2008 April

Part Three…The tear Out.

The tear out can be a very simple process and of course it can be your worst nightmare. I had decided early on that I would build the new vanity and it’s counter top before tear out. The idea is to leave the space in a working condition until some of the woodwork was ready to go back. In custom fabrication, it’s what you don’t see that can get you in trouble.

The Luck was with me. The only surprise was a little water damage behind the unit that since had dried. The moisture had produced some mold. There was also some evidence of termite damage but not active.

I cut the wallboard out from behind the old vanity, removed some foam insulation and a couple of furring strips. The block wall behind was clean and in good shape.

The pipes and valves were new but the evidence of the old abandoned pipes were still there. Generally if they are not in the way, I just make sure they are sealed and intact and just cover them back.

The old recessed lites and the mirrored medicine cabinet came out without a hitch.

Now it’s time to clean up and start installing the new wood work.

Part Two…Plan and Sketch some Proposals.

Money is always a concern. My challenge is to make suggestions that make the space better but always keep the budget in mind. In this case, we didn’t have a budget but rather needed to solve the problems first and then put a price tag on the project later. Risky because if at the end of the planning stage, I solve all the issues but let the expense get more than the owner wants to spend, a lot of time gets wasted and I don’t get paid for time invested.

Two sketches later and lot of discussion, here is the list of proposed changes.

1-Make the vanity taller and deeper. ( more to kitchen counter standards ).

2-Improve drawer size and number. 4 drawers in the old to 7 in the same space. Also use soft close and full extension slides.

3-All maple, raised panel construction (euro style), w/ a soft brown stain and burnt umber glazed finish.

4-Razor shelf over the vanity and continue over the toilet.

5-Solid surface vanity counter w/ seamless sink and matching back splash.

6-Cabinets over the toilet and wood framed medicine cabinet over the vanity. A good place to add carvings, rope moldings, and in short, much needed traditional details.

7-Crown details all around the room.

8-Cover the existing bulkhead w/ raised panel matching woodwork.

Part One… Introduction to the project.

Bathrooms normally are tight spaces that have to perform a lot of functions. Good maintenance and most bath spaces work good for years. However, some baths, like this one, are already in good working order. The room looks good and really don’t need anything except a little makeover. The process starts with visiting with the owners and creating a list of what they would like changed in the space. Usually this consists of color and material changes.

This bath has a lot of nice tile work. The floors, three walls, the fully enclosed shower, and a bulkhead are completely covered with tile. We all agreed that it was OK not to tear it all out, if I could figure out a way to tone it down. The existing vanity was the old standard of 30″ high and needed to be raised to a more comfortable 36″ high. Storage in the large mirrored medicine cabinet needed upgrading along with improving the drawer configuration of the vanity. More traditional wood work was also on the list of must haves.

The next step is for me to take the owners concerns and draw some proposed concept sketches.