Bathroom Demolition, Drywall and Lighting

Disclaimer: This is simply a record of our experiences renovating our bathroom. If you are taking on a renovation in your home be sure to check local building codes and regulations.

After making all of our great plans the first task in this master bathroom renovation was the most exciting and terrifying all in one: Bathroom Demolition! Once we ripped everything out there was no turning back! We quickly had to move past how overwhelmed we were with all we had ahead of us because it was time to get to work. Our first goals were to repair the drywall, add recessed lighting throughout and add new vanity lights. Check out my pictures and details below to see how we completed these first steps towards our new master bathroom!

Bathroom Demolition...

Before starting any demolition something we were sure to do was check that our plumbing and electrical were turned off... just in case of a pipe or wire somewhere unexpected. We were also sure to have rags and caps for all plumbing fixtures to close them off.

When it came to bathroom demolition we couldn't go crazy since our goal was to take everything out without changing any of the original layout. It was so exciting to pull that built in tub out and open up that corner of the bathroom! We did leave one sink intact to use for water needed for tile, grout, etc. and removed it later in the renovation.

The three main tools we used for demolition included:

• DeWalt wrecking bar- we would highly recommend this over a sledge hammer. It is way more cost effective, was heavy enough for most demolition work and was a great nail removal tool!
• Reciprocating saw with demolition blade- mainly used for cutting through the fiberglass tub.
• Masonry blade in DeWalt circular saw for cutting the vanity top.

Getting rid of the ugly rolled vinyl flooring was a much bigger task than we anticipated. As you can see in the above picture my husband had to tear it up layer by layer. That type of flooring requires a thin plywood underlayment which was stapled to our sub floor. Once we got that plywood ripped up then we had to pull each and every little staple out of the floor. It was tedious work for sure!

Drywall...

We did not have a lot of drywall additions that had to be done, because we left a lot intact. The main area in the bathroom where we had to add new drywall was where the tub had been. Otherwise we had to patch where the light fixture was originally located above the single large vanity and where the mirror was removed. We used green board as it is moisture resistant and ideal for a bathroom.

After all of the new drywall was up it took a lot of joint compound and drywall tape to smooth everything out.

Lighting...

Our bathroom desperately needed better lighting throughout. We knew we wanted to add recessed lighting and update the vanity lights because it would surely brighten and update the space.

To install the lights we used a ladder and roughly measured and marked where we wanted the lights. We also marked the ceiling joists (trusses in our case) using a stud finder.

A few tips for preparing to add recessed lighting:

• Before cutting hole take a coat hanger and bend the end into an "L" shape to half the diameter of the light fixture.
• Poke hole in center of area marked for light.
• Put the coat hanger up in the hole and spin around to check for any obstructions. (Also check the attic, if possible)
• It's much easier to patch the small hole if there is an obstruction then the larger fixture-sized opening.

We used Halo recessed lighting from The Home Depot. Because this was for a bathroom we were sure to use the airtight fixtures to prevent water vapor from passing through. We also had to use insulation contact fixtures since the attic above contains insulation.

Above you can see a little before and after from adding the vanity lights. The old vanity lights were center mount. We put a junction box in the attic and ran two new wires to the two light fixtures.

Up next...

Completing the bathroom demolition and then fixing the drywall and adding lighting were huge steps towards our new master bathroom. Next up was the biggest task to tackle... the shower! It was frustrating, but the end result was so amazing. I can't wait to show you next week! Thanks for following along with me throughout the One Room Challenge! Be sure to check out the blog to see what all of the other participants are up to!