Bathroom Bliss

The last three and a half weeks have been a foretaste of hell.  For me, and for the cats.  The noise, the dust, the incredible mess, the chemical smells and the intrusion into our lives was difficult.  And Jazz made me pay, poor cat.  I don't know how many times I depiddled the kitchen floor.  Jewel skulked in the wardrobe and filled me with guilt.  When they were sure the coast was clear in the afternoons they emerged, and needed a LOT of comfort.  And comforting.

But it has been worth it (for me).  This morning I had my first shower in the new bathroom.  And revelled in it.  The bill will arrive sometime next week.  And will, without doubt, make me shudder. 

It was a big job.

The tired old dangerous fixtures were removed.  As a plus, the bath has gone to live in the country and become a horse trough.

The tiles, the walls and the floor were removed.

The plumbing was moved.  New drains were installed.  The wiring was checked and replaced where necessary.  The walls were rebuilt, and retiled.  The ceiling was repainted and the cornices replaced.  The door jamb was widened and a new door installed.  This meant that a new piece of carpet was needed.  It was installed.  New fixtures were installed.

The floor tiles are non-slip.  The vanity is wheel chair accessible.  With luck, this is an unnecessary precaution, but it is done, and won't need to be redone.  There is a custom-built storage cabinet beside it which more than makes up for the missing vanity drawers.

The towel rail is also a grab rail.  There are another two grab rails in the shower.  There is a fixed shower head, and a hand held one.

And I had my first shower in the new bathroom this morning - and it was blissful.  Safe and comfortable and a joy.

A few years ago one of my friends was undergoing chemotherapy.  One dreadful day she passed out in the toilet - blocking the doorway.  When her husband tried to open it to help her he bashed the door (repeatedly) into her head.  She, her husband and the dog went on anxiety medication after that episode.  And it will now never happen here.  Both the bathroom and the toilet doors can be opened from the outside, without using tools.  A brilliant initiative.

There were delays, and irritations.  However, when issues arose they were addressed.  Quite quickly,  and they didn't try and pretend that the problems were all in my head.  A plus.  And yesterday I received a huge shock.  The primary contractor rang to say that when he had given us his initial quote it had included an amount for the custom vanity and cupboard.   They had cost less than his estimate to build and install - and the difference would be deducted from our final bill.  Which amazed me.  The custom joiner bills the contractor not me, so I would never have known if he hadn't told me.  Big brownie points.  And he will be coming to do a final quality inspection on Friday - and will not issue the bill until he is satisfied that all is as it should be.  A tradie among tradies....

Just the same, I really, really don't want to go through another renovation anytime soon.  And neither do the cats.