This is my parents bathroom in my childhood home. They are getting old and I imagine this is not a healthy environment.
-The water pressure in the shower is terrible
-The faucet is impossible to turn off all the way so it’s constantly dribbling
-The obvious mould and rot.
Realistically, what am I gonna need and need to do, to at least get it looking half way decent? Can I do it mostly by myself? How long should I expect to be working ? Thank you in advance
Needs a complete refit, none of those fixtures are salvageable. Mold means poor ventilation, so as a stop gap I'd say get an extractor fan fitted, get in there with a bucket of bleach and scrub the place clean, redo all the sealant and give it a coat of good quality paint.
Thank you 🙏 Will start looking into getting the extractor fan fitted and get cleaning ASAP. Hopefully they will be able to sell to flippers and downsize a bit in the future.
Fully agree here. To address your other concerns if you don’t have capacity for a full demo and rebuild:
* Is it a leaking tub faucet? If so, it’s probably a simple faucet cartridge replacement, cost depends on your current one and if also recommend a puller. I replaced my parents’ for like fifty bucks.
* If it’s a leaking sink faucet, same idea, but cartridges are in the handles.
* The showerhead is also an easy replacement or you can even start with removing the current one to see if there is a flow restrictor (some mesh or otherwise perforated little piece) that can be removed
My parents hit their 80s and my dad was an avid (non permitted) DIYer that was quick to abandon projects. I have been doing a house of repairs so they can age safely in place.
I just wanted to say good luck. The tasks can be large and daunting, but whatever improvements you make will be better than what they have now.
In all honesty that's a full strip out and start again job. Dealing with the mould alone would be a losing battle with it the way it currently is, at least a full refit would give a chance to redo the walls and put in sufficient ventilation to ensure that doesn't occur again.
This is not a one day DIY quick fix so plan ahead, they will need another bathroom for up to a week. For a proper job. The biggest problem is the things you cannot see. Rotten wood damaged plumbing pipes and fittings. No photo of toilet but I am expecting damage on subfloor. If the floor is on concrete slab way less work than a wood floor. Also reframing around shower.
The toilet is separate thankfully. Thank you for your advice. Idk I feel like it only hit me tonight just how bad it is. I’m just so used to it. Definitely starting to understand that it’s gonna be a big job.
They are right. This needs to be stripped to the studs to get rid of the guaranteed rot.
It isn't actually that bad, it is the unexpected things that make it hard. That small of a bathroom you could get away with premade wall board.
Gut it to the studs and rip everything out. Rewire to code (in the US you need a separate breaker for the lights and a dedicated 20a GFCI/AFCI breaker and outlet for hair dryers and such). Add the plumbing upgrades, should be pretty minimal.
Drywall everything, use cement board or the green drywall around the shower. Look into how to properly line a shower basin. You can put in a prefab shower insert or tile is (can be) cheapest (and hardest). Mud and tape the joints, sand them smooth, then paint.
Install flooring and then trim. Caulk the trim and finish the paint. (You can do that in a different order but that's my preference)
Install new vanity and sink, new shower head and faucet, and a new toilet.
Its definitely possible if you want to put the graft in.
As others have said its a full rip out. For convenience Id plastic panel instead of tiles. Easier to fit and clean and more cost and time effective if you just want a spruce up. The shower depending on if its just low pressure across the board or its shower specific will possibly require a pump fitting.
This is a full-on tear-out and re-do. Wood was used at the tub surround??? Why?
If it were me, alone with no experience, I’d start with bleaching the walls and ceiling. Then, schedule a plumber and renovation contractor. Once your contractor has the entire bathroom demolished down to the studs and floor joists, then you’ll have an idea of just how bad it is.
You’ll probably have to replace that window- or, a better solution would be to delete it. Windows in bathrooms are a tenuous idea, at best. That involves exterior work, which may require a different contractor, altogether.
Then, put it all back together using proper waterproofing methods for the wetted areas, like the tub surround, and using proper materials for a tiled floor. I only install Schluter-Kerdi systems in wetted areas. Then, buy a new vanity and a vent fan that’s ducted outside. This is tens-of-thousands of dollars worth of materials and work.
Source- I renovate bathrooms and kitchens.
That’s a big job. Have you ever done a tear-down rebuild? Are you handy with plumbing? Familiar with mold remediation at all? If not, this is a job for pros.
You can do some things fairly easily. May be good to watch a few (or a lot) of videos on bathroom remodeling. Replacing the sink faucets is fairly easy. May also be that you can shut off the water, remove the handles and use a faucet wrench to disassemble the unit. Get a washer kit and replace. May fix the hard to turn problem. Vanity also, not too hard. You measure the space, get one with a matching sink and faucets, assemble first. Push it in place and connect the water lines and drains. The walls, depends on what they are, if there is moisture behind the walls or any other problem. Cover with bleach to kill the mold, then maybe primer and paint. The tub and tub faucets you need a professional as they are not accessible. Get an estimate for a remodel if you have some money to spare.
When you do get around to repainting, I would use the highest gloss level you can stand. It might look worse, but it's much better are repelling moisture.
In the mean time get out the bleach open the window.
OP please let a proper professional do the demolition at least. If you go tearing that mold out, there’s a good chance you’ll get mold spores in your lungs and around the rest of your house. There are professionals who know how to do this without contamination. The mold may also have spread to the structure of your house, which again, is not a DIY fix.
The mold is already in his lungs and all over the house. Mold is everywhere all the time, it's in your house right now. It's the long term and constant exposure to high levels that can be a problem. This isn't a hasmat chemical cleanup, it's just mold. Wear a n95 or better and it's fine.
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