April 24, 2013

Tub-A-Dub-Done!

Mild April temperatures have meant being able to finish the bathtub! The tub refinishing kit required air and surface temps of 72° F (22° C), and the house finally warmed up enough to do the job.

Refurbished clawfoot tub re-installed in the bathroom

This is exciting. This bathroom has been torn apart since last July, and in the entire four years we've lived here, the room has never been functional. There were plumbing problems from the start. I can't even imagine what it will be like to have a bathroom bigger than a postage stamp (although at 5 feet by 8 feet this bathroom is not exactly large).

The next step will be the bathtub plumbing. But here's where we ran into another problem - the water supply lines.

Bottom left: old water supply line
Top right: new water supply line

The new one is an inch wider / deeper than the one Dan took off. The problem is that it doesn't fit because the room is so small. We're putting a 5 foot tub back into a 5 foot wide room, and there is no room for the supply lines to stick out so far away from the tub. The problem with the old onse is that they are a different diameter than the new plumbing. Dan installed shut off valves and they aren't the same size. If it ain't chickens, it's feathers! (Or maybe it's, so near and yet so far away). I have every confidence, however, that Dan will figure it out.

Tub-A-Dub-Done! © April 2013 by Leigh 

29 comments:

Judy said...

WaaHoo it's coming together! Just in case Dan hasn't thought about it, flexible plumbing hose like your washer connections (only they are white) are great problem solvers.

When we installed the guest bath we installed the hot and cold water lines opposite of what they should have been. Hubby was going to tear out the lines and reinstall them. My question of, "Can't we just cross the lines when we hook up the faucet?", saved the day and a boat load of time.

The Cranky said...

It's all coming together! I've no doubt the two of you will figure things out.

Dani said...

Wonderful - well done :) Am picturing long relaxing soaks by candlelight in the near future - you can tell I have confidence in your's and Dan's ability to overcome the tap hurdle :)

daisy g said...

You've waited this long to be able to install the tub, a little thing like a pipe isn't going to stop you!
Just keep picturing yourself taking a nice, long soak!

Farmer Barb said...

I loved my claw foot. It was like bathroom jewelry. The fact that it is in the room and there is wonderful. We had to make a niche in our wall to make room for the plumbing for the very same reason. Just a slight niche--we made a little removable shelf over the place where it could be seen. Ya can't have plumbing if you can't get a wrench in to tighten it!

Good luck!

Leigh said...

Judy, actually he has thought about that. His hesitation has been the "look," plus fitting sizes (seems we got an oddball faucet) :o

Jacqueline, no doubt!

Dani, we actually had a discussion about whether or not we needed a tub. Dan was all for getting a shower only, but I pointed out those hot soaks are priceless!

Daisy, I figure we've waited this long ...... :)

Barb, that's a good way of putting it. Dan thought about putting the plumbing in the wall, but eventually nixed that in case of needing to get to it to fix. It's slow going though, because there is so much to do outside.

Mama Pea said...

If you put the plumbing in the wall, is there a way to access it (by a "secret" door/panel) on the other side of the wall? That's what we had to do with the pipes for the shower in our bathroom. Luckily, (knock on wood) we've never had to access the pipes in 17 years.

Renee Nefe said...

can you bend the new pipe at all? Maybe get it hot?

The tub looks great.

Leigh said...

Mama Pea, that's the problem. The clothes dryer is on the other side of the wall.

Renee, thanks. Dan did try bending the pipe but for some reason couldn't get it the way he wanted. He ordered some elbow fittings, so we'll see if that does it!

Judy said...

LOL, I remember hearing something in that order myself. My comment back was, anybody looking under the sink at our plumbing job needs help. (The sink is a pedestal sink.)

I do have to admit, these days I'm more excited about "It works!" and if it looks great, that's a bonus.

Susan said...

Wonderful job on your tub - it's beautiful. And I agree, Dan will figure it out, resourceful guy that he is. I love that saying - "If it ain't chickens, it's feathers!" I may have to 'steal' it.

Sherri B. said...

I don't know if I am seeing this right..could be way off. If that is the plumbing coming from the floor, I do believe I have seen faucets that mount right there were the faucets are now but have an entire system that comes out of there and the pipe goes right up for the shower..from that same faucet..Wow, if you can figure out what I just said, you maybe could work for the CIA and decipher codes. Ha.

DFW said...

So close. That tub is georgous! Dan will figure it all out. He's like my Justin, just give him some space to think & a solution is eventually born!

Anonymous said...

It's beautiful, Leigh! Cliff refurbished one for us many moons ago....lol!....it's so cute! :)

Michelle said...

It's beautiful! -and I was thinking Dan had done an amazing job at hiding the plumbing! LOL! I'm sure he'll figure it out quickly, too. :-D

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,

How wonderful, your temperatures warmed up so you could get the tub completed the way you wanted. I have confidence Dan will have the plumbing taken care off immediately. You're one step closer to a completed bathroom that is bigger than a postage stamp or a telephone booth. Now, you want to trade bathrooms with me?

Bridget said...

Beautiful bath. Good luck with plumbing it in. I'm sure you'll work something out.

Leigh said...

Judy, I think we'll end up with some sort of flex-hose anyway! I told him the sink cabinet will hide it so who cares. :)

Susan, we got the chickens & feathers saying from the Little House books. Laura Ingalls ma used to say that.

Sherri, we've actually got a kit for this. The shower riser is attached to the top of the faucet, and a shower curtain ring is attached to that (and the wall). we haven't gotten that far yet!

DFW, thanks! Isn't it great to have someone who can think like that. It isn't me though, that's for sure. :)

Pam, I know I'll be glad we did it when it's finally all hooked up! (It's just getting to that point, LOL)

Michelle, in the end, a functional bathtub trumps looks any day!

Sandy, thanks. I'm sorry to hear you have a small bathroom too, they are a challenge!

Bridget, thanks! It's just one step at a time.

Anonymous said...

That is absolutely gorgeous!

Benita said...

5' X 8'... That's the size of the dormers in my bedroom. But it's looking very pretty. I love old tubs like yours and it looks very pretty refinished like that.

Quinn said...

My bathroom is about 7x7' and that's the only reason I have never had a bathtub in it. Lucky to have a shower, which I built myself many years ago, then hired a handyperson to connect to the water lines in the crawlspace. Starting to dream of hot soaks to sooth the aging joints, though! Just yesterday I was speculating about how long one of those black horse troughs would keep water hot if I put one out back in a screen tent...wouldn't it be a luxury to soak in hot water, outdoors, with no mosquitoes?
By the way, I thought I was already "following" you but apparently not, or else I lost you temporarily in my Reader shuffle...gotcha back now, though :)

CaliforniaGrammy said...

I have total faith in Dan the Man . . . he's amazing and I just know he'll figure a way . . . "Where there's a will there's a way" and Dan will figure it out!

Leigh said...

Stephanie, we're pleased. :)

Benita, it is pretty small for a bathroom, isn't it? But it beats that teeny bathroom off the kitchen!

Quinn, those hot soaks are exactly why I insisted we keep the tub! Sometimes there's nothing for it. My in-laws used to have an outdoor shower. It was pretty nice. Gosh, hot tubs are sometimes outside! You can do it!

Thanks for following too. :) I'd better go make sure I'm following you too.

Janice, me too! Sometimes he doubts himself, but he always, always pulls it off. :)

Thistle Cove Farm said...

I love those old, deep tubs; feels great on my tired ole bones when I finally get back in the house at night.

luckybunny said...

Love the tub! And praying for an easy delivery for Ziggys kids!

Doug Pitcher said...

I just put in an outdoor shower as we've been roughing it the past few months without bathing facilities at our place. I'm not sure if there are too many people (at least in the developed world) that have done that. I have thought several times "I'm sure people used to do this" whenever we get discouraged and think about just going out and getting a mortgage.

Leigh said...

Sandra, there's really something comforting about a hot bath, isn't there?

Donna, thanks! On both counts.

Doug, good to hear from you. I love as outdoor shower! My inlaws had one and we've talked about putting one here too, though it would have to be visually protected because we're so close to an occasionally busy road. :0

The Stay @ Home-Gardener said...

Hey Look! Its my tiny house! Oh, nope. Just a bathroom with a very nice tub. :)

Leigh said...

Cloud, LOL. The tiny house movement truly is alive and well, isn't it?