Bathroom Remodel: Do It Yourself

I was just shy of sixteen the summer my parents went on vacation to Cancun. They had been looking forward to warm, tropical beaches and rain-forests all year. Dumping my younger sister (12) and me with my grandmother, they departed on a jet plane and did not look back.

That was a mistake.

My wonderful grandmother stayed with my sister and me for most of the week. We watched movies and had facials and painted our toe nails and went out for lunch. It was wonderful and relaxing, and we did not get into much trouble while my grandmother was there. But that is how these stories always start out. It was not until she left the morning my parents were due back that our evil schemes could take place.

So what exactly did we do? My little sister and I painted the bathroom green. Mind you, this was not any green. It was a bright, snap pea green. Not quite neon green, but it was close. I would describe it like a bowl of mutated pea soup exploded on the walls. This is what my parents had to come home to.

They were not exactly thrilled.

So why did my mischievous sister and I paint the bathroom walls such a ridiculous color? You should have seen them before! For years, the bathroom had been an ugly peach color. Then there was floral wallpaper. After much debate (and crossed fingers), the wallpaper came down only to be replaced by...white! The bathroom was starting to look gross. The bright white walls with the yellow oak cabinet, blue shower curtain, and ugly white sink was abhorrent. The bathroom needed to be updated like the rest of the house (which was adorned and styled in beautiful southwest decor). The bright, snap pea walls were a major catalyst for change.

The upcoming paragraphs will explain how the bathroom was remodeled, cool tips and tricks for making life easier, and why the green paint was a good thing.

Obviously, the first thing to go was the paint. However, if you have as much paint on the walls as we did, any person would realize that the green could not be painted over. After scoring the top layers of paint, we used a thin scraper to get underneath the many layers and literally peeled them up. Unless your walls have one too many paint jobs, I would not suggest doing this. A person has to be extremely careful when removing the paint, otherwise the drywall underneath can be damaged (and repairing drywall is no fun task). For most, simply painting over the existing color will work just fine.

After the paint was removed, the vanity and sink were the next to come out (all vanities are different, so these instructions will not work in all cases). This vanity was a cabinet style with a laminate sink on top. The first task was to remove the sink.

To remove the sink (or whenever doing any plumbing project), the first step is always to shut off the water supplies. For the sink, the valve should be located in the vanity just beneath the hot and cold water faucets at the bottom of the vanity. Secondly, turn on the sink. This will remove a majority of the remaining, pressurized water in the lines. The next task is to crawl back underneath the vanity and remove the hot and cold water lines. These lines connect the shutoff valve to the faucet handles. Simply unscrew the lines and set aside. As a tip, there may be water left in the lines, so have a bucket or towel handy! It helps if the lines are removed from beneath the faucet handles first (so the line's high end can be placed in the bucket first, emptying the lines). One last step: remove the drain pipe. This requires a pipe wrench. Loosen the pipe (at the top first) where it connects to the sink drain. Then loosen the pipe at the bottom of the vanity.

With the sink parts disassembled, the faucet should come right off the sink. The sink top itself should come off the vanity. They are usually attached with caulking or adhesive, so score the adhesive with a utility knife. A little prying should pop the top off.

The vanity can come out after it is dettached from the wall. THE VANITIES ARE (almost always) ATTACHED TO THE WALL WITH SCREWS. It is important to not rip the vanity out without removing the screws, otherwise serious damage could occur to the wall. After the screws are removed, though, the vanity should pull right out.

There are a few options here: refinish the vanity or replace it. Either way is easy. To refinish the vanity, try staining it a darker color. The darker stain will bring life to older cabinets, and it is simple and cost effective. Stain is easy to apply. Dip a brush in stain and paint it on. If you want to go a lighter color, you will have sand down the vanity to remove the darker stain. This is done with a sander (either orbital sander or sanding blocks). Just remove the top layers of stained wood. When done, stain a lighter color. Another option is to paint the vanity. White is always a clean option, but black and browns can have dramatic effects. Bright colors are fun for kids' bathrooms. Look up different painting and staining techniques to find the desired look. Another great way to update the vanity is to replace the hardware (knobs and handles). Simply unscrew them and replace with new hardware for a totally different look. Another option is to replace the sink top. Rather than laminate, try granite or marble. Put on a flat top and use a bowl sink.

There are many beautiful options for sink tops. Find the right one for you. Factors to consider are budget, style, function, and durability. Pedestal sinks are also great for bathrooms with limited amounts of space. Be careful with which faucet is used. These can make or break a bathroom remodel. Popular choices are brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze.

Last (but not least): the bathtub. When we did our bathroom model, my mother re-finished the bathtub. She picked up a re-finishing kit from Target for about twenty dollars. The product was similar to an epoxy. Two different canisters are mixed together to create a fast, self leveling coating. To use, just mix and paint on. Do it quickly, though. Otherwise, the mixture dries and leaves streaks. But if this happens, do not fret. Take an orbital sander (be sure to wear a dust mask) to the top coating to smooth out. Then re-try.

Add in a few new pieces (mirror, towel holder, shower curtain, chair railing) and the bathroom will be completely transformed. Remodeling a bathroom is not difficult and a great weekend project. With some good tips and advice, any novice can become an expert DIY-er!