Basement Bathroom Project - Phase I

The basement bathroom project got started following the completion of the floor tile installation in the bedroom and laundry/utility room.

Let me tell you, I was not prepared or ready for the project to start.  But, the man I had doing the other work told me he had another job coming up, so I decided to have him remove the old bath tub, sink and toilet and wall board in the shower area that had been exposed to water over the years.

Rather interesting to see him cut the metal tub in two and for me to be able to carry a half at torso height without issue. 

Surprises never cease.  the waste disposal company, I am contracted with actually took the tub pieces.  I guess, it falls within the size and weight limitations once cut in half.

The toilet and sink, were donated.  I hope someone else can at least use them for parts. 

Things have not gone smoothly with the worker.  For one, he was insisting that a harder backing board was not required behind the shower wall tile.  Just "green" board.

Thank you, Home Depot staff for knowing the correct answer to that construction issue.

Yes, one should use a cement type board such as Hardie board behind tile and an area that is exposed to moisture.

At that point, I thought things would go well.

Not...

He and his co-worker "cut" the board (it should be scored and snapped) smaller than the wall area that is being recovered by tile and then proceeded to adhere tile to the wall without using the fiberglass tape and adhesive to fill the gaps.

I am talking about gaps large enough for me to put my fingers into!

At one point, I went downstairs to check on progress and he had put up an off-white/cream colored tile along with the white tile.

"What's with that tile?"

God help us.  There were a handful of pieces in the box of new tile and he doesn't have enough common sense to stop and let me know that he's out of tile and that there is this other tile in the box.

Of course, I told him to remove it.

In brief, he got upset and in his fit somehow managed to chip the new tub, as well as scratch it.

Talk about inappropriate behaviors.  He then took some white appliance paint I had downstairs for repainting the air vents and did a piss poor job of spray painting his damage.

I even inquired before he left that day as to what the chemical odor was and he ignored me.

Low and behold, when I went to admire the new tub up close.  The spray paint was still sticky and had drips running down the inside of the tub.

Long story short - The tub was removed and I ended up purchasing a better quality Kohler cast iron and porcelain tub.  It took them almost two days to get that tub connected to the drain.  He told me it was finally connected and fine.  Checked later and the drain isn't fine.  Requires being manually held up for the water to drain.

As for the tile...  It isn't readily available in stores.  I had to travel about 45 minutes away to a tile showroom to identify the existing tile and the closest current match requires special order.

Yes, Mr. Worker smashed all of the tile to take the tub out without ever inquiring as to source of replacement tile, etc.

Plus, he did the same for the line of tile on the floor and that is no longer available and there are no like substitutes.

My newer neighbors are nice enough to let me gut their master bathroom of the 25 year old wall tile, as they are planning to renovate.
The floor, it appears will have to totally come up and be replaced.

Stay tuned....