Res Ipsa Loquitur 2.0

This week I have been renovating the bathroom of my condo to prepare it for rent or sale. The old bathtub/shower unit was made of the cheapest, thinnest, construction-grade fiberglass I’ve ever seen. When I bought my condo, the old owners had already patched a small crack in the tub near the drain. A couple years ago, while scouring the tub I put my knuckle through the same area and scraped off a chunk of skin which took weeks to heal (I had to use lots of Liquid Skin to be able to scrub in for surgeries, and that stuff hurts!). Given that there were hairline cracks in the floor of the tub as well, I wanted to get the old tub ripped out and a new one installed so I can improve the value of my home a bit.

After choosing a suitable replacement unit (a tub with a 3-piece wall set) from Home Depot, I hired a handyman to do the installation. Replacing the tub is a big job - the old tub had to be cut into small pieces and the drywall around it also had to be cut, since there is a lip of fiberglass behind the drywall which is nailed to the studs. It wasn’t an easy job, and I’m glad I hired someone who knew what he was doing. Interestingly, the old tub had two layers - the eggshell-thin inner layer that cracked, and a thicker fiberglass layer outside which were separated by corrugated cardboard! So despite the cracks, there was no water damage. However, the drain pipe for the tub had to be replaced since the old pipe didn’t fit, and that of course added to the cost of the install. My handyman had to return the next day to finish the drywall spackling, but I had to do final sanding and patching of any imperfections. Waiting for the drywall to cure took another day, but it was ready to prime and paint today. I got everything primed and painted this morning, but not without a few problems. Caulking the tub was initially unsuccessful, as I masked the tub and wall with painter’s tape to give me a straight line, but when I removed the tape, the caulk came with it! The next time I did it, I removed the tape immediately; the caulk stayed on but the tape ripped off areas of new paint, which I then had to touch up.

Also, my tub fixtures are scratched up and need to be replaced. I went on eBay to find new Delta fixtures, but the one I ordered would have required me to hire a plumber and possibly tear out some drywall or fiberglass, and I can’t afford that. All I wanted were trim pieces, so I got some Danco replacements for Delta fixtures at Lowe’s, and not surprisingly they didn’t fit. So it looks like I have to return those fixtures and get genuine Delta parts, which are going to be more expensive. Plus I either have to return the eBay fixtures and eat the shipping costs, or sell them myself.

At any rate, I should be done with tub install today - but then I have to replace the flooring with new vinyl tiles. Oy vey.