Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

How long did it take and how bad was it on you?

We have to do a total gut on our only full bathroom. We're strategizing with the company to see if there's any way we can keep either our shower or tub (they are separate) functioning for the majority of the renovation.

But, I'm still dreading this.

If you went through it, how bad was it? How long did the whole project take?

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

I am preparing to do the same thing & keep putting it off b/c I am afraid of the upheval.

My parents just had both of their bathrooms done (a few months apart ) & each project took about a week & half.

They were able to use the tub & toilet before the sink was finshed (they were waiting for the granite)

The amount of dust was insane, even though they put plastic up to block off other parts of the house.

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

I am a survivor of this very situation.

A friend did the work (he owns his own construction company), and he was very understanding!

It was really only bad for a week (and everything after that was my own fault for changing my mind about picking out the rest of the details).

Each night he was able to reconnect the old toilet (before we came home from work), so we had that. We brushed our teeth/washed our faces in the kitchen, and went to our parents' houses to shower at night (fortunately they live nearby - although I much prefer morning showers, we would have upset their schedules).

There was only one night he couldn't reattach the toilet (due to work on the floors) so we stayed at my in-laws' house.

By the end of the first week though we were able to shower at home again and had a working toilet full-time!

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

We just did this. DH did all the work himself from the gutting to the remodeling.

It took us long because he was doing it after work & on the weekends. It took 2 months...and I'm pregnant.

He left the toilet in until the very last minute. We took showers at our parents, used the kitchen sink to get ready in the morning.

Once the toilet was out - I will admit it was bad. We stayed with my MIL for a month. That was the FIRST thing I had him put back once the floors and walls were put back up & tiled.

It was the biggest PITA ever, but I LOVE the finished product & we daved alot of $$ by him doing it.

I would think if you are hiring someone to do the work it will NOT be as bad as doing it yourself when you have a full time job m-f and are limited to evening and full weekends only.

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

we did. we have a half bath, so that helped. our good friends live a few blocks over and gave us keys to their house to shower. that was the only way we survived.

eta: my bil did all the work on weekends and it took forever!

Message edited 7/16/2010 1:24:53 PM.

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

My friends husband did their bathroom. She used the kitchen sink for most washing up and went to the gym for showers.

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

Not only did we gut ours, we did it when I was 6 months pregnant. AND at one point there were plumbing issues and the contractor could not get someone to the house so we had NO bathroom at all. In hindsight, DH and I were too wimpy and accepting- we should have demanded that he get someone regardless of the time.

Anyway, to answer the question, we had one night in a hotel (much needed!) and we went to my mom's to shower once. At least it was December so we were less sweaty than we were during last week's heat wave!

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

I moved out!

I was in a co-op at the time and moved to my DH's--when he was still my boyfriend.

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

We did our ONLY bathroom in February when I was 9 months pregnant, we gutted the whole thing and did it all up again! It wasn't so bad, we were able to use the toilet and flush it with a bucket, we went to friends houses to use their showers, and we took my son to bath at his friends houses. It was fine. The whole thing took 3 weeks and its awesome having a new beautiful bathroom!

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

yup! I stayed at my moms with the kids and hubby showered at the gym! It was a total PITA, but it doesn't last too long - usually about 5-6 days if it's a standard bathroom.

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

We did....when I was pregnant!

We stayed at my ILs during this time.

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

we stayed with my dad.

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

how about going to the gym for showering and just asking the construction company to reinstall the toilet every night??

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

WE did is almost 2 years ago.. MY dd was 1 and not potty trained(that was perfect) at the end of everyday we have a semi functioning toliet.. we flushed with a bucket of water.. No shower at all the whole time. we went to my parents and we had great neighbors who let us use there bathroom.. by tuesday of the following week it was all completed. And we did this will I had knocked my back out and was on full bed rest I had 2 hernitated disks...

Re: Anyone ever gut their only full bathroom? How did you manage?

we just did it in May. It took about 10 days start to finish. I spoke about it with the contractors before and told them it had to be done in a fair amount of time before I agreed to use them. We showered at my parents and inlaws, both of whom live very close. It was a hassle but well worth it!