Master Bathroom Remodel One Step Forward One Step Back

I've said it before and I'll say it again: home improvement isn't always as easy as they show it on TV. Anyone who tells you that you can do a quality renovation in a couple of days just like on TV is a big, fat lair who hasn't spent a week in an editing bay cutting weeks of construction footage into something that looks like it only took hours without taking basic things into consideration things like drying or delivery times.

In other words, after demolishing and installing a new subfloor I hit a snag. Drat!

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I filled the seams in between the sheets of subflooring with Fix It All (you learn about this patching compound that’s made specifically for wood subfloors here) that a pro probably wouldn’t have (cut me some slack it is my first rip it down the joists and replace subfloor) my level told me the subflooring was level. Yay! I can start prepping for floor tile! (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience.)

Nope.

Because I checked the floor with a level when my patching compound wasn't completely dry - rookie mistake.

Repurposing clean plastic takeout containers for mixing small amounts of patching compound makes for an easy clean up. Pop on the lid and dispose in the trash.   

After a good 24 hours and everything was dry I double checked the floor. It wasn't level in spots (mostly seams.)  Now I get to learn another new skill - leveling an uneven floor! 

I research how to do it. I YouTube - a lot. I read. I read some more. Just as I think I'm ready to tackle the project and buy all of the stuff I need to do it (so. many. buckets.) the temperature plummets to actual winter seasonal weather which makes turning off the furnace to allow the leveling material to settle in the room for four hours very unappealing. We'll need to wait until the temperature gets to above freezing and it is  warm enough to turn off the furnace for a bit.

*sigh*

The spray foam insulation is to fill any gaps and create an expansion joint between the wall and the new subflooring. Leveling compound is awesome at finding the smallest of cracks or gaps and seeping through to the floor below. I let the spray foam harden for 24 hours before trimming it level to the floor with an old bread knife. Yep! The best tool to trim spray foam is a bread knife!

But it isn't all bad news! I'm using the flooring downtime to demo the crown molding and patch the walls.

The old shower doors finally sold on Marketplace and it was the happiest uninstall I've ever done. The sink/countertop/faucets were the first to go, followed by the giant mirror. I sold the medicine cabinets from the guest and master bathrooms as a set. I sold everything for get-this-out-of-my-house-because-it-all-won't-fit-in-my-car-to-donate-to-the-Restore prices. It took awhile but it's all gone.

More importantly it shows that for every person that tells you no one wants that junky thing (ahem, person I married) there is a person who can use that very same thing. It might take awhile and if you don't want to deal with selling it yourself, donate it to someone/cause that will. It reduces waste and helps someone out. High fives all around!

Looking for bathroom storage, organizer, and decor ideas? Check out the following options - and more! - below!

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