Why I was Reluctant to Make This Post
I was reluctant to make this post as I would rather highlight tough but successful projects to encourage others to do their home repairs. However, to remain authentic here are a few projects that went a little less than smooth.
Where It All Begins
The bathroom is where most of the projects went wrong. I attempted in December a minor bathroom renovation which has been ongoing for six months.
First I had to cut out a soaked piece of drywall and replace it. I did okay on this part but covering it back up with the shiplap definitely helped hide a few flaws. Then I had the idea to remove a layer of paint away and repaint the bathroom which is where trouble began.
My Painting Woes
There were seven or eight layers of paint and the most recent was already peeling. Removing the paint was way harder than I had anticipated and there was previous work done that made getting a smooth finish near impossible. I set out to have a smooth and freshly painted bathroom but I only highlighted the flaws more.
Mudding is not difficult but it does take patience and practice. I thought with enough time I’d get the bathroom perfect but after four coats of drywall mud I decided to yield and the above is what I am left with.
Then Came the Plumbing
I have mostly ignored the plumbing as the walls took priority but I still have not figured out how to do the plumbing for the vanity. One problem I ran into is the metal pipe coming out of the wall is rather high and another is the drain which is about a quarter of an inch from the sink drain.
There were Some Positives to the Bathroom Renovation
For one my wife loves how it is coming together which is reassuring and allows me to keep a good headspace for the project. The most important positive though is that the toilet was installed without issue which was the most needed thing in the bathroom.
The Final Not-so-Kind Project
The final project moves from the bathroom to the basement. The dryer vent pipe is still not fitted permanently. I replaced a flexible dryer vent with a solid metal one (which I found already in the basement) for fire safety but the metal one does not fit correctly in place.
The dryer vent project was multiple steps and a lot of it turned out well like the wood window vent cover. With a few tweaks, I am sure the project would be viewed positively but without the knowledge of how to install the vent correctly it remains slightly unfinished and thus on this list
