lines
• Connect to shower valve & get valve installed
• Connect to copper stub-in for tub spout and put it through Holdrite bracket to secure it
• Cut end of copper stub in to fit inside tub spout
• Install tub spout
• Install shower trim
• Install shower arm & showerhead
• Install shower curtain rod, rings, & curtain
• Clean up/organize bathroom
• Take a shower

Longer term goals:

• Change out faucet to nicer one
• Get rid of S-trap and replace with proper trap with AAV
• Temporarily remove toilet
• Cut wall behind toilet location to investigate to find termination point of vent for toilet from other bathroom
• If possible get that vent to run to the attic and put an AAV on it
• Replace tub drain with direct drain and add vent for it (either AAV in closet or connecting to vent inside wall-- whichever is easier)
• Repair/box/sister up the cut joist under tub
• Install wainscoting & baseboards
• Install TP holder
• Paint trim
• Install vanity light & add switch for it
• Fix cabinet door and do another coat of paint
• Sand & paint dresser & put new hardware on
• Make & hang curtains over window

I realize that AAVs are not ideal but I do have one atmospheric vent on the other side of the house and I'd rather have AAVs than no vents for the fixtures. I may end up having to call in the plumber to see if he will do the bathtub drain part, but that will require getting the house cleaned up a LOT more first. Motivation for me to do it though.

 

[havasu]

You keep moving forward. I love it!

 

[zannej]

Thanks! I do have you to thank for motivating me to get moving on it again. I'm terrible at procrastinating. I'm always worried I'll mess something up but then I figured if I mess something up its not the end of the world.

My caulk condoms savers arrived today. The showerhead and escutcheon I had purchased years ago disappeared into the nether so I ordered new ones. I found the empty box for the escutcheon but it wasn't inside so I don't know what happened to it. Probably in a drawer or stored somewhere I was supposed to remember. Got Moen ones this time. I will probably snag the ugly shower caddy that hangs from the showerhead from Mom's room once everything is in order. Got some primer for the PVC boards (made sure it works on pvc/plastic). Already have paint sitting around and I got some new rollers just in case. I'm thinking that maybe putting the pvc trim up first and then painting it (or at least cutting it and then painting it) would be better than trying to paint it after the surround is up. I may need to get my brad nailer and air compressor out (although will need my friend to get the air compressor down off the shelf) to install the pvc boards. Hmm.. Maybe I should paint them after they are cut but before they go up and then do touchups on the nail heads because it will be easier to paint when they are down lower. I'll have to organize a lot more in the bathroom to clear the space for it. Fortunately, I have enough plastic to cover most of the bathroom when I'm painting. I was going to just leave it unpainted and have the smooth side of the boards out but the mfrs printed something on the smooth side in black (which was *not* shown in any of the product pics).

I'm hoping my friend will be available to help me do the measurements up high soon because I tried to measure but I need both arms to reach up high enough and ole lefty wasn't cooperating. I may try again in a bit. I'm not tripping over everything today like I was the other day.

 

[zannej]

I dremeled off the most bumpy parts of the repair job, sanded, cleaned it up, and tried white ceramic dark. A little too dark. Tried light ceramic light. A little too light. Mixed them together and got closer to the tub color. it's still bumpy and needs to be sanded but at least the color is better.

Going to sand it to try to get it as smooth as possible and then seal it with turtle wax.

Will have to go with a different location for the corner grab bar. it won't fit with the wall set going around the corner and being slightly rounded. Just rounded enough to prevent the corner from fitting. I might go with a straight grab bar shelf if I can find one on sale.

Waiting to hear if friend can come out either Sunday or Monday.

 

[havasu]

Z, that clump when painting your bathtub is because the paint is too thick. It is best to thin it out and use a small hand held paint sprayer. Tape it off good, and use a "pen sprayer" to apply several coats so it will cover the black, but not look clumpy. This is available on Amazon for $19.

 

[zannej]

It's not paint, its some kind of ... I don't know what... that cures from a blue light. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N2KBDH3/

It comes in these itty bitty syringes with tiny tips.

Its designed for chips rather than large areas. I used a paintbrush the 2nd time, but I think because I had it too clumpy the first time it made it harder to get smooth.

I sanded it and smoothed it out a bit more. Used the black sandpaper (which is supposed to be wet sandpaper) but it started blackening the patch instead of smoothing. I cleaned it off and used the polishing attachment for my dremel but the shank was too thin so it wouldn't stay in. I got a polishing kit with thicker shanks now that hopefully will work. I'm going to buff it out more.

It doesn't look great, but it feels smoother now.

Got pvc trims primed and painted. I'll post pics later. Friend said he's ready to come over.

 

[zannej]

The trim primed

Corner trim painted:

Surround glued up:

Unfortunately, during the dry fit, I never got the wall panels to go as tight to the wall as they did when adhered so the trim sticks out a bit too much and I will need to cover it. At least it helped to line stuff up and it covers the raw edge of the cement board.
I need to do some cleaning up. The jerks who packed it put a sticker right on the front of the center panel that has left adhesive on it. I need to clean it off. Caulking around seams is next and then trim. Friend is busy tomorrow and I'm not sure when he'll be available again. Maybe I can get my brother to help me unbox and set up some of my tools.

 

[Pearl]

The trim primed
View attachment 109238
Corner trim painted:
View attachment 109239
Surround glued up:
View attachment 109240
Unfortunately, during the dry fit, I never got the wall panels to go as tight to the wall as they did when adhered so the trim sticks out a bit too much and I will need to cover it. At least it helped to line stuff up and it covers the raw edge of the cement board.
I need to do some cleaning up. The jerks who packed it put a sticker right on the front of the center panel that has left adhesive on it. I need to clean it off. Caulking around seams is next and then trim. Friend is busy tomorrow and I'm not sure when he'll be available again. Maybe I can get my brother to help me unbox and set up some of my tools.

It's getting there!;

 

[zannej]

I need to do some massive cleanup in there. My plan for the trim on the side and top:

Its a crappy sketch, but I'm going to use cardboard templates to get the angles for cuts right.

 

[zannej]

Got the holes drilled! I had my brother hold the wall panel while I did a pilot hole from the other side. He said it didn't budge so that is a good sign. The holder thingies I was going to use wouldn't grip the tub bottom. I'm going to have to vacuum again and do more cleanup. The dust got stuck in the repair so I will have to thoroughly clean that and then seal the repair up with turtle wax once it is clean.

The shanks of the larger bit and the hole saw would not fit in my drill. I specifically looked for ones with 3/8" shanks which should fit my drill, but it didn't. Just a hair off. So I dug around in the workshop to find a corded drill. Fortunately, I found one and it worked. Drill bit went through for tub spout like a hot knife through butter. No plywood behind there because I reused the hole from the diverter. The hole saw was another story. Cut through the fiberglass and cementboard and got stuck. I had to stop and use pliers (ones that had been rusted shut that I soaked in white vinegar that are almost good as new now) to pry the stuff out and then really had to push to get it through the plywood. It stalled out a few times but made it through.

I will either need a larger bit or I'll need to wallow it out more to get the showerhead to fit when I go to install it.

 

[zannej]

Got corner trim & horizontal trim up. Took a long time to get the miter saw set up because we had to assemble the stand, unbox the saw, & get the saw attached to the stand before we could make cuts. Extra measurements. My friend started feeling nauseous and messed up some cuts but it's not a big deal. I can find other uses for the pieces that were cut wrong.

The trim required shims to be more level & to fit properly. I realize my friend didn't have the boards up against the fence when cutting so some cuts were crooked but I didn't tell him that. He cut the right side trim a little long and had to cut off about 1/8". Back piece was the right size at least. Needed quite a bit of shimming. I thought we were going to have to cut the corner trim for the other trim to fit but because the top had to be shimmed the side piece will fit flush with the top pieces. I'm going to have to be liberal with the caulk in some areas.

Left side trim got cut 1/2" too short the first time. Scrapped that piece (will find another use for it-- maybe a shelf?). 2nd time was 1/8" too short so there is a gap, but the cutoff from the one that was too long fits in the gap.

I made a few cuts on things that turned out fine.

PEX got hooked up to the valve and the trim got roughly put in. The tub spout rough-in is in. The holdrite bracket wouldn't quite fit so it was left off. Another bracket will be used. Waiting for the adhesive to cure (48hrs) to get the shower arm rough-in done and then everything can be secured.

Right now the trim is only up with adhesive but brad nails will be added later. I'm going to try to put up the side pieces of trim myself after some rest.

The very back piece sits back against the wall and not flush with the surround, but that is OK because the L-bead trim covers the cement-board there and I want to put a tension rod on the back wall to hold shower accessories on hooks-- stuff like back scrubbers.

Left side:

Center:

Right side:

Corner trim (the wall bows so it had to be taped to stay against it properly)

Gap on left trim:

Test fit of the trimmed piece against the end. I couldn't get a picture with the side trim pressed against it without it falling.

 

[Pearl]

Got corner trim & horizontal trim up. Took a long time to get the miter saw set up because we had to assemble the stand, unbox the saw, & get the saw attached to the stand before we could make cuts. Extra measurements. My friend started feeling nauseous and messed up some cuts but it's not a big deal. I can find other uses for the pieces that were cut wrong.

The trim required shims to be more level & to fit properly. I realize my friend didn't have the boards up against the fence when cutting so some cuts were crooked but I didn't tell him that. He cut the right side trim a little long and had to cut off about 1/8". Back piece was the right size at least. Needed quite a bit of shimming. I thought we were going to have to cut the corner trim for the other trim to fit but because the top had to be shimmed the side piece will fit flush with the top pieces. I'm going to have to be liberal with the caulk in some areas.

Left side trim got cut 1/2" too short the first time. Scrapped that piece (will find another use for it-- maybe a shelf?). 2nd time was 1/8" too short so there is a gap, but the cutoff from the one that was too long fits in the gap.

I made a few cuts on things that turned out fine.

PEX got hooked up to the valve and the trim got roughly put in. The tub spout rough-in is in. The holdrite bracket wouldn't quite fit so it was left off. Another bracket will be used. Waiting for the adhesive to cure (48hrs) to get the shower arm rough-in done and then everything can be secured.

Right now the trim is only up with adhesive but brad nails will be added later. I'm going to try to put up the side pieces of trim myself after some rest.

The very back piece sits back against the wall and not flush with the surround, but that is OK because the L-bead trim covers the cement-board there and I want to put a tension rod on the back wall to hold shower accessories on hooks-- stuff like back scrubbers.

Left side:
View attachment 109649
Center:
View attachment 109650
Right side:
View attachment 109651
Corner trim (the wall bows so it had to be taped to stay against it properly)
View attachment 109652
Gap on left trim:
View attachment 109653
Test fit of the trimmed piece against the end. I couldn't get a picture with the side trim pressed against it without it falling.
View attachment 109654

 

[Pearl]

Looking good, it's getting there!!

 

[zannej]

I'll post more pics when I'm not so tired, but I'm happy with how the baseboard looks in front of the tub. I still need to fix up trim on the left and right.

 

[zannej]

I forgot to take pics of the left side trim after I scabbed another piece on and removed the tape. There is still a gap in the lower right part of where the trim fits but I'll figure out a solution.
I've decided to use cove molding in the corners on the pvc trim and up the walls. The two pieces of cove molding I cut to 16" are almost the right size to fit. Just need a little trimming. Left side is a little shorter than right because of the floor slope.
I bought various trims to try from Lowes and will see what works.
Cleaned the adhesive residue off the tub, walls, etc with mineral spirits-- that stuff works wonders.
Scraped thinset off of the exposed L-bead trim edges with the back side of a chisel.
Covered some gaps between the wrap arounds for the side panels & the L-bead trim. I used scrap tear away strips from the L-bead trim to cover the caulk and make it look nicer.
Scabbed on piece on left side trim with tape:

Gap visible on back wall bc the center panel is taller than the side panels.

Before I filled the gaps:

After I filled the gaps

There's still quite a bit of work to do-- like nailing trim, securing plumbing, covering gaps, caulking, touch-up paint, clean up, etc.

 

[zannej]

Closer view of the patching I did over the gap (only showing right side because I showed a picture of it previously before the gap was filled).

I should have used construction adhesive instead of regular caulk, but both should hold. I'm going to caulk around it and will have cove molding above.
I think I removed that piece under the tension rod (which does not actually have tension and is missing a locking piece in the middle) and scabbed it on to the left side trim to fill the gap and then I used contruction adhesive and scrap tear-away strip to cover the transition so it looks a little better.

I will be cleaning that floor before I install the trim fully. Stupid mice chewed the edge. The craft stick is to prop the trim up a little higher so it gets closer to being the right height-- I wanted a small expansion gap at the bottom. I'll be filling it with caulk.

 

[zannej]

Today was a busy day. Got my friend over and I found my dad's old Rotozip. Must be at least 20yrs old. Used that to widen the hole for the shower arm on the plywood side to make the extension fit in. Extension piece had burrs in it and wouldn't thread all the way. Friend worked hard to get it on and in to the drop ell, but it made the shower arm stick out way too far and we were concerned it might be a leak point so we nixed it-- which was a pain to remove for my friend. The showerhead (because of its design) is lower than I'd like it to be so I might have to swap out for a straight shower arm. Friend had trouble getting the showerhead on at first but then realized a small piece can be detached, threaded on, and then the showerhead clips on.

Friend then assembled my portable tablesaw-- which took awhile because the instructions sucked. Had one mystery screw left over with no idea where it goes. Only had to make one cut with it, but it ended up slightly crooked. that's ok because caulk can cover gaps.

Got all the trim pieces up. I had already loaded the nails into the brad nailer and had the air compressor in the room. We measured, marked, cut, etc and got stuff up. Friend used my tin snips to cut the smaller pvc trim pieces. Got it all nailed up and now it just needs caulk. The adhesive backed flexible trim wasn't so hard to put up using construction adhesive. The baseboard for in front of the tub ended up fitting perfectly.

Tub spout didn't want to sit flush on its escutcheon and I mentioned to my friend that the pipe looked like it was tipping down. He went into the closet and stuck a screw horizontally between the fitting and the wall. That fixed it so spout is on tight. Getting screws lined up for the shower controls was a pain, It only has 2 screws so it is tight where those screws are but doesn't sit flush on the lower right side. Might be because the wall bows a bit or could be the escutcheon bows or both. Caulk should fix that problem. It doesn't have to be perfect.

My cats kept climbing in the closet and running into the bathroom while the doors were open. Aminatu tried to get through the hole in the closet that goes under the tub. Previously when the walls were open in my bathroom, she rushed in and tried to jump into the cavity. There's a reason we call her Ami-not-too-bright.

Anyway, I'm resting for now-- feet were swollen and back was spasming by the time we were done-- and will work on caulking later.

Pics for now.


Now all that remains is to sink some of those nails a bit more, caulk, touch-up paint, clean up, and install the shower curtain rod & curtain (which will be done after I caulk). We put one at the back to hold loofas, back scrubbers, etc.

It looks nicer than I'd expected so I'm happy. Caulk will cover gaps and smooth transitions a bit more I hope.
I had to shim behind the side trim on the left to make it sit flush with the surround so we used 3/4" quarter round to cover that edge/gap. The adhesive backed flexible trim covered that gap with exposed "mud" nicely. I'm going to mold some caulk to make the transition look a little better-- or at least try. Had to use the construction adhesive because the sticky side of the trim wasn't touching where it needed to. Used a roller to roll it flat/smooth.

Bottom gap will get caulked-- although I might leave caulk off the quarterround at the bottom in case I decide to cut some of it off to run baseboard up against that side trim. I didn't have enough of that trim flexible trim to run it down to the floor. Only had 10ft of it and had just about 1-1/2" left over.

Cove molding went in the corner of the pvc boards as well as up the wall to the ceiling trim (which will get painted later).

I really love this baseboard trim. Needs to be cleaned up, but it fit perfectly and looks great (IMO). Yeah, the tub is still an absolute mess inside. LOL.

There was a gap between the right side trim and the outside corner trim that needed to be addressed so we put up flat trim over the gap. Also got the Moen magnetix showerhead in place. Controls are Delta Lahara. Tub spout is Moen Monticello. You can't see it, but we also put trim on the top of the horizontal boards to cover the gaps between them and the walls because they had to be shimmed. I might climb up and get a picture later.

The flat vertical trim over the other trim also covered where some staples showed through. The brad nail heads are poking out in just a couple of places but I'm hoping a punch will get them to be flush so I can put a little caulk or paint over them.

I still need to figure out how to remove that red stain. I might try bleach in just that spot

So close to having a usable shower. Just need to get my body to cooperate with the caulking part & cleanup. I just hope the drain works properly with all the stuff that accidentally got into it when the tub plug came out.

It feels so good to have this much progress.

 

[Pearl]

Today was a busy day. Got my friend over and I found my dad's old Rotozip. Must be at least 20yrs old. Used that to widen the hole for the shower arm on the plywood side to make the extension fit in. Extension piece had burrs in it and wouldn't thread all the way. Friend worked hard to get it on and in to the drop ell, but it made the shower arm stick out way too far and we were concerned it might be a leak point so we nixed it-- which was a pain to remove for my friend. The showerhead (because of its design) is lower than I'd like it to be so I might have to swap out for a straight shower arm. Friend had trouble getting the showerhead on at first but then realized a small piece can be detached, threaded on, and then the showerhead clips on.

Friend then assembled my portable tablesaw-- which took awhile because the instructions sucked. Had one mystery screw left over with no idea where it goes. Only had to make one cut with it, but it ended up slightly crooked. that's ok because caulk can cover gaps.

Got all the trim pieces up. I had already loaded the nails into the brad nailer and had the air compressor in the room. We measured, marked, cut, etc and got stuff up. Friend used my tin snips to cut the smaller pvc trim pieces. Got it all nailed up and now it just needs caulk. The adhesive backed flexible trim wasn't so hard to put up using construction adhesive. The baseboard for in front of the tub ended up fitting perfectly.

Tub spout didn't want to sit flush on its escutcheon and I mentioned to my friend that the pipe looked like it was tipping down. He went into the closet and stuck a screw horizontally between the fitting and the wall. That fixed it so spout is on tight. Getting screws lined up for the shower controls was a pain, It only has 2 screws so it is tight where those screws are but doesn't sit flush on the lower right side. Might be because the wall bows a bit or could be the escutcheon bows or both. Caulk should fix that problem. It doesn't have to be perfect.

My cats kept climbing in the closet and running into the bathroom while the doors were open. Aminatu tried to get through the hole in the closet that goes under the tub. Previously when the walls were open in my bathroom, she rushed in and tried to jump into the cavity. There's a reason we call her Ami-not-too-bright.

Anyway, I'm resting for now-- feet were swollen and back was spasming by the time we were done-- and will work on caulking later.

Pics for now.


Now all that remains is to sink some of those nails a bit more, caulk, touch-up paint, clean up, and install the shower curtain rod & curtain (which will be done after I caulk). We put one at the back to hold loofas, back scrubbers, etc.

It looks nicer than I'd expected so I'm happy. Caulk will cover gaps and smooth transitions a bit more I hope.
I had to shim behind the side trim on the left to make it sit flush with the surround so we used 3/4" quarter round to cover that edge/gap. The adhesive backed flexible trim covered that gap with exposed "mud" nicely. I'm going to mold some caulk to make the transition look a little better-- or at least try. Had to use the construction adhesive because the sticky side of the trim wasn't touching where it needed to. Used a roller to roll it flat/smooth.
View attachment 111112
Bottom gap will get caulked-- although I might leave caulk off the quarterround at the bottom in case I decide to cut some of it off to run baseboard up against that side trim. I didn't have enough of that trim flexible trim to run it down to the floor. Only had 10ft of it and had just about 1-1/2" left over.
View attachment 111113
Cove molding went in the corner of the pvc boards as well as up the wall to the ceiling trim (which will get painted later).
View attachment 111114
I really love this baseboard trim. Needs to be cleaned up, but it fit perfectly and looks great (IMO). Yeah, the tub is still an absolute mess inside. LOL.
View attachment 111115
There was a gap between the right side trim and the outside corner trim that needed to be addressed so we put up flat trim over the gap. Also got the Moen magnetix showerhead in place. Controls are Delta Lahara. Tub spout is Moen Monticello. You can't see it, but we also put trim on the top of the horizontal boards to cover the gaps between them and the walls because they had to be shimmed. I might climb up and get a picture later.
View attachment 111116View attachment 111117
The flat vertical trim over the other trim also covered where some staples showed through. The brad nail heads are poking out in just a couple of places but I'm hoping a punch will get them to be flush so I can put a little caulk or paint over them.
View attachment 111118

I still need to figure out how to remove that red stain. I might try bleach in just that spot

So close to having a usable shower. Just need to get my body to cooperate with the caulking part & cleanup. I just hope the drain works properly with all the stuff that accidentally got into it when the tub plug came out.

It feels so good to have this much progress.

 

[zannej]

Taped the hell out of things and put up plastic. Did primer, touch-up primer, and now did the painting. I'm hoping I won't need to do any touch-up painting. Also hoping the tape will come off. It left blue residue and tore last time.

 

[zannej]

Curtain rod is up. It's extended as far as it will go so it won't sit tight on the wall, but it rests on top of the trim.

I put the hooks on the curtain in advance and then stood on the stepstool to get them up

 

[Pearl]

Curtain rod is up. It's extended as far as it will go so it won't sit tight on the wall, but it rests on top of the trim.
View attachment 111439
I put the hooks on the curtain in advance and then stood on the stepstool to get them up
View attachment 111440

Wow, almost there !

 

[zannej]

Got some double hooks up to hold back scrubbers, washcloths, loofahs or whatever.

I got all the trash out and cleaned the tub (kitties found the tp bag and shredded some before I removed it from their reach)

Put anti-slip mat in the tub-- its soft and cushiony. Put bath mat outside the tub-- old one needs to be washed before I put it back down. The mat in the tub is wet because I just washed it.

I'll need to change the drain and overflow out eventually. That drain is kind of rusty and is nasty looking. I just hope it drains properly. It never did drain very well. But that would be a job for the plumber to mess with. I'm too fat to fit under there.

 

[Wingnut]

The Chinese version of painters' blue masking tape ain't so hot, better to pull it ASAP or it'll rip, tear, and be a monumental PITA to remove. Even the 3M tape sucks now, that used to be my go-to brand for any kind of masking, but it has gone downhill like everything else... Chinese junk.

Hey, you can extend the life of rough-looking drains by masking them and spraying them with gloss enamel (color of your choice). Don't forget to extend the masking with newspaper or plastic to counter overspray. The gloss enamel holds up well, even during hour-long baths (which is what I take whenever I actually take a bath, lol, usually I just grab a shower).

Oh, yeah, if the drains are really ugly, rough 'em up a bit with sandpaper or steel wool or whatever, that'll help the spray paint stick better, lol. I suppose you could use primer first, but the rattle cans I prefer already have a blend of primer & paint. I use the Rust-oleum 2X Ultra Cover paint, and I give drains multiple coats to smooth out irregularities, lol.