Once the tub was mostly finished, we moved onto the walls around the toilet (the opposite walls were in decent shape and didn’t need demolished).

As I mentioned before, the space between the walls is ridiculously deep, so it seemed ridiculous not to build shelves into that space. The worry was that is the only section of open wall large enough to hold towel racks, so I needed another spot to hang towels. Once I figured that out, we had to figure out how to build the shelf.

Although it probably wasn’t load bearing, there was a stud running up the middle section of where the shelf would go. Thinking back to how we built the bookshelves into the walls in the computer room (Apparently I have no blog posts about any of that work–unsurprisingly, really, since then Grandmom moved in as soon as we finished.) I figured we could just cut out the middle of the stud and brace the edges. This led to so interesting discussions as we tried to figure out how to do this, including the following exchange:

“And just how is that board going to be held in place?”
“Um…. magic?”

We didn’t use magic.

We also put in more outlets, because two outlets did just not cut it, even in a bathroom we rarely used.

Michael built a three-sided box that we slid into the space.

There ended up being an issue, because the box was built with about a quarter inch of extra space on each side, for ease of getting the box into the wall. Then Michael nailed the box to the studs–without remembering that we needed shims to account for that quarter inch. So things were not quite square, but that box is going NOWHERE.

We then put up the rest of the drywall, and taped and mudded.

Painting happened in stages, because we were only going to pull the toilet completely out once. So the upper half of the walls were painted, and we put trim around the shelf.

Initially Michael used L-brackets to put up the shelves. I hated this, so once I got the pocket jig, I ripped out the L-brackets, repainted, and put in new shelves.

Now, we ended up having another issue here that probably won’t be a problem for anyone else ever, unless they also have a teeny bathroom. Because the cement board stood slightly proud of the “regular” wall, we had to order special corner-type tiles, and ended up with a space beside the medicine cabinet that couldn’t have tile–or anything else. If you stand at an angle you can see the unfinished edge behind the medicine cabinet. So…don’t do that if you come over to my house.

The trim was the very last thing to go up, since the floor was the next-to-last thing we did in the bathroom.

The plumbing bits were mostly Michael, since he’s 1) pretty good at plumbing and 2) has better upper-body strength than I do.

We replaced the fixtures and most everything inside the walls, as well as the tub drain.

The walls extremely problematic. The tub had been put in after the drywall and the cement board we got for the wall was much thinner. That meant we had to put boards up over the studs, to make sure the edge of the cement board was just over the lip of the tub.

We got foam board to insulate the wall as well (what we took out looked like shredded cardboard. UGH.

Putting up the cement board involved a lot of measuring and remeasuring, and would have been a LOT easier if there wasn’t a window in the middle of the wall.

Michael replaced all the pipe with PVC, because he finds it easier to work with, and who am I to argue with that.

Because the space between the walls was so deep, I ordered some shelves to inset inside the wall. You can also see here where we added studs not just where the shelves were, but also where the fixtures were going to go.

Once the cement board was up, I taped and then put thinset on all the joints.

I have an extra kitchen scale, so since I was only mixing small batches of thinset (and later grout) I covered the scale in saran wrap and was able to measure by weight, which I always find easier.

After the thinset dried, I applied the waterproofing.

I put two coats of the waterproofing up, because 1) I had the time and 2) I had far more waterproofing than I was going to use.

To keep the bathroom mostly usable during the project, we replaced the sink and fixtures and light relatively early on.

Because the bathroom is so small, and the space for the sink is so small, we had almost no choice in sink and cabinet. I wanted something with a cabinet because a small house means limited storage space, so the remodel was going to give me the most storage space I could get.

Then came the tiling.

The problem here is that no one feels that it’s safe for me to use cutting tools, so while Michael was working on something else, I put whole tiles up on the wall, because one website suggested putting up whole tiles and then filling in the pieces.

This did not work well for me, because getting the tiles the right size to fit in the spaces was annoying and was a problem more than once. I am all but incapable of visualizing things, so I frequently measured tile “backwards” from what I needed, which was frustrating, but also something I was expecting, and so had Michael double check before he cut.

All of which made the process more time-consuming, but wasted less tile.

Also, I did a lousy job bracing the initial row of tile, so they slipped some and were uneven. Don’t screw that up when you do tiling.

We ended up buying a small and inexpensive tile saw, because it ended up being cheaper than renting one. Michael says I probably could have used it safely, but didn’t, since I hate the emergency room.

The good think is that once you grout, the screw ups and errors in the tile become unnoticeable.

Since I had extra cobalt blue tile, I decided to create a pattern with the tile in the shelving niches. It was actually really fun, and if I’d felt more confident in the beginning, I might have done a pattern with the blue tile instead of just stripes. But I’m still pleased with how the tile turned out, despite only making stripes and the number of times I screwed up.

And about that tile…

I went to Davis Kitchen and Tile to see what they had, and in the hope someone might be able to answer a couple of questions for me.

The owner ended up spending probably an hour with me, patiently answering all my questions and helping me figure out what I needed. Considering I went with the cheaper tile, and told him up front that I was doing the work myself, he was amazingly patient and wonderful and kind.

If you need tile (or have a remodeling project), you should definitely go to Davis Kitchen and Tile, because they were marvelous.

Important for the tub & shower
Tile saw
Small metal ruler
Nitrile gloves
Leather gloves
Tile file
Circular tile bits for the drill
Wrist braces (these fit under both my leather and nitrile gloves)

Michael already had most of the plumbing tools, so I’m not 100% what would be recommend there if you’re not already doing plumbing.

This project started on the 17th of May, 2019, and finished on the 3rd of November, 2019.

Yes, it was slow, but 1) we didn’t always know what we were doing 2) we had to learn a lot of new skills as we went (see previous) 3) we did it in our free time 4) we were extremely flexible in what we were going to do, and finally 5) we had another bathroom in the house.

We knew it was going to be difficult in parts, because this is a 1930s house, and things are often just weird. And we discovered plenty more weirdness as we went, which is what this first post is going to be about.

When we first moved in, the toilet leaked and the shower leaked, so we replaced the tub assembly, replaced the sink fixture, and attempted to replace the toilet–except that the bathroom is so small the door wouldn’t close with the new toilet in place, so that fixture sat in the basement until we put in the second bathroom when Grandmom moved in.

That project (adding a second bathroom) is why I felt that we would be able to do this project. We built two rooms (bathroom and computer room) from nothing, and did all the work ourselves, except for tapping the sewer line (because we had two months to get everything done (including emptying the spare room) before Grandmom moved in, and we did NOT have time to for major screw-ups)).

Was this hard? At times, of course it was. We didn’t know what we were doing. We often didn’t have the proper tools. And some things are just hard work. But I learned so much doing this, I feel like when the zombie apocalypse comes I’ll actually have value to contribute.

So here is how things looked when we (mostly) started.

We’d replaced fixtures (as I said) and Michael put in shut-off valves (because this house basically had the whole house shut-off and no others), but otherwise, this is how it’d looked since we moved in in 2001.

The we started tearing things apart, and found all kinds of excitement.

This was the first–but far from the last–time I wondered what the hell we were getting ourselves into.

It was nasty.

We also discovered they built walls across walls and put the tub in after they put in the walls, and just…. ugh. All kinds of ick.

We discovered multiple sockets / switches that had just been plastered over.

I found (I kid you not) razor blades in the wall.

We discovered creative ways were used to make things fit.

I discovered wood floor under the linoleum in the closet.

And some pretty disgusting plywood under the rest of the linoleum.

If that picture doesn’t make it clear, the bathroom is tiny. The floor space is 4′ x 5′ , not including the tub and the closet, so it was often problematic for both of us to be in the bathroom at the same time–especially when the toilet and sink were installed.

So what ended up being important for the demolition?

Tetanus shot
Crowbar
Utility knife (one for each person, really)
Shop vac
Many old shower curtains to be used as drop cloths
Leather work gloves
Dust masks
Hammer
Rubber mallet
Chisels
Drywall saw / knife
Audiobooks / podcasts

Did I mention to make sure your tetanus shot booster is up-to-date? And definitely the dust masks. Even wearing them both of us ended up with a respiratory thing when we were tearing out the shower walls–most likely due to the combination of mold, mildew, and dust particles.

And patience. Lots and lots and lots of patience.

We saw some interesting things on our drive yesterday.

One was so unexpected that I might have squealed, slammed on the brakes, and all but done a U-Turn in the road.

Michael’s Favorite Sign

This just delighted me. It’s like someone let me name a road.

We opted to starve to death, but stopping was briefly was considered.

Surprise. It’s November.

Lots of re-reads this month, but plenty of new books as well, and some very good books that were not re-reads.

I loved Layla Reyne’s Agents Irish and Whiskey series, starting with Single Malt, despite the fact that it had tropes that I really dislike, including a romance between law enforcement partners, a secret off-the-books investigation, and one person committed to the romance and the other… not. Why did it work for me? First and foremost because of Aidan. It had been less than a year since his husband was killed, so he was still processing his grief and afraid to care for someone who might get killed in the line of duty. But also because Jamie was a delight. He was a thorough geek AND an amazing athlete and a good person. And the mysteries were good and there were repercussions for not following the rules. Excellent!

I finished the last (?) Snow & Winter book, The Mystery of the Bones by C.S. Poe which was an interesting mystery and the romance was good as well.

I’m re-reading Patricia Briggs‘s Alpha & Omega series, which has some of my favorite secondary characters in the Mercy-verse (Asil).

So what did I read? Quite a variety. (Note that the LGBT books are also boinking books.)

Mystery

At Your Service (2018) Sandra Antonelli (Rating: 8/10)

Mystery, Historical

Lord John and the Private Matter (2003) Diana Gabaldon (Lord John) (Rating: 8/10)

Mystery, LGBT

The Mystery of the Bones (2019) C.S. Poe (Rating: 8.5/10) (Snow & Winter)
Agents Irish and Whiskey
Single Malt (2017) Layla Reyne (Rating: 8.5/10)
Cask Strength (2017) Layla Reyne (Rating: 8.5/10)
Barrel Proof (2017) Layla Reyne (Rating: 9/10)
Holmes & Moriarity
Somebody Killed His Editor (2009) Josh Lanyon (Rating: 7/10)
All She Wrote (2010) Josh Lanyon (Rating: 7.5/10)

Romance, Historical

The Work of Art (2019) Mimi Matthews (Rating: 7.5/10)
A Convenient Fiction (2019) Mimi Matthews (Rating: 6/10) (Parish Orphans of Devon)

Romance, LGBT

Riven (2018) Roan Parrish (Rating: 7.5/10)
A Duke in Disguise (2019) Cat Sebastian (Rating: 5/10)

Fantasy, Historical

Gunpowder Alchemy (2014) Jeannie Lin (Rating: 6/10) (The Gunpowder Chronicles)

Fantasy, LGBT

Mainly by Moonlight (2019) Josh Lanyon (Rating: 6/10) (Bedknobs and Broomsticks)

Fantasy, Supernatural

Alpha & Omega
Alpha and Omega (2008) Patricia Briggs (Rating: 8/10)
Cry Wolf (2008) Patricia Briggs (Rating: 8/10)
Hunting Ground (2009) Patricia Briggs (Rating: 8.5/10)
Fair Game (2012) Patricia Briggs (Rating: 8.5/10)

And now THE STATS!

All ebooks this month. I’ve been listening to podcasts instead of audio books. And just under half the books were re-reads, because I finished a series I really liked and then was stumped for what to read next.

eBook: 18
Multiple Formats: 4
Re-read: 7

Mostly mystery and romance, and half of those were boinking books. But almost half were fantasies, so not that far off from normal.

Fantasy: 6
Mystery: 12
Romance: 16
Boinking: 7

No books written by guys this month. Male authors are at only 38% this year, so I don’t think they’re going to catch up.

Female: 14
Initials: 1
Male Pseudonym: 3

And the character breakdown. More than half the books had make protagonists (because M/M romances) and although almost all the books had one white main character, there were plenty of minorities as the other primary character and secondary characters.

Male: 9
Female: 8
Ensemble: 1
White: 17
Minority: 7
Minority 2ndary: 5
Straight: 8
LGBTQ: 10
LGBTQ 2ndary: 1

And that’s what I read in October. Did you read anything excellent recently?

The other places we stopped (right in the middle of our day) was Babcock State Park.

There was a decent amount of color there, although nowhere near peak.

So! Adorable!

We stopped at several state parks on Friday, two of which have some lovely river views.

We were a tad bit late for good light at Carnifex Ferry, but none-the-less it’s a lovely view of the Gauley River.

There was a bit of color, but nowhere near as much as there should have been for mid-October.

We stopped by Hawk’s Nest earlier in the day, and saw a different portion of the New River.

We also went down into the New River Gorge. They were getting ready for Bridge Day, and there wasn’t very much color, even if it was a lovely view.

I taught in Charleston on Friday, so we decided to take the super scenic route home, and ended up on a road we hadn’t taken before, and got to visit two new neat places!

Kanawha Falls

Cathedral Falls

There are people in this picture, for perspective.

Saturday was supposed to rain, plus my aunt was coming in, so we did our hiking on Friday, which turned out to be a perfect choice.

Checked what the leaf color was supposed to be, so headed back down to the Canaan / Blackwater Falls area.

Canaan Valley State Park: Blackwater River Trail

Blackwater Falls

Table Rock

I’m creating a class on Facebook, and am looking for pictures to go with the various scandals and problems I’m discussing. So I thought I’d look for some of the artwork that FB had banned because it showed breasts.

What I discovered is that there were a LOT of painters who had apparently never seen a naked woman.

Or even paid any attention to the female form.

You’ll have to forgive me that these are not actually flower pictures, but rather pictures that happen to contain colorful leaves.

A burden I’m sure, but you’ll have to live with it.

We went to Canaan Valley State Park, the Blackwater Canyon, and Blackwater Falls State Park. We didn’t do any serious hiking, because I wanted to see what fall color there was. (Not a whole lot, but there was some.)

Blackwater River Rail Trail

Douglas Falls

Pendleton Creek

Blackwater River Trail (Canaan)

Here it is October. Except it doesn’t feel like October because it’s NINETY BLOODY DEGREES here.

ahem.

Let us begin again.

We’re now in the last quarter of the year, and I’m once again reading a ridiculous number of book, but that’s ok. Sometimes it’s too hot to leave the house. Sometimes I need a break from house projects (which reminds me, I should really start writing those up to post here). So of course I read books.

What did I really like this month?

I am really loving Talia Hibbert. I read her Just for Him series, although I started with the novella, Work for It, which is a M/M story that concludes the series. Then I went back to start the series and of that, my favorite was Undone by the Ex-Con. The hero in that one was particularly interesting, for reasons that are uncovered as you read the story.

Although I’ve had it for months, I finally read Josh Lanyon‘s Come Unto These Yellow Sands, which is stand alone. I’d been hesitate to read it, because one of the main characters is an addict (clean six years) and I thought that might be difficult to read. It was difficult, but it was also very rewarding.

All of the above are boinking books.

The other book was Ada Maria Soto’s His Quiet Agent, which I thought was a spy / mystery story, but is actually a romance. The story itself was fascinating–especially since it’s an Ace romance. It’s quite unlike other things I’ve been reading, but I immediately got the novella that followed this story. (It was not a stand-alone story, but still enjoyable.)

Mystery, LGBT

Come Unto These Yellow Sands (2011) Josh Lanyon (Rating: 8.5/10)
The Mystery of the Moving Image (2018) C.S. Poe (Rating: 8/10)
Skin and Bone (2019) TA Moore (Rating: 7.5/10)

Romance, Supernatural Fantasy

Sapphire Flames (2019) Ilona Andrews (Rating: 7/10)
Among the Living (2006) Jordan Castillo Price (Rating: 6.5/10) (PsyCop)

Romance

Can’t Escape Love (2019) Alyssa Cole
Just for Him
Bad for the Boss (2017) Talia Hibbert (Rating: 6.5/10)
Undone by the Ex-Con (2018) Talia Hibbert (Rating: 8.5/10)
Sweet on the Greek (2018) Talia Hibbert (Rating: 8/10)

Romance, LGBT

Agency
His Quiet Agent (2017) Ada Maria Soto (Rating: 8.5/10)
Merlin in the Library (2018) Ada Maria Soto (Rating: 7.5/10)
Work for It (2019) Talia Hibbert (Rating: 8.5/10)
Sympathy: MM Romance with a Hint of Magic (2009) Jordan Castillo Price (Rating: 7/10)
American Dreamer (2019) Adriana Herrera () Adriana Herrera (Rating: 7/10)

Romance, Historical

The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter (2019) K.J. Charles (Rating: 7.5/10)
The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics (2019) Olivia Waite (Rating: 5.5/10)

Mystery, Supernatural

Snake Agent (2005) Liz Williams (Rating: 8/10)

Mystery, Historical

Murder on Amsterdam Avenue (2015) Victoria Thompson (Rating: 7/10)

And now… THE NUMBERS!

eBook: 18
Re-read: 2

Yup. All eBooks. And only two re-reads.

Genres

Fantasy: 3
Mystery: 5
Romance: 16
Boinking: 10

Romance heavy fantasy light this month. Probably because I read most of the mysteries I had in my kindle TBR folder (I still have approximately a million other mysteries TBR, these were just ones I was pretty sure I was in the mood for).

Authors

Female: 12
Initials: 3
Male Pseudonym: 1
Joint: 1

Female writers remain significantly ahead, with no books by solo male authors this month. Which is fine.

Characters

Male: 11
Female: 3
Ensemble: 4
White: 13
Minority: 8
Minority 2ndary: 5
Straight: 6
LGBTQ: 12
LGBTQ 2ndary: 2

Oh, here’s where all the males are! Pretty heavily white, but at least the casts were diverse.

And those are the books of September. Did you read anything particularly good this month?

This was more of a casual stroll than any kind of hike, but it was lovely, so here you go.

Not a lot of flowers to be found at Spruce Knob and Seneca Rocks, but these were pretty.