BATHROOM WHOAS

So it is going much slower than I thought it would. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the "to do list". It's not the actually list as much as who I want to work with, who to call first - a plumber, a handyman, a contractor or an architect?

The bathroom is priority
as there are issues that need to be resolved. Do we just patch it up or do we go for renovating the whole thing right away. Cost comes into play. This is the most pressing job because the faucet is now leaking 24/7 in the tub. The handles in the bathtub are stripped. I tried simply replacing the parts behind the handles but unfortunately they would have to be ordered and they're really old. They may be the original parts when the house was built. New generic handles worked for awhile, but now even pliers aren't working to turn off the water. The question becomes why not just invest to do it right verses patching it up to just get by. Tiles, new pipes if need be and all that jazz.

At some point the shower enclosure panel was replaced with a yellow panel so it doesn't match the other panels. The vent is vented to the attic and not outside - sloppy. The ceiling is cracking a little and the pain is peeling. I'm curious to see the original color of the tiles. Someone did a white wash over the whole bathroom at some point.

But no project is in isolation. There is the question of the attic renovation. We'd like to put a claw foot tub in the attic bathroom. Will there need to be support structure built in to handle the weight. If we have the bathroom renovated and then had to have a steel beam structure put in would that mess with the newly renovated bathroom since the bathroom ceiling would be essentially the bathroom floor in the upstairs. If we can't have a tub in the attic do we want to put a claw foot tub on the first floor and rip out what we have now?

It seems that the projects are somewhat dependent on each other. Anyway that is what is going on.

I have my concerns about who to hire. We know there are people out there that lack any integrity about their workmanship and perhaps are just looking for a quick buck and might do a shoddy job. I heard plenty of horror stories while living in Chicago. Even the guy who I hired to refinish the floor when I first bought the house didn't cover the baseboards and got vanish all along the bottom of the baseboards and a few places on the walls. His co-worker dumped the left over vanish down the tub. When I questioned him he said he didn't know anything about it and didn't offer to do anything to fix it either. When I learned that it wasn't just a matter of removing the stain with GOOFOFF OR Goo Gone it was too late. So I guess I'm a little gun shy about it but nothing is getting done and that is unacceptable.

Do I have to become a licensed contractor myself in order to be sure things are done properly?

The bathroom - I'm thinking I'd like to keep all the original fixtures; the tub, sink and toilet. I'd like to have the mechanics in the toilet replaced if possible. There is a piece that slides and causes the water to run in the toilet that looks like it could be replaced. The sink has rust near the drain and the faucet and hot/cold water handles need to be replaced. Can we have it re-glazed? If we go that route will it be more expensive than just getting a new sink that looks like the one we have?
Same question regarding the tub. And then the ugly enclosure - one panel is yellow and the rest is beige and it's just UGLY. Should we get a new enclosure which would be the least expensive option or should we go for having it all ripped put and re-tiled? Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.

Such is the life of Cowabungalow