DIY Network

Bathroom Facelift From "Ask DIY Home Improvement" episode DADH-109

The bathroom BEFORE the renovation had a dated look with a drab-looking vanity and old style medicine cabinet.

Q: Our bathroom needs some cosmetic help. I'd like some ideas for projects to fix it up.

A: (from DIY home-improvement expert James Young) Sprucing up a tired old bathroom is a great idea. And as long as you don't have to move any plumbing, it's a fairly economical investment in your home. Here are some of the things we did to transform a dated, old half-bathroom as part of a home remodel.

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First, here's a list of materials that you can expect to use in a bathroom renovation if the improvement involves painting over old paneling. (We opted to first cover the old paneling with new drywall, so not all of these products were used.)

• Use a good cleanser (figure A) to remove dirt, grease and other residue from the paneling. Once clean, you'll also want to sand the paneling to help the primer and paint adhere to the paneling.

  Apply a primer that contains stain-blocker (figure B) to prep the surface for painting. The stain-blocker variety will help prevent any existing water-stains or other wall-stains from showing through the new paint.

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  If the old paneling has grooves, the grooves can be filled with spackling compound (figure C) before painting. This will make for a smooth wall. Apply the compound and allow it to dry, according to the manufacturer's instructions, then sand it down smooth before painting.

  For painting over paneling, latex-based paint is a good choice. Since we installed new drywall, prior to painting we applied a latex primer (figure D) specifically formulated for use with drywall. The primer helps to seal the taped drywall joints.

  We then painted the new drywall with a satin-sheen paint. Satin is a good finish for bathrooms because it's easy to clean. For a full bath with a tub or shower, you may want to consider adding an anti-mildew additive (figure E) to your paint.

  Use a thick-nap roller or a high-quality paintbrush for best results when applying the paint.

  Figure C

  Figure D

  Figure E

  
  

  	Figure F
  	Figure G
  	Figure H
  	Figure I
  	Figure J
  	Figure K
  	Figure L
  	Figure M

  
  

• After shutting off the water-supply valves under the sink and at the home's main shut-off valve, the lines were disconnected and the old vanity was removed (figure F). In this case, the vanity was not fastened to the wall so it could be lifted out easily.

• Next, the old medicine cabinet was removed (figure G). Since this unit simply plugged into a hidden outlet, there was now wiring to disconnect or remove. All that was required was to unplug it and remove the screws that held it to the wall.

• The old paneling was covered using new 1/4-inch drywall (figure H). Attach drywall using drywall screws and a cordless drill.

  Important: When installing drywall, be certain to sink the drywall screws into the wall-studs. A stud-locator can be used to find the studs behind the paneling. It's a good idea to mark the locations of the studs and snap a chalk-line to mark the stud all the way down to the floor.

• After the drywall was installed, a coat of primer was applied. Once the primer was dry, we used a roller to paint the room with a satin-sheen paint (figure I). Satin is a good finish for bathrooms because it's easy to clean.

• Once the room was painted, we installed a new 48-inch vanity. A level was used to insure proper installation of the piece (figure J). Wood shims were used to level the vanity on the slightly uneven floor.

• Once leveled, the back frame of the vanity was attached to the wall with screws (figure K). The screws were installed into the wall-studs.

• Our vanity came with an easy-to-install one-piece top. To install it, a bead of adhesive was run around the top edge of the vanity, and the countertop was lowered into place. The installation was then completed by reconnecting the plumbing. Though the new vanity was larger than the old one, this installation was simplified by the fact sink was mounted in the same location. This meant it wasn't necessary to re-work any of the plumbing.

  Tip: Installing the new faucet before setting the countertop in position helps simplify the installation (figure L). Working from inside the installed vanity would have been more difficult.

• New drywall was installed over the wall where the old medicine cabinet had been installed. The existing electrical outlet was disconnected and was then concealed by the new drywall. A new over-the-sink cabinet and mirror was installed over the vanity.

• Finishing touches included new accessories such as a toilet-paper holder and towel hook (figure M) that coordinated with the faucet.

The bathroom AFTER the renovation was complete.