BEFORE: FRAMING/PLUMBING/ELECTRICAL
/Demo took about 3 days which is in line with original expectations. If you take a look at my previous post's gallery of images you will see that there was tons and tons of concrete. My home was built in 1968 and they used wires and thick cement to lay tile. Pro: my bathrooms were built like tanks. The Con: demo is an intense job. I would not recommend doing this yourself. It took 3 men 3 days. It's also a filthy job. Even if you have the demo areas sheeted off with plastic that pesky dusk is going to sneak it's way throughout your house. It will all be worth it in the end. BUT if you have OCD cleaning tendencies you are going to need to chill.
Next up is framing. I'm expanding the size of my bathroom by a modest 4 x 4 ft. and bumping out my shower by about 1 ft. It was a tough call to add this bit of space because it does make a larger financial impact. Plumbing needs to move and additional carpentry is needed. However my rationale is this: 1) I wanted to replace as much plumbing as possible - my water is very very acidic and went untreated for probably 10 years - so the state of my pipes could be dismal - and if I was going to have to open everything up anyway I might as well get a bigger shower out of it 2) My kids are always in my shower with me and if an extra foot gives me some more room so we aren't right on top of each other I'll take it.
The framing of the master shower + expanded area wall of the bathroom took 2 days. Plumbing should take 3 days...
A couple of comments I have about purchasing your own valve/trim materials.
1) DO IT - resources like build.com (I'm sure there are others) will save you a boatload. Ask to be paired with a build.com associate who acts as a concierge of sorts. It doesn't cost you anything, you can ask endless questions, plus you get an extra discount. I guarantee you, you will actually pay less than what your plumber or contractor pays for these materials via upscale brick and mortar shops like Bender. BTW this is purely my own opinion. It's more work for you certainly - but why waste your money paying someone to get the materials for you AND at a price that is actually more than what you can pay on your own? Your time is precious BUT with enough advance planning you can do this.
2) BE FLEXIBLE - you are going to have to return something - it's inevitable. If I have a sense a particular item may need to be returned before I execute on the purchase - I'll try to get it from Home Depot or Lowes. Being able to return something in person I really like. Plus I usually need to go to one of those places already. Today I had a valve that wasn't right. I needed it in less than 2 hours. I ended up having to go to Bender in Norwalk, CT because they were the only ones that had it in stock. It was a little more than if I ordered it online (even with using a trade discount) but the benefit is I was able to walk out with it.
