I had originally planned to go pretty light on this remodel – new fixtures, but basically keep the same footprint and plumbing. It turned into a full gut and rebuild, which in the end is always the best way.

Once the floor and the plumbing came out I was free to create a better floor plan and allow for a claw foot tub instead of a shower. This was a difficult decision but it is more period appropriate for this house.
For tile floors and especially stone tile, an ultra rigid, ultra level floor is mandatory.
To that end I installed 1 1/2″ of solid sub-floor, laid over 2X8s spanning only six feet, and of course the whole floor structure was laser-leveled for “dead nuts” accuracy.

The bathroom sits over a crawlspace that didn’t get much heat from the basement and as such there were issues with pipes freezing. I remedied this in several ways: First, I installed all new plumbing, and ran all the domestic lines inside the wall and up over the ceiling (below the insulation) to get to the tub. The only plumbing in the crawlspace is the drain. Second, I super-insulated with icynene and just for grins wired in a 150 volt lightbulb right next to the tub trap. This way on sub-zero nights I can flick the switch and provide some warmth to the entire crawlspace.

This bathroom has high end fixtures, custom cabinetry, reproduced door and window casings, and a polished travertine floor. All signs of dedication to high quality and custom craftsmanship that you can expect from Schmolze Woodworks.

February 6, 2013 | Comments Closed