We've Moved! (With a Bathroom Update

We have made the move from Payson to Lindon. I've never been so exhausted in my entire life. Even after giving birth to a human being. Our stuff is still in boxes around the house, but we do have at least a few things functioning. I've been asked a lot about how it feels to be a homeowner. I really really like it. So, despite how it sounds in the next few paragraphs, I really do feel good about our home purchase.

When we moved into the house, there was one bathroom with a walk-in shower. It was built for the former owner of the house before he passed away. He was too old to get in and out of a tub. Well, with a young baby, the walk-in shower was just not going to work for us any more. So, the first thing we did after we moved in was demo the shower. (I apologize for the picture, our camera is in a box somewhere and so I had to use my blackberry and ipod).

This is the shower area where there used to be a seat. My brother in law pulled out all of the cultured marble, and removed the half wall as well. I'm so grateful, since it was something that I definitely could not have done. That stuff was HEAVY.

After everything was demo-ed, including the flooring which was half carpet and half really ugly red brick-like tile, we were ready to do the plumbing. My uncle came over and converted the shower back into a bathtub/shower combo. My mom and I tiled around the toilet, and then tiled the shower wall. This is what it looked like at the end of that day.

Then we installed the faucet, and put up some more cement hardi-backer to put up the tile. Because the walls are lath and plaster, the only thing we could do to make the tile lay flat was to put up the hardi-backer.

The next day, my mom laid almost the rest of the shower tile, and the floor tile. On Saturday, we grouted the floor.

I should also mention that we pulled the quartz/marble stuff off the walls as well. I wanted to replace it anyway, and because it went all the way down the the floor, to replace it later would mean removing floor tiles. Which I DO NOT want to do ever again. It's apparent that at one point, the walls were tiled. Which means I'm going to have to come up with some sort of wall treatment other than paint.

So, where are we at now? I have to finish tiling the shower. The corners are being very difficult, because the walls aren't square. And I've got to get those corners just as tight as possible. I'm hoping to wrap that up tonight. Once the shower is tiled, we will grout and caulk. Then we will prime and paint the cabinets. Then we have a couple of electrical things to do in the bathroom before much else can be done. (Install an exhaust fan, and move the light switch out of the hall and into the bathroom). Then comes the wall treatments and painting. My goal is to completely finish before the end of my Christmas break.

Have you ever done a remodel project like this before? Any words of wisdom or encouragement?