Reaching for the stars

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/03/2024 (571 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With any project, the planning stages reveal a set of logistics that must be addressed. When a bathroom remodel is on the 20th floor of a condominium high-rise, these logistics become more complicated. During this recent three-piece bathroom renovation, several hurdles (known and unforeseen) were overcome to eventually create the bathroom of which the homeowner had dreamed of for many years.

To initiate the process, the main amenities were pre-ordered from The Ensuite, and included several specialty items such as an air-massage tub, a bidet seat cover, a lighted inset medicine cabinet and a beautiful shower faucet and tub spout array that includes a hand-wand mounted on an adjustable vertical column. Moreover, the floor plan allowed for a custom 30-inch-wide sink vanity and separate 20-inch-wide linen cabinet manufactured by Cabinet Corner, each fitted with a black quartz countertop supplied by Solid Stone. The vanity also boasts a beautifully hand-painted top-mount sink the homeowner found on display. The cabinetry was pre-ordered in anticipation of an early January reno start date. And despite a few delays, all amenities arrived shortly after the expected date.

During the demolition process, the old three-piece tub surround was removed exposing and older version of the bathroom that included shower stall walls and ceiling covered in speckled one-by-one inch tile from the seventies, around the time the edifice was built. Once the bathroom shell was fully exposed, and the old features removed, the new design required several GFCI electrical instances to satisfy the homeowner’s desires: two wall outlet locations that also feed the outlets within the lighted inset medicine cabinet, power to the air-tub, a separate outlet to power the bidet toilet seat, and power to the lighting switches near the bathroom door. To achieve this, a commercial permit was initiated, and the tasks fulfilled by Insight Electric. After the preliminary inspection passed, the tasks moved on to the plumbing aspects of the renovation. The copper array for the shower faucet, head, hand-wand and tub-spout was created beforehand. As well, the tub’s overflow and drain were mounted to the air-tub. With these tasks completed, Lesiuk Mechanical came onsite after pulling the commercial plumbing permit, to tie-in the water feeds, place the tub and tie-in tub drain. Upon testing with successful results, and subsequently passing inspection, the open walls were drywalled, mudded, sanded and painted prior to the next step: tiling!

For this bathroom space, the homeowner chose a 12×24 inch white marble-esk porcelain tile set on the horizontal, to be installed floor to ceiling on all walls. Before tiling began, a small stub wall was introduced at the end of the tub, with an access panel to the tub’s motor – this provides a finished end to the front-only skirted tub. The tile was then systematically mounted on all walls throughout, accommodating any wall outlets and switches. Once grouted, the vinyl flooring was then installed, with PVC baseboards and casings. The shower amenities were then mounted, and tested.

With the space’s aesthetic sheathing in place, the bathroom could be populated. After the inset medicine cabinet was permanently mounted, the sink vanity was set into position. The faucet was mounted to the quartz countertop, and the water feeds and sink drain were tied into the existing supply lines and drain respectively. The linen cabinet was also set into place at the end of the tub, adjacent to the stub wall. Above the linen quartz, two floating shelves were mounted to the wall. The decorative ceiling fixture was installed along the ceiling, and all outlet and switch covers were added. The tub was siliconed along all visible edges, as were the tops and bottoms of the PVC baseboards. The toilet was then affixed to the floor flange, and the water feed was connected to both the toilet and the electric bidet seat.

After a brief repo awaiting the arrival of the glass for the barn-style door shower enclosure, the good folks at SHODOR Shower Door Specialties delivered and installed the enclosure, which had been ordered to specification based on the intended finished measurements of the tub installation, and the introduction of the stub wall. Fortunately, the enclosure fit like a glove proving once again the importance of measuring twice (or thrice) to ensure dimensional accuracy. With the final task completed, a new knob was fitted on the bathroom door, and a few picture frames were hung to the homeowner’s liking. Towels were draped over newly introduced towel racks, and a few mementos placed on the floating shelves. The bathroom is a dream come true for the homeowner, and looked lived-in before my departure on that final day.

This bathroom remodel epitomizes the necessity for on-going cooperation to achieve successful results. Despite seemingly insurmountable hurdles throughout the process, the sales staff at The Ensuite and all the sub-trades, as well as the superintendent staff for the building really came through when it mattered most. Although starting a tad later than expected, the project was completed well within the allotted timeframe, largely due to everyone’s willingness to accommodate on short notice. And of course, the homeowner now has a glorious 20th floor bathroom that soars to newer heights.

RenoBoss.Inc@outlook.com