Bathrooms Gone Wrong
A friend of mine hired a contractor/handyman (who was also a preacher) to renovate the bathroom in an old house. The contractor was supposed to (in no particular order) 1. Level the floors, 2. install the tub/shower, 3. install storage next to the tub, 4. seal everything up so it was watertight, 5. install a recessed medicine cabinet above the vanity, 6. Install the flooring, 7. Put up the wall panels, 8. install lighting, and 9. Put up trim around the walls, doors, floors, etc.
My friend paid him in full up front. The guy cut the existing drywall, did not put moisture barriers, slapped some cheap panels up on the wall, slid the tub in and hooked up the plumbing (tub spout, drain, and showerhead), put up trim around the door and window but did not use caulk. He spilled paint inside the tub and did not clean it up. He left huge gaps between the walls and the tub. He did not do any of the other things on the list. He left and never finished the job. My friend had to level the floor, install the flooring, re-install the toilet (because it was leaking underneath), put molding/trim along the floor and bottom of the tub, put up the mirror, install the lighting, and add the storage. He has tried to put up various sorts of trim between the tub and wall but nothing stuck. He didn't get any money back and the contractor has since passed away.
There is no ventilation in the bathroom (apart from the window, but we live in a humid climate so that doesn't help). It is a hot and damp place most of the time. Recently the moisture got in to the walls and mushrooms started growing out.
We are currently brainstorming on solutions for ventilation to get rid of the moisture. The attic is not accessible and the exterior walls have asbestos. He is out of a job because his company moved out of state and he can't drive due to a medical condition caused by an injury. He also had a large tree fall on his house and damage it severely-- he's basically been having very bad luck. He probably has to take off the internal wall panels to fix the bathroom and the circuit box is in an adjacent room. We were hoping to find some sort of dehumidifier/fan that could fit into the top of the window and run wires to the circuit box and to a switch or something. I wish we could figure out how to get a solar powered one that would be reliable and inexpensive.
Anyway, this is a cautionary tale. Be careful who you hire and do not underestimate moisture.
Update: There was a fire due to another person's negligence that burned the insides of the house.The bathroom is nothing but charred remnants now.
My friend paid him in full up front. The guy cut the existing drywall, did not put moisture barriers, slapped some cheap panels up on the wall, slid the tub in and hooked up the plumbing (tub spout, drain, and showerhead), put up trim around the door and window but did not use caulk. He spilled paint inside the tub and did not clean it up. He left huge gaps between the walls and the tub. He did not do any of the other things on the list. He left and never finished the job. My friend had to level the floor, install the flooring, re-install the toilet (because it was leaking underneath), put molding/trim along the floor and bottom of the tub, put up the mirror, install the lighting, and add the storage. He has tried to put up various sorts of trim between the tub and wall but nothing stuck. He didn't get any money back and the contractor has since passed away.
There is no ventilation in the bathroom (apart from the window, but we live in a humid climate so that doesn't help). It is a hot and damp place most of the time. Recently the moisture got in to the walls and mushrooms started growing out.
We are currently brainstorming on solutions for ventilation to get rid of the moisture. The attic is not accessible and the exterior walls have asbestos. He is out of a job because his company moved out of state and he can't drive due to a medical condition caused by an injury. He also had a large tree fall on his house and damage it severely-- he's basically been having very bad luck. He probably has to take off the internal wall panels to fix the bathroom and the circuit box is in an adjacent room. We were hoping to find some sort of dehumidifier/fan that could fit into the top of the window and run wires to the circuit box and to a switch or something. I wish we could figure out how to get a solar powered one that would be reliable and inexpensive.
Anyway, this is a cautionary tale. Be careful who you hire and do not underestimate moisture.
Update: There was a fire due to another person's negligence that burned the insides of the house.The bathroom is nothing but charred remnants now.
Toilet very close to the bathtub. The black spot in the left corner is from the mushroom growing out of the wall.
Q