Bathroom #2 renovation begins

Shortly off the heels of our 1 year anniversary of the upstairs bedroom and bathroom remodel, which was recorded for an episode of Sweat Equity on the DIY Network and aired for the first time on January 20th, we started demolition of our downstairs bathroom. We came into this remodel knowing that the demolition would be the most difficult part, however, the rest of it should be significantly easier than the upstairs bathroom because we're not relocating fixtures, and we aren't pressured into any time line like we were for the show. So if we need to see our friends or families during the 2 month renovation we can.

The first couple of pictures below are of the tiled wall which are made of 1.5" thick concrete stuck to metal lathe nailed to the studs. This little bit of genius is called "thickset", which is how they tiled walls back in the 1930s. At first I wasn't sure how to remove it. I tried a large chisel and masonry hammer, which wore my arms down to jello. Then I borrowed my neighbors hammer drill, which is the coolest tool. Just as it says, it hammers like a mini jackhammer, and also drills in the same motion. Even at first using this tool wasn't getting me very far because just chiseling/hammering wasn't breaking apart the tile and concrete. Then I discovered the drill part. By using a drill bit I put a hole in the wall about every 1.5" and created a small grid, then went back with the chisel bit and broke away the grid between the holes. Once this process was done, the tile came off almost like wall paper. Each little chunk weighs about 15-20 pounds. In the first photo you can see one section of the wall where the grid right before removing the tile.

So after about 5 weekends of work, the bathroom is almost completely demo'd. I just need to drain the entire heating system, and pull out the radiator so we can work on the wall behind it. And just to make the whole project more interesting, we're gutting the bedroom/office next to it because of the old water damage under the window. This also involves removing a radiator. In the end it'll be worth it because we'll be able to fully insulate the room and repair the wood floor under the window that is damaged.

The thickset tile.

The most amazing demolition tool I've discovered to date. The Hammer Drill.

Over the door is a drain pipe from the upstairs bathroom that will be hidden by a new soffit.

The wall where the sink goes

The cathedral arch above the bathtub.