Taking A Vintage Bathroom To The Next Level

BEFORE

This 1935 Lake Oswego main floor bathroom had vintage charm with bead board, pedestal sink, and unfortunately a vinyl flooring replicating a classic tiled look. The bathroom overhaul included a full gut, and reconfigured footprint behind the door to accommodate a new front hall closet on the outside wall. The 1980s cut out notch in the original shower wall was closed up for a full tub surround enclosure and we kept the original laundry chute access that is now housed in a gray cabinet supplied by the homeowner. The pedestal sink and bathtub were also repurposed.

AFTER

 
Keeping a classic black & white theme, the new look incorporated new ceramic tile from floor to chair rail height in “ice white” subway tiles with individually cut black Harlequin tiles set between rails to create a unique border all the way around the room and tub surround. And for further visual interest a black border was placed in the upper walls of the shower. A radiant heating floor system to keep your feet warm is set under the new 1”x1” octagon tiles with a Harlequin black dot border meticulously laid following the room’s perimeter including a four dot spray in front of the pedestal sink. This is truly a one of a kind beauty. A new “Soft Whisper” exhaust fan was installed to keep the moisture out and wall heat register replaced with new HVAC venting in the ceiling. New plumbing hardware in brushed nickel, a vintage style chandelier strategically placed in sync with the exterior window, and new crystal vanity light complete this up scaled vintage look.  

BEFORE - shower wall

AFTER - Shower wall

BEFORE tub surround

AFTER tub surround

AFTER - New Floor

 

Spooky Things Found In Remodeling Houses

In remodeling, you never know what you may encounter when tearing out walls. It’s the things you can’t see and unexpectedly discover that can send chills up your spine like a good horror flick. Also, it’s kind of creepy to think about things moving behind your walls or above the ceiling, after all this is the sanctity of your home and these are not invited guests. In our history we have discovered carcasses of birds, cats, possums, and some unidentifiable species in spaces that make you ponder. In one house there were a six dead squirrels piled on top of one another that had electrocuted themselves by chewing through a wire. Squirrels apparently aren’t very smart since they didn’t depict from their friends’ demise the hazards of chewing, especially on the same wire. Another memorable incident was the bat cave. 

 
Upon removing to replace the siding in the peak of a 100 year old home we watched over 100 bats who fled from their coveted home into the sunset. Upon returning they discovered their eviction notice and the home was boarded up. Also, more common than you’d want to think about, we find rat or mouse trails cut into the insulation behind the sheetrock or fiberglass shower stalls.   

What’s more creepy? Discovering what these unwelcome intruders can do to the safety of your home and family. In the case of the squirrels, had it not been discovered, the damaged wire would have eventually ignited a fire in the attic space. In addition to damaging structural or mechanical components to a house, unwanted animals can leave urine, droppings, and/or dead carcass odors that may have you perplexed as to what is that smell? Some rodents can carry rabies. But don’t freak out, here are some preventative measures to help deter some of these animal break ins:

MICE can fit into an entry hole ¼ inch or larger.
Likely entry points: Garage, basement, gaps around utility lines.
Signs of infestation: 1/8-inch-long droppings; smell of urine; noises at night; holes gnawed in food boxes.
Best spots for traps: Along walls; anywhere you suspect activity.
Preventive measures: Seal exterior gaps with mortar; weatherstrip the bottom of basement and garage doors; keep all foodstuffs in hard plastic, glass, or steel containers.
Stopgap measures: Stuff copper mesh or bronze wool into foundation cracks.
RATS can fit into an entry hole: ¾ inch or larger.
Likely entry points: Garages, basements, rotted sills or foundations, damaged or unused drain pipes.
Signs of infestation: Black, greasy smudges around openings; smell of urine; ¼- to 5/8-inch-long droppings; nests of discarded food; fur; matted-down insulation; gnawing and squeaking at night.
Best spots for traps: Poisoned bait stations outside the house and around the perimeter of the property line.
Preventive measures: Eliminate all water and food sources around the house, including bird feeders and pet dishes; store food (pet and human) in airtight containers.
Stopgap measures: Cover entry points with hardware cloth or 16-gauge steel flashing.

SQUIRRELS can fit into entry hole: 2 ½ inches or larger.
Likely entry points: Where dormers meet roofs or where roof shingles overhang fascia boards. (The second-story men of household pests, squirrels can jump 10 to 12 feet through the air.)
Signs of infestation: Scampering noises in ceilings or attic; insulation missing from spots near eaves; ½- to 1-inch-long droppings; piles of nuts.
Best spots for traps: Live traps, clamped in place near the spot on the roof where they're getting in. Bait them with peanut butter, dried corn-on-the-cob, or suet.
Preventive measures: Prune trees away from house; keep roof and exterior trim in pristine repair; remove bird feeders.
Stopgap measures: Nail hardware cloth over potential entry points until they can be repaired.

Skunks: These four-legged stink bombs will easily burrow under your patio slab or stake out territory in your garage, crawl space, or basement. Hire a pro to trap them live and transport them elsewhere.
Bats: Given the opportunity, they'll happily take up residence in your attic for the summer and leave behind potentially disease-ridden guano as a present. Seal off their entranceways with a double layer of insect screen and hardware cloth, but only after you evict them first (Bat species are protected nationwide). Call in a pro to erect a "bat flap," a layer of screen that lets the bats crawl out but blocks their way back in.
Birds: In spring, starlings and sparrows have a knack for building nests in hidden, difficult-to-reach openings in a house. The louvered vents for dryer exhausts and the openings behind roof fascia are perennial favorites. Bar them from entering with hardware cloth. Take down the bird feeders that are attracting them to your property.
Raccoons: The masked marauders of the animal world, they'll barge down chimneys and into open garages or attic vents. Best captured with a live trap baited with peanut butter, suet, raw eggs, or dried corn on the cob. To keep them from coming back, cap your chimney, keep basement and garage doors closed, eliminate bird feeders and outdoor pet bowls, and lock down trash lids with bungee cords.
Snakes: In the fall, they'll work their way into openings around basement doors or cracks in foundation mortar, looking for a place to hibernate. They'll leave of their own accord when the weather warms up in spring. Seal those openings behind them.

Preventative measures information by Joseph D'AgneseThis Old House magazine

A Moderate Kitchen Remodel with a Touch of Pizazz

The homeowner’s of this Lake Oswego home wanted to update their 1970’s U-shaped kitchen without changing the footprint, cabinets, or breaking the bank account. They had installed, a few years earlier, beautiful Brazilian cherry wood hardwoods that made the kitchen look kind of drab. The problems included worn out laminate counter tops with matching backsplash outlined with an awful metal strip, and limited counter top space. They wanted something practical, classic to last, light in color, with a touch of pizazz - what we call the jewelry in completing a space. After getting an idea of their wants we formulated an approved design plan and took a trip with them to a vendor’s to look at hard surface selections armed with a kitchen cabinet drawer for color specifications. 

BEFORE

 

BEFORE

AFTER

Behind the sink was the original wood decking that extended into the window area. We pulled that out, supported it for the 3CM Santa Fe Tan Polished Pental Quartz stone slab that now extends into the window niche. A single drain under mount stainless steel sink along with a counter top mounted push bottom for the new garbage disposal gives this a clean look. 

 

 

What makes this kitchen is the backsplash called Coral Mix Linear mosaic. It’s a glass and travertine stone mix that adds a modern flair and texture too. To highlight the backsplash and give optional kitchen lighting LED light strips were strategically placed under the upper cabinets.  

The counter top space solution was to install of GE Spacesaver 1.5 cu ft Microwave over the range in Stainless Steel to match the existing appliances instead of having one sit on the counter. We modified the existing cabinets to fit the new self-venting microwave. The small screen TV that took up some valuable space was removed too. The owner’s swear they don’t miss it and claim they are enjoying conversation at the kitchen table now. This minor makeover made a large impact bringing this space back into the 21^st Century.

How to Overcome Remodeling Sticker Shock

 You’ve researched pictures on houzz.com, Pininterest.com, thumbed through dozens of home magazines and have found the desired look you want for your kitchen or bath. After conveying the plan over with a contractor that includes the entire wish list (and why wouldn’t you want all the bells and whistles?), you are squirming in anticipation to get this project started. However, sometimes the wind that you thought would be sailing you along into your dream room is knocked right out from under you when you see the estimated costs. This is called Sticker Shock, a problem that occurs far too often for homeowners.

Too often homeowners attempt to estimate a project themselves by comparing what the neighbor’s did last year and/or they feel they can do it for less because they’re putting in linoleum instead of hardwoods. Or they watch Cable TV remodeling shows that quite frankly skew the real costs. It’s very easy for a person excited about remodeling to mislead themselves. Don’t assume the contractor’s bid is way too high right out of the gates, he just estimated your project from what you told him you wanted (remember the bells and whistles?). Unless you made it clear to him, he typically doesn’t know what your true budget is. Here in lies the problem; do you really know what your budget is?    

Try determining a total dollar amount or range you feel comfortable investing in your project. Prepare a general overall “wish” and a “must have” list for your project before getting an estimate. Then search for a remodeler that can offer both design and construction solutions. Many homeowners may rule these companies out as being too expensive. The truth of is if you desire to have the best end product, remember your home is your biggest investment, these companies will provide the reality check that you need. It may boil down to compromises; many costs within a project can be controlled by the amount of work to be done and materials/products used. Don’t let sticker shock halt your dream, once the reality of costs sets in, work with a professional who can help you find a resolution best suited for you and get to sailing onto your remodel.

The Possible Money Pit

Many consumers are not fully aware of the costs associated with not pulling permits (structural, electrical, plumbing). Since unlicensed contractors can't pull permits for home improvement projects, it’s important to hire a licensed contractor and get the proper permits. For many “DIY’rs”, acquiring permits with the latest regulations and codes can be intimidating or it’s just a matter of saving money and they skip it all together. But are you really saving money?  

The repercussions to the homeowner when permits aren't pulled on time or at all can be evident at time of selling the property. The house most likely won’t pass inspection. Insurance policy modifications or changing companies often require a Certificate of Occupancy. If the certificate doesn't show structural changes that have been made, the insurance company can decline coverage because it's not code compliant. Any permits pulled after work has already been completed include a fine that doubles what would have been the initial costs of pulling a permit before work was done.

On the flip side of that, many new home buyers who take the precaution trying to know what they’re getting themselves into including having a pre-inspection along with City Property Tax documentations before finalizing the paperwork may be buying into a money pit. We found that out in a 1935 home we remodeled that was sold with an existing addition with a 2^nd story that later revealed it was illegally added to the original structure. The addition was built on top of an original carport and the only thing that was holding that side of the house up was the roof connection – YIKES! We also found 60 electrical code violations in one room itself, amazing that the house never burned down. There were joists that were not connected and plumbing placed haphazardly. It was a hack job. In order to properly put the house back together we had to install micropile piers placed into the foundation and reinforce the foundation to hold the structure and basically start over. Because the previous homeowner’s had built the addition decades before the statute of limitations was expired for any legal retribution. This cost the new homeowners thousands of dollars that could have been spent elsewhere on the remodel, let alone all the headaches and delays. It’s just not fun to spend money on things hidden behind the walls and flooring. Yet, the house is now safe and structurally sound for occupancy. Lesson learned: do your due diligence and do it some more.      

Reducing Your Stress With a Bathroom Remodel

The bathroom in modern American life can be viewed as the sanctuary of the home. Nowhere else in the home can one find the privacy or solitude that the bathroom has to offer. A warm shower or bath can wash away the stress and tension that a hard day’s work can cause; leaving you feeling clean, refreshed, and, most importantly, relaxed. It is for these reasons that you should do what you can to make your bathroom a pleasant place to spend time- not a drab, dungeon-like drippy and dirty looking room.

A few things that can make the bathroom a more relaxing place are the lighting, tiling, and layout. A bathroom that feels too bright or dark, ugly, or crowded is not likely to help you shed some of the day-to-day stress in your life, but possibly add to it. Chipped, dirty tiles will cheapen your sense of being, while glaring overhead lights can add to the stress headache that you may already be experiencing. Replacing these things with a more pleasant atmosphere will make you feel much better about your home, and even possibly your life in general.

At Revive Residential Remodeling, we specialize in turning your bathroom into a relaxing room that will provide you with an environment to shed your stress and make you feel like a million bucks. We can provide you with a ton of options in tiling, assist you with a more fluid layout to your bathroom, and present you with many design ideas that you may have never even dreamed existed. If you already have a good idea of what would make your bathroom more to your liking, we can assist you in making that idea become a reality.

For just a taste of some things that we can offer you, head on over to our Gallery, or better yet call Don at 971-285-0770 to schedule a free, no-hassle estimate.