I originally started this bathroom because when working outside in the yard the only bathroom was on the third floor and because the waste plumbing was already roughed in by the original owner which made me think it would be a fairly easy job. I laid down the perimeter pressure treated 2 x 4 and then laid the tile and shower pan before building the walls so it wouldn’t be so cramped a task. Mostly, a good idea.
But it wasn’t until after the walls were built and it became painfully obvious the closet flange had to be moved about eight inches that the real fun began in this 70 year old house. As I chiseled up some new tile and old concrete around the flange, I discovered the cast iron elbow that the flange was soldered into had a big crack in the bottom of it. So I broke up more and more concrete and found more and more of the cast iron waste pipe had huge cracks in it. In the end I had to replace ALL the pipe under the slab all the way out to the new PVC that connects to our septic upgraded in 2004. Several weekends with a rented electric jack hammer, allot of digging, some help from a good neighbor, and another weekend with a cement mixer later, I was back where I started. In the end a good thing.
The other good (bargain basement) things are; one of the original doors that I stripped and stained and polished the hardware on, the built in oak ply (free from a friend) and pine cabinet on the outside of the shower wall, and although we spent the money on the fixtures that we really liked, American Standard Towne Square collection in oil rubbed bronze, my wife found some economic accessories and light fixture that were similar, and I was able to treat them so they had a matching finish. It really is silly to spend $200.00 on a toilet paper holder. The 1 x 4 molding with the ¾ back bend matches the existing in the rest of the house except this is stained.
I’m sure this bathroom will serve as incentive to finish the rest of the basement. And best of all, now when were out in the yard, it is really great to not have to “Climb the Himalayas” just to go to the bathroom.
