Double bathroom a tricky but rewarding experience

Roughly one year ago, a very interesting project was proposed to me by a client of mine. Harold Eide and his wife, Pat, own a lovely character home with an enormous yard, in Headingley. Although their house has welcomed a few renovations throughout the years, the boldest changes were yet to come.

To increase the square footage of their home, the attic had been converted into their master bedroom — a very spacious loft with a balcony on the far side of the room, overlooking the backyard. One very important amenity was missing, however — a bathroom on the second floor. For years, early morning trips to the restroom comprised of a swift jaunt down and back up the stairs. Harold asked if it was possible to introduce a two-piece ensuite bathroom, as well as an adjacent walk-in closet, within the confines of the existing loft.

"An older home like ours often has very little closet space and only one bathroom," Harold Eide explained. "So, we sought Marc’s expertise to see if it was possible to increase closet space, and add another bathroom on our second floor."

Harold and Pat also mentioned that their three-piece main-level (and only) bathroom was due for a facelift. As such, the project quickly morphed into a simultaneous two-bathroom project which worked out well, in that the only way to conveniently tie in a new toilet and vanity to existing plumbing was to open up the walls below their loft and ascertain exactly where and how to do so.

It was easier to justify tearing into the main floor bathroom walls if it was also being renovated. Luckily, the design established for the second floor ensuite placed the bathroom services directly above those of the main-floor bathroom. Then, the fun began.

It is crucial to have at least one functioning toilet at all times, in any household under renovation.

Preparation is key. Although the tub and shower on the main floor would eventually be rendered unavailable until the main-floor bathroom facelift was fully completed, the co-ordination of plans to disengage the main-floor toilet was dependent upon the installation of the second-floor toilet.

Therefore, once the walls of the main-floor bathroom were opened to reveal the existing plumbing, and the pathway to tie-in both the upper toilet and vanity was ascertained, the rough plumbing for the second-floor ensuite received my primary focus. The bathroom and adjacent walk-in closet walls were then framed and drywall was mounted to isolate each of rooms. Once the ensuite’s toilet was installed and functioning, my attention shifted to the lower bathroom demolition.

The heavy cast-iron tub was removed and discarded and the shower walls were gutted to bare studs. New aqua board was set into position at a height allowing for a new fibreglass tub, which was a few inches deeper than the old tub.

A second light switch was introduced for a new vanity light, positioned above a new medicine cabinet. In an effort to maximize my time, the mudding/taping and corner-bead stage was tackled on both floors at the same time. That way, sanding and painting also could be completed on both floors in one fell swoop. A remnant of some linoleum flooring Harold had kept was installed on the ensuite floor. Slate tile was used on the main-level bathroom floor, as well as the shower walls. Once the grout set, the finishing work could begin. With the new tub and toilet connected on the main floor, the vanities, medicine cabinets, lighting fixtures, and new faucets were installed in both bathrooms. Caulking and silicone preceded the final step of baseboards and casings.

The clients were never once without the use of a functioning toilet. Even though they had instructed me from the onset that it didn’t really matter to them, it was best they didn’t find out the hard way that, yes, it really does matter!

Eide boasted about the ensuite and walk-in closet, when asked how the upgrades to the loft improved everyday life: "The result is fabulous, way beyond what we even thought possible."

And regarding the main-floor bathroom facelift, he continued: "Again, the result far exceeded our expectation. I particularly love the tile. Every time I walk into the room, it feels like I’m at the spa!"

It should be noted the Eides chose the spa-like slate tile themselves, and most of the other features that populate each of their bathrooms, for that matter. They simply asked me to put it all together for them. It is this collaborative effort between clients and contractor that most often produces the best results.

Designing a space from scratch for someone is rewarding. But there’s no denying when clients participate in the process, the likelihood of the renovation being "perfect for them" increases greatly.

Harold and Pat, it was a pleasure working with you.

BossEnterprise@outlook.com