Foaming At The Mouth
The Wheels of Progress grind slowly
Looking around my condo, you'd never know that just an hour ago it was all but impassable for the bags of garbage, and slabs of drywall and ceramic tile. But now that demolition work on the bathroom is done, all I have remaining in the main room is the bathroom door, the vanity cabinet, and the cast-iron tub, which I can estimate without exaggeration weighs six-and-one-half tons. All the bags and loose tile have gone back into the now-empty bathroom, awaiting a Thursday visit from the cartage hauler to rid me of it. After that, a few minutes help from my vacuum cleaner and my places looks just as it did at 10AM. Except, you know, for the tub, the vanity, and the door.
Tonight, it's out to the suburbs to get my car so that tomorrow I can pick up the shower tiles, the towel bars and toilet paper holder, the light fixtures, and a showerhead.
A more detailed report with other observations should be forthcoming tonight......
Edit: An updated cost report...
Door -- $28
Doorknob -- Cost unknown; guessing about $17
Two towel bars -- $78 at the high end Actual cost $38.37
30 sq. ft. of slate floor tile -- $65 Actual cost $104.62, including $35 plus tax for slate sealant
80-90 sq. ft. of tile for the shower walls and ceiling -- $220 Actual cost $109.03 for 70 sq.ft. so far
Toilet paper holder -- Cost unknown; guessing less than $20 Actual cost $11.08
Vanity -- $180 Actual cost $196.20 after tax. But I got a sweet deal on a floor sample
Granite "banjo" vanity top -- Appx. $450; which represents one hell of discount. My contractor has a guy and is getting me a deal on this.
Sink faucet -- $118 Old actual cost: $39 New actual cost: Free (Building Engineer's hooking me up with the building's standard issue)
Tub faucet/showerhead -- $120 Old actual cost $76 New actual cost Free (Another Building Engineer favor
Sink -- $50 Actual cost $40 plus tax
Bathtub -- $89
Bathtub door -- $307 with frame Actual cost: $256 plus tax
Eight bulb bath bar light -- $53 Actual cost $42.32
Ceiling light fixture -- $58 for something nice, but I could go cheaper if I wanted
Total of actual and estimated costs so far $1474.62
Items removed from list
Toilet -- Appx. $80
GFI (ground fault interruptor) electrical outlet -- Cost unknown; guessing about $7
Double lightswitch with outlet -- $2.50
Switchplate -- $0.50
Items added to the list
Sheets of 'Greenboard' (mold-resistant drywall)
Primer
Paint
Drainpipe connections for bathtub
I got all the demolition done by the Building Engineer (who will be getting a big bottle of plum brandy and a restaurant gift card come Christmastime) for a cool hundred bucks. In exchange for that, I knocked $400 off my deal with the general contractor but I'll have to pay probably about $150 to have all the garbage hauled away. Furthermore, the Building Engineer will be doing a lot more of the plumbing work, possibly saving me as much as a grand. I may get this whole thing done for less than $7,000 after all.
The Wheels of Progress grind slowly
Looking around my condo, you'd never know that just an hour ago it was all but impassable for the bags of garbage, and slabs of drywall and ceramic tile. But now that demolition work on the bathroom is done, all I have remaining in the main room is the bathroom door, the vanity cabinet, and the cast-iron tub, which I can estimate without exaggeration weighs six-and-one-half tons. All the bags and loose tile have gone back into the now-empty bathroom, awaiting a Thursday visit from the cartage hauler to rid me of it. After that, a few minutes help from my vacuum cleaner and my places looks just as it did at 10AM. Except, you know, for the tub, the vanity, and the door.
Tonight, it's out to the suburbs to get my car so that tomorrow I can pick up the shower tiles, the towel bars and toilet paper holder, the light fixtures, and a showerhead.
A more detailed report with other observations should be forthcoming tonight......
Edit: An updated cost report...
Door -- $28
Doorknob -- Cost unknown; guessing about $17
Two towel bars -- $78 at the high end Actual cost $38.37
30 sq. ft. of slate floor tile -- $65 Actual cost $104.62, including $35 plus tax for slate sealant
80-90 sq. ft. of tile for the shower walls and ceiling -- $220 Actual cost $109.03 for 70 sq.ft. so far
Toilet paper holder -- Cost unknown; guessing less than $20 Actual cost $11.08
Vanity -- $180 Actual cost $196.20 after tax. But I got a sweet deal on a floor sample
Granite "banjo" vanity top -- Appx. $450; which represents one hell of discount. My contractor has a guy and is getting me a deal on this.
Sink faucet -- $118 Old actual cost: $39 New actual cost: Free (Building Engineer's hooking me up with the building's standard issue)
Tub faucet/showerhead -- $120 Old actual cost $76 New actual cost Free (Another Building Engineer favor
Sink -- $50 Actual cost $40 plus tax
Bathtub -- $89
Bathtub door -- $307 with frame Actual cost: $256 plus tax
Eight bulb bath bar light -- $53 Actual cost $42.32
Ceiling light fixture -- $58 for something nice, but I could go cheaper if I wanted
Total of actual and estimated costs so far $1474.62
Items removed from list
Toilet -- Appx. $80
GFI (ground fault interruptor) electrical outlet -- Cost unknown; guessing about $7
Double lightswitch with outlet -- $2.50
Switchplate -- $0.50
Items added to the list
Sheets of 'Greenboard' (mold-resistant drywall)
Primer
Paint
Drainpipe connections for bathtub
I got all the demolition done by the Building Engineer (who will be getting a big bottle of plum brandy and a restaurant gift card come Christmastime) for a cool hundred bucks. In exchange for that, I knocked $400 off my deal with the general contractor but I'll have to pay probably about $150 to have all the garbage hauled away. Furthermore, the Building Engineer will be doing a lot more of the plumbing work, possibly saving me as much as a grand. I may get this whole thing done for less than $7,000 after all.
It always makes me happy to hear people who can see his later writing was a ghost of what could have been!
one of the worst experiences of my movie going life was seeing Fear and Loathing on opening night... The people there and what they thought it all meant... Jesus wept.