Do you ever have that feeling when you start a project that things have to get really bad before they can get better?  Or, when you need to organize a closet or clean out a drawer you have to take everything out to start with a clean slate or palette?  If only this project were as pretty right now as me using the word palette!  Seriously, as careful as my husband and I have been, this place is a mess.

The biggest problem right now is the claw-foot tub. 

First, the tub is missing a foot.  I mean it literally only has 3 claws and not 4.  Problem.  Luckily, I have a couple of spares that I picked up out of a dumpster many years ago.  We’ve used them as book-ends and to add a little interest to our backyard decorating but now it looks like it will go back to its original purpose: holding up a bathtub.

This does explain why the tub has worn a long hole in the wall.  The tub has been known to rock from side to side from time to time so it’s nice to have that mystery solved. The joys of owning an old house are endless.

The second problem with the claw-foot tub is that it’s too big to fit through the door.  It’s also very heavy.  I think we’ll try to remove the remaining 3 claw-feet and tip it on its side.  Think shimmy here.

The good news is that the crazy pipe that has been in the floor collecting dust is now gone.  The Sawzall took care of that pipe in no time!

I love using power tools and there is nothing better than a Sawzall.  The Sawzall really does live up to its name: it saws all.  The case is a bright Christmas red so it goes well with our holiday decorations.  We borrowed it from a neighbor.

The other helpful tool we’ve been using is the FEIN multi-master.  It’s from another neighbor who used it to re-do his bathroom.  It’s awfully noisy (which had been fully disclosed during the infomercial tutorial we received when borrowing the tool) but works really well cutting old plaster and getting into tight, small spaces.  It’s much more refined than the Sawzall although not as powerful.  If I’m using power tools, I like them to have a little kick.

Thank you to our neighbors who loaned us the tools.  Not everyone needs to own the same tools when you can share.  We’ll be in touch about borrowing a cart to help move the claw-foot tub out of the bathroom.  Or, as another contractor friend suggested, my husband could just put it on his back and carry it out.  Hah!

So, we continue to scrape the old plaster, tape it up with mesh dry-wall tape, and carefully spread Fix-It-All and joint compound into the seams.  We’re laying the plywood sub-floor as soon as the tub is out.  (Right, honey?)  Or as soon as we move the tub to one side.  The boss hasn’t decided what we’re going to do yet.
Want to read more about our bathroom project?

Go Gingham related links:

Bathroom Project Part 1
Bathroom Project Part 2
Bathroom Project Part 3
Goodbye Bathroom
Finding Inspiration for a Bathroom Re-Do

Sara Tetreault

Sara Tetreault writes and speaks about living well on less with thoughtful spending, smart use of resources, and efficient use of time. Sara loves good food, travel, and cashmere. With home swapping, cooking at home, and buying items second-hand, she hopes to inspire you with her stylishly frugal ways. Sara keeps a home, one husband, two children, and three chickens in her backyard.

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• Bed Question: Where to Purchase a New Bed
• The Bottom Line on the New Bathroom
• How to Decorate a Mantel for Halloween