After finally getting some sleep, I didn't tear out the toilet. But I have made a decision. While I was going to get a bill paid off this week and off our backs, I'm just going to pay the minimum on it after all, and instead get a new cheap toilet, a new sink or vanity topper and some plywood. My son in law, and my kids and a neighbor have all offered to help. So, it's not done yet, but it will be soon. I just have to be able to budget it all in and not go over. I don't have much wiggle room with money.
So, it looks like, according to the Lowe's website, that I can get a toilet with the wax ring and floor hardware, a replacement sink and a new faucet, all for $159. Then the plywood is about $20 a sheet, and I think one might do it. It's a tiny bathroom. I'm going to use the same vinyl tile we have in the living room too, and I have about 12 pieces left over from that project, so I can go ahead and put down pieces around where the toilet and the edge of the vanity go. Then I can buy more pieces to fill in what's missing. I think about 20 pieces total will do it, if that many. Thankfully, you can buy them in singles at Lowe's. So, in all, about $200 for the whole project.
YouTube has thousands of videos on how to do all this stuff too. Removing the vanity and toilet and replacing them will be the easy part. The floors I've done before. I don't know how many times we ripped out and replaced floors in the old house. It's just a very small space. Of course without the toilet and vanity in there. It'll be a lot easier.
I know we should remove the tub and build up the floor under it as well, but I am afraid that will make this a MUCH bigger job than I can afford or take on right now. Besides, if/when I can afford to just replace the tub someday, we can always remove the toilet and vanity then and put them back when we're done with the tub anyway. It's a pain, but doable. I'll want to replace the vanity eventually anyway. I want one with drawers, but I can't afford to replace it right now. So, that is why I'm just replacing the sink. The faucet is just a bonus. I don't want to try to reuse the old one, and a new one is cheap. A new faucet will be nice. ... so will the toilet!
You know what I'm most looking forward to? Being able to sweep and mop my bathroom... like get down on my hands and knees and clean around the toilet and get it CLEAN. I can do that in the main bathroom, and it's awesome! I wish I had pics of my old bathroom so you could see what I used to live with. Maybe I have some somewhere.
I hope none of my daughters marry someone who won't maintain their homes or work on their cars. Just ONE of those things would be nice. I understand not being talented at something... but seriously in this day and age, there is simply NO EXCUSE for not TRYING to fix things yourself. Ya know? If we were rich, I'd say hell yeah, hire a contractor to gut it and make me an HGTV bathroom. But we're not, and we have to make do and MAKE DO.
So, it looks like, according to the Lowe's website, that I can get a toilet with the wax ring and floor hardware, a replacement sink and a new faucet, all for $159. Then the plywood is about $20 a sheet, and I think one might do it. It's a tiny bathroom. I'm going to use the same vinyl tile we have in the living room too, and I have about 12 pieces left over from that project, so I can go ahead and put down pieces around where the toilet and the edge of the vanity go. Then I can buy more pieces to fill in what's missing. I think about 20 pieces total will do it, if that many. Thankfully, you can buy them in singles at Lowe's. So, in all, about $200 for the whole project.
YouTube has thousands of videos on how to do all this stuff too. Removing the vanity and toilet and replacing them will be the easy part. The floors I've done before. I don't know how many times we ripped out and replaced floors in the old house. It's just a very small space. Of course without the toilet and vanity in there. It'll be a lot easier.
I know we should remove the tub and build up the floor under it as well, but I am afraid that will make this a MUCH bigger job than I can afford or take on right now. Besides, if/when I can afford to just replace the tub someday, we can always remove the toilet and vanity then and put them back when we're done with the tub anyway. It's a pain, but doable. I'll want to replace the vanity eventually anyway. I want one with drawers, but I can't afford to replace it right now. So, that is why I'm just replacing the sink. The faucet is just a bonus. I don't want to try to reuse the old one, and a new one is cheap. A new faucet will be nice. ... so will the toilet!
You know what I'm most looking forward to? Being able to sweep and mop my bathroom... like get down on my hands and knees and clean around the toilet and get it CLEAN. I can do that in the main bathroom, and it's awesome! I wish I had pics of my old bathroom so you could see what I used to live with. Maybe I have some somewhere.
I hope none of my daughters marry someone who won't maintain their homes or work on their cars. Just ONE of those things would be nice. I understand not being talented at something... but seriously in this day and age, there is simply NO EXCUSE for not TRYING to fix things yourself. Ya know? If we were rich, I'd say hell yeah, hire a contractor to gut it and make me an HGTV bathroom. But we're not, and we have to make do and MAKE DO.