Tiny Attic Bathroom Gets a DIY Update

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This is my 100% DIY bathroom renovation, that was the only way it was going to fit in my budget. I had no prior construction experience so it was a learn as I went experience. Even the venting skylight was installed by my coworker. It was his first time installing one but he has more construction experience than me. It has been through many rains and snow at this point with no leaks!

I converted the tub-only into a functioning shower so now we have two in the house.

The house was built in 1953 and has had one owner all these years who never updated the finishes, so this house is truly a time capsule that I've been updating one room at a time! This was the first of two bathrooms to be renovated.

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The before pictures show how dated it was. The tub only functioned as a tub with no shower head. The wall tiles were what people used to call Church tiles sold in the 1950s as a DIY solution. They are actually a thin plastic applied with the most awful mastic that was never going to come off the walls.

The wall paper was already peeling so that was the first thing to go

The flooring had two layers, both were removed and cement backer board installed before laying porcelain floor tile

This picture shows the mastic left behind on the walls after the tiles came off. There was no way to remove it (I tried many methods) and new drywall was not in the budget, so I ended up skim coating it to encapsulate it and the applying panels which you will see in the after photos.

This is right after the skylight was installed. It brought much needed light to the room! You can also see the waterproofing on the walls. I used the Schluter Kerdi membrane and the Schluter sealant where required

This is the entrance door to the bathroom from the hallway. I added a porthole window with frosted glass for a fun accent that still lets light from the skylight into the hall

The final result! The shower is now functional by utilizing a special tub faucet the has a diverter to hand held shower head. This was my work around to not having to pay a plumber to install a shower head when we have welded copper pipes and limited access. Saved major money by doing it this way and you know what it is amazing, works just the same as a shower head and is fully adjustable on the slide bar!

The sink is tiny and its from Ikea. I wanted a small sink so the room would feel larger. The shower door bifolds into the tub and the adjacent panel is a fixed 1/4" thick acrylic panel (custom-cut-angled tempered glass was not in my budget and real glass would have been dangerous).

The tub is faced with painted bead board and pvc trim. The wall tile I got from a true salvage yard (I scrubbed the mud off each tile)!

I removed the door to the linen alcove so it' s open storage with removable wall covering

The floor is a rustic porcelain wood- look tile. They're actually polished and unpolished tiles mixed together which does not show in the photos but looks much better in person.

Side by side before and after 1

Side by side before and after 2

Side by side before and after 3

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Toni on Feb 13, 2019

Absolutely love what you’ve done! How are the wood walls holding up?

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Lisa Ridge-Valentine on Sep 28, 2019

This is amazing! What are the dimensions of the room please?

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Pamela on Aug 31, 2020

I was wondering, you mentioned several times letting in more light. Why did you paint the walls so dark?

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Carol Cole on Apr 07, 2019

I love it all except the floor. It throws it off. Sorry. The rest is absolutely beautiful.

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Julie Harper on Jun 11, 2019

Love it! And I love the floor, too. You did an excellent job! Love it all!

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