Bathroom Remodel Part 1 - Demolition Man

Life is what happens when you are making other plans. For instance, instead of doing almost anything else I've gutted and am now remodeling our guest bathroom. Simply put, small water leaks can become big problems, especially given enough time. Compounding the leak were poor material choices for a bathroom (particle board and mastic are NOT waterproof). While these materials lasted ~40 years when they failed it was a tremendous mess.

So far, I've removed all water damaged and moldy drywall, particle board, plywood, etc. Fortunately the floor joists are solid and with spray cleaner and bleach solution we've cleaned up the remaining mold. We hired a plumber who replaced the bath/shower valve and repaired another hidden leak we found during demolition. I'm not suggesting you should pull down drywall to check the plumbing, but we feel strangely lucky to have found this leak now.

So begins our DIY bathroom remodel adventure. I wasn't looking forward to this project, but sometimes the work chooses you rather than vice versa. Stay tuned for more exciting tales of bathroom repair, reuse and remodeling.

More Info:

Inspectapedia.com - How to Find & Test for, Remove & Prevent Mold in Bathrooms

About.com - When to Use Thinset or Mastic as Tile Adhesive

Wikipedia - Particle board