I get to spend the weekend without a toilet in my basement. They're setting the cement floor that my tile shower is going to be on, and then they're going to lay the new tile floor for the bathroom, so they had to remove my toilet.

It's going to be interesting taking the stair chair upstairs to use the potty for the next two or three days. I may just sleep upstairs on the couch this weekend.

I'm really excited about my new shower. They're making it a handicapped shower...sort of. It's not a roll in, but I'll be able to just walk out of the shower without having to step down about 6 inches like I did with the fiberglass shower. It's more of the 3 inch step now (with another inch to step over for the guide of the glass door)

I can almost imagine what it's going to look like. At least when the floor gets tiled later today it'll be easier to imagine the tile on the wall of the shower (that gets done monday. The cement floor has to dry and set for a couple of days)

I used my mom's shower this morning. I'm SOOOOOO happy that they're also remodeling her shower next week. I'm horrified by how the drain in her shower works. (it's like standing in a bowl, and the drain is not totally in the water line for the drain...water just pools on the floor in there) I'm also pretty disgusted at how contractors keep ripping off my parents. I hope that I did a good job at finding someone who knew what they were doing and that they wont screw us over like the last two contractors that we've had.

I've got a bet with the head contractor over whether or not my mom's shower even has any waterproofing under the tile. I dont think there is. I'm scared that there will be a mold farm underneath it. I guess we'll find out next week sometime.

I just hope we dont have a bumper crop of mold to "harvest".

The only good thing about my mom's shower this morning, is that the lip of the floor is similar to how mine is going to be, so I got a good example when I was stepping in and out of it to see how easy it'll be. That I liked. Didnt feel like I was going to fall out of the shower. So, now I cant wait till mine is finished.

These tile guys that are setting things up with the cement base in the shower stall, seem to have actual skills in building a shower. I'm impressed.

good thing you are watching. that way you get to give them your input while the project is in process and correct any missteps then and there. Most folks don't have that luxury and feel cheated or slighted by a job not well done- only after the fact. lucky you!

They missed the bracing for one of my grab bars. (right below the faucet for the shower) and the contractor said that I never mentioned it.

But he did get the other three (one horizontal on the long wall, a vertical one above that one, and then a horizontal on the back wall...and the vertical and the horizontal ones just outside the shower...yes, I'm a safety girl)

I'm going to let it go, since I can hold onto one of the bars on the long wall when I'm washing my hair. I think he said that the studs on the side where he missed putting the extra bracing might be ok for putting in a grab bar. I have to ask him again when he's here tomorrow.

I did watch them do the floor of the shower. They used a special water proof plastic pan (looked like a plain sheet of blue plastic, but was very thick), they laid it on the floor and mitered the corners to fit. Then they put cement on the floor and angled the floor so that it points down to the drain. (the drain was adjustable to whatever level they wanted it to be at)

There's some little metal bits on the door section that the tile guy told me was like rebar. It holds the cement when it's wet and once the cement is dry it gives the wall strength. It was kind of cool to watch them build it.

The tile looks very cool. They only did the cement work and the waterproofing stuff to the shower on friday, but they tiled the bathroom floor before they left, so all they have to do to my bathroom floor is grout it and put my toilet back. (I miss my bathroom, been having to ride the stair chair upstairs every time I have to use the potty) I'm getting a new toilet (17in tall, handicap height toilet...now my parents will stop complaining about my bathroom)

The only thing I didnt change in the bathroom was the sink and the cabinet it's on. Oh, and my showerhead. That's staying the same.

I cant decide on a new paint color, and it looks like the beige walls will go with the new tile, so I'm thinking I'll just have them repaint with the original color, just want them to use a better paint. (the original builders used a flat paint that comes off on your fingers like chalk when you rub your fingers on it) The whole house is getting new paint at the same time, and my mom wont let anyone decide on any new colors, so I'm just going to say to keep everything the color we have...

My parents shower is scary. It's getting redone too. I cant wait for that. I've got a bet with the contractor that the guys who built that shower didnt waterproof anything. I'm hoping that we dont have a mold factory under there.

If we do, I'm taking my parents to a hotel (if I can convince them that mold is BAD!) while their shower is being redone. My dad has a heart condition, so I dont want the mold making him sick.

If there is mold, hopefully it's not too nasty and they wont have to destroy much to get rid of it before their shower gets rebuilt.

I better get to bed, they'll be here at 7am to grout my floor and start tiling my shower. (yay!) It's 130am right now.