Bathroom reno - what should I know? How to make it less disruptive?
October 18, 2023 8:14 AM Subscribe
There's a bunch of water damage and mold from a roof leak in the bathroom of the house I own. Looks like the bathroom needs to be gutted and re-done. I'm looking for tips on how to make this less disruptive, etc. There are some very specific specifics about the setup
Some details and q's:
The contractors say it should be about 3 weeks but I don't know how much faith to have in that.
It seems super-disruptive to not have a bathroom. How do people deal with that?
Some details
- I work from home, bathroom right next to my office. I expect this might be very noisy?
- I have a weird house setup: I have 50% custody of my 8-year old. My ex, my kid, and I, all live in one house, with three units: One for me, one for my ex, one where our kid sleeps. Each unit has its own bathroom. The usual deal is that when my kid is in my ex's custody, I don't have access to the kid's space, but I expect my ex would be okay to be flexibe about that during the reno. Our relationship is very amicable, and also based usually on very clear boundaries (ie: each parent stays out of the family shared unit when the other parent has custody)
I think my ex may be out of town a few weeks, so maybe I can do it during that time, because I'd have access to the bathroom in my kid's unit (or maybe hers, too)
It'd be cool to do this when *I* was out of town, but I have no plans to be away.
Also as a recently divorced person, dating is a big part of my life. It seems very impractical to have someone over and not have a bathroom...
I welcome any advice, experiences, insights, things you wished you knew, etc.
Some details and q's:
The contractors say it should be about 3 weeks but I don't know how much faith to have in that.
It seems super-disruptive to not have a bathroom. How do people deal with that?
Some details
- I work from home, bathroom right next to my office. I expect this might be very noisy?
- I have a weird house setup: I have 50% custody of my 8-year old. My ex, my kid, and I, all live in one house, with three units: One for me, one for my ex, one where our kid sleeps. Each unit has its own bathroom. The usual deal is that when my kid is in my ex's custody, I don't have access to the kid's space, but I expect my ex would be okay to be flexibe about that during the reno. Our relationship is very amicable, and also based usually on very clear boundaries (ie: each parent stays out of the family shared unit when the other parent has custody)
I think my ex may be out of town a few weeks, so maybe I can do it during that time, because I'd have access to the bathroom in my kid's unit (or maybe hers, too)
It'd be cool to do this when *I* was out of town, but I have no plans to be away.
Also as a recently divorced person, dating is a big part of my life. It seems very impractical to have someone over and not have a bathroom...
I welcome any advice, experiences, insights, things you wished you knew, etc.
We renovated all of our bathrooms and our kitchen recently.
I think you will need to make arrangements with your ex to use the bathroom in the family shared unit. The alternative would be to go to an extended-stay hotel, which might also address your office concerns. Yes, it's going to be noisy (and dusty) and probably unpredictably so. Depending on the size and configuration of your bathroom, their workspace will probably extend quite a bit into the hallway/adjoining rooms. Plan on it taking at least 4-6 weeks.
posted by AndrewInDC at 8:25 AM on October 18, 2023 [3 favorites]
I think you will need to make arrangements with your ex to use the bathroom in the family shared unit. The alternative would be to go to an extended-stay hotel, which might also address your office concerns. Yes, it's going to be noisy (and dusty) and probably unpredictably so. Depending on the size and configuration of your bathroom, their workspace will probably extend quite a bit into the hallway/adjoining rooms. Plan on it taking at least 4-6 weeks.
posted by AndrewInDC at 8:25 AM on October 18, 2023 [3 favorites]
Most of the time though, they will not be doing loud working, unless it's a really huge bathroom. Over that 3-6 weeks, it'll just be a few days of actual noisy labor.
IMO, you should be available to see the work they are doing, and to make on the fly choices, so I'd not recommend you going on vacation.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:37 AM on October 18, 2023 [4 favorites]
IMO, you should be available to see the work they are doing, and to make on the fly choices, so I'd not recommend you going on vacation.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:37 AM on October 18, 2023 [4 favorites]
We had our bathroom renovated a few years ago, and this is a smallish house in which the bathroom contains the only toilet. It was disruptive, but the contractors had seen this situation before, and made sure they put the toilet back when they left each evening. Otherwise we relied on going out to work and other places, and I think our son was still in diapers which helped! The work took just over a week.
posted by altolinguistic at 8:43 AM on October 18, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by altolinguistic at 8:43 AM on October 18, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'd double any time estimates the contractor gives you. Their estimates are usually for when the process goes 100% according to plan, and renos never do. The tub is scratched and needs to be replaced, the faucet you want isn't in stock, etc. Add a little extra padding if you're choosing anything that's not standard -- complex tile work, wall hung toilet, computerized thermostats or shower controls, etc. If your contractor is amazing and has no delays then it's just a bonus!
Demo will be LOUD but a team or guys can probably get demo done in a single day. You'll want to be working elsewhere that day. The rest of the process is somewhat quieter but still has occasional loud moments with drills, saws, etc.
Dealing without a bathroom is the worst part, you'll want access to another unit while this is going on. Usually contractors are okay to put a toilet back in temporarily before the rest is finished, even if they have to take it back out again to paint or something. There's also the option of a porta potty if you can't find anywhere else to go.
posted by little king trashmouth at 8:44 AM on October 18, 2023 [4 favorites]
Demo will be LOUD but a team or guys can probably get demo done in a single day. You'll want to be working elsewhere that day. The rest of the process is somewhat quieter but still has occasional loud moments with drills, saws, etc.
Dealing without a bathroom is the worst part, you'll want access to another unit while this is going on. Usually contractors are okay to put a toilet back in temporarily before the rest is finished, even if they have to take it back out again to paint or something. There's also the option of a porta potty if you can't find anywhere else to go.
posted by little king trashmouth at 8:44 AM on October 18, 2023 [4 favorites]
I just want to emphasize that because this is the result of water damage/mold, they may not know how much work they need to do until they start the demo in earnest.
As an example of things not going to plan, in our bathroom we were crossing fingers that we didn't have to demo the subfloor (which in our older house, was mortar/cement) and rebuild it. But, lo-and-behold, we did, as part of replacing a drain line, which added probably about a week.
posted by AndrewInDC at 8:54 AM on October 18, 2023 [7 favorites]
As an example of things not going to plan, in our bathroom we were crossing fingers that we didn't have to demo the subfloor (which in our older house, was mortar/cement) and rebuild it. But, lo-and-behold, we did, as part of replacing a drain line, which added probably about a week.
posted by AndrewInDC at 8:54 AM on October 18, 2023 [7 favorites]
We went through a full reno of our only bathroom a little over a year ago. The contractor estimated 6 weeks and it took closer to 9, but a lot of that time involved waiting for some custom pieces.
We both worked from home during the entire renovation. The loudest parts were the demo (1-2 days) and the rough construction (less than a week). We had a porta potty in the yard for the duration of the project, but the contractors were able to reinstall the toilet most days. During the tiling, the entire bathroom was unavailable (2+ weeks). We washed up in the kitchen sink. I would... not recommend this route; it saved some money, but it was very disruptive and needing to run out into the yard while there was snow on the ground to pee was pretty bad.
Some other things we learned - prepare for unexpected repairs/damages. Over the course of the construction, the builders found a rotten joist that needed to be replaced and broke a copper water line that needed to be replaced (not their fault, it was just old and the vibrations from the work cracked it). Unless you've already ripped out the existing water damage, I guarantee there's probably something hiding in the walls that you don't know about. The other thing that surprised me was how filthy the rest of the house got. They carefully tarped off the work space to keep the dust out of the rest of our living space, but the basement (again, because of vibrations) got absolutely covered in dust and debris. I'm still cleaning stuff off down there. If you can swing it, hiring a professional cleaning service after the work is done might be a good idea.
posted by backseatpilot at 8:54 AM on October 18, 2023 [3 favorites]
We both worked from home during the entire renovation. The loudest parts were the demo (1-2 days) and the rough construction (less than a week). We had a porta potty in the yard for the duration of the project, but the contractors were able to reinstall the toilet most days. During the tiling, the entire bathroom was unavailable (2+ weeks). We washed up in the kitchen sink. I would... not recommend this route; it saved some money, but it was very disruptive and needing to run out into the yard while there was snow on the ground to pee was pretty bad.
Some other things we learned - prepare for unexpected repairs/damages. Over the course of the construction, the builders found a rotten joist that needed to be replaced and broke a copper water line that needed to be replaced (not their fault, it was just old and the vibrations from the work cracked it). Unless you've already ripped out the existing water damage, I guarantee there's probably something hiding in the walls that you don't know about. The other thing that surprised me was how filthy the rest of the house got. They carefully tarped off the work space to keep the dust out of the rest of our living space, but the basement (again, because of vibrations) got absolutely covered in dust and debris. I'm still cleaning stuff off down there. If you can swing it, hiring a professional cleaning service after the work is done might be a good idea.
posted by backseatpilot at 8:54 AM on October 18, 2023 [3 favorites]
I had the only bathroom in my house renovated last year. It took about three to four weeks. I also work from home. It was pretty disruptive. It was super loud during demo (a couple of days) and just kind of loud for the rest of the time. You should factor in if your contractors play (and sing) loud music while they work.
I had very generous neighbors let me use their bathroom during the day (including showering). Every evening my contractors replaced the toilet except for two nights while they were tiling and I got a nearby airbnb.
Some other things to consider:
-- There will be so much dust and dirt. So much. Don't trust your contractor to keep it out of the rest of your house. Roll up rugs, cover furniture with old sheets, and close doors before they arrive.
-- You will need a place in your house for your contractor to store stuff (the new toilet, sink, tile, bags of grout, etc.).
-- Things will go faster and more smoothly if you are there to answer questions and make decisions.
posted by mcduff at 9:53 AM on October 18, 2023 [5 favorites]
I had very generous neighbors let me use their bathroom during the day (including showering). Every evening my contractors replaced the toilet except for two nights while they were tiling and I got a nearby airbnb.
Some other things to consider:
-- There will be so much dust and dirt. So much. Don't trust your contractor to keep it out of the rest of your house. Roll up rugs, cover furniture with old sheets, and close doors before they arrive.
-- You will need a place in your house for your contractor to store stuff (the new toilet, sink, tile, bags of grout, etc.).
-- Things will go faster and more smoothly if you are there to answer questions and make decisions.
posted by mcduff at 9:53 AM on October 18, 2023 [5 favorites]
Also as a recently divorced person, dating is a big part of my life. It seems very impractical to have someone over and not have a bathroom...
It is only three weeks. You could go over to their place just for those weeks or take a little break from dating. If you do bring dates over, please warn them in advance that they will not have the use of a bathroom so that they can make an informed decision. (It's sketchy to let them use your child's bathroom and definitely not okay to let them use your ex's.)
posted by MiraK at 10:51 AM on October 18, 2023 [6 favorites]
It is only three weeks. You could go over to their place just for those weeks or take a little break from dating. If you do bring dates over, please warn them in advance that they will not have the use of a bathroom so that they can make an informed decision. (It's sketchy to let them use your child's bathroom and definitely not okay to let them use your ex's.)
posted by MiraK at 10:51 AM on October 18, 2023 [6 favorites]
I can’t offer any advice about the disruption, but I can strongly advocate for you to get underfloor heating. Getting out of the bath or shower is so much nicer. Ditto brushing my teeth, even in socks.
Another suggestion I have is handheld shower in addition to the high up one. I do wish it were possible to run them both at the same time. And maybe that’s not actually possible, but it would be nice.
Third, dimmable lights.
posted by bilabial at 2:48 PM on October 18, 2023
Another suggestion I have is handheld shower in addition to the high up one. I do wish it were possible to run them both at the same time. And maybe that’s not actually possible, but it would be nice.
Third, dimmable lights.
posted by bilabial at 2:48 PM on October 18, 2023
You really need to find a robust solution to your problem.
I forget the origional timeline estimate for our master bath remodel, but the city required lead paint protocols which added a day or two, then someone mentioned possible asbestos in the old flooring. Asbestos abatement cost 4 days, much of it with loud fans running. If do need a building permit, there are delays waiting for inspectors.
And the tile order arrived with the wrong mix of different types of tile
Stuff happens.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:12 AM on October 19, 2023
I forget the origional timeline estimate for our master bath remodel, but the city required lead paint protocols which added a day or two, then someone mentioned possible asbestos in the old flooring. Asbestos abatement cost 4 days, much of it with loud fans running. If do need a building permit, there are delays waiting for inspectors.
And the tile order arrived with the wrong mix of different types of tile
Stuff happens.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:12 AM on October 19, 2023
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There are basically three options I know people to use
* Be out of town for the entire duration
* Move in with somebody else for the entire duration
* Have another bathroom. Or, as a variant, you have a half-bath that you can at least use for elimination, but you shower at a gym, or office, or friend's house, or... somewhere else.
As you've noted, it can be really disruptive, but... disruptive stuff happens all the time. This is gonna suck, but, part of the answer to many things in life is 'it sucks and you deal with it one way or the other.' There just isn't a magic solution to any of this.
For example, yeah, it's not gonna be fun for dating. But it's just three weeks. In fact I once went on a date with somebody who flat-out told me something like "I'd invite you home tonight but my house is literally under construction and I'm sleeping on an air mattress in my kitchen for the next couple of months, it's your place or nothing." So we went back to my place. It didn't work out but I don't think her house project was the reason.
In your context, given the very structured-but-amiable relationship you have with your ex, I think you're on the right track thinking about leveraging the "kid unit." I don't want to make a lot of assumptions about what that means *in practice* for your coparenting, but it could mean something like "I can enter at any time to use the bathroom, which is normally unacceptable but will be acceptable for this duration, because it's for a specific reason and a specific block of time."
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:23 AM on October 18, 2023 [1 favorite]