Showering Alone--Shower Dooor Removal

I have not showered alone for quite some time.

Noooo--stop thinking kinky.

For as long as I can remember, my shower doors have been a borderline biohazard with god-knows-what growing in and around them. Whoever installed them really sucks at caulk!

Since this past weekend was clean up week, I decided to rip 'em out and see what happens. After all, what's the worst that can happen? If things go horribly wrong, I can fix the problem with money and get a new bathroom.

First, a picture of the before


In addition to the gnarley shower doors, the caulking around the tile was also in piss-poor shape. The previous owners probably caulked over mildew which promptly spawned more mildew. I should really create a list of all the dumb shit they did to my house, but I digress...

The door removal was not too bad. For the most part, it was as simple as:

• Removing the doors from the frame
  
• Removing all support screws. (None of them were rusted--Yeah!)
  
• Breaking the caulk seal with a putty knife and hammer
  
• Removal of frame
  
• Eight-hours of scraping caulk from the tile and tub with a putty knife and blade!
  
• Twenty minutes with a sander
  
• A complete re-caulk around the tub

Yeah, the caulk removal got old real fast. About 2/3 of the way through the job, I whipped out the orbital sander and risked scratching the tub. Surprisingly, the sander shaved everything off without issue.

While most of the job was smooth sailing, there were some blemishes hidden under the shower door frame. Some of the porcelain(?) exterior of the tub shell was chipped and the bare steel(?) was exposed. Since this bathroom should be redone in the next year or two, I decided not to worry about it too much and epoxied any trouble spots. While it looks like someone stuck a wad of gum to the tub, it is 1000% better than taking a shower with a colony of microorganisms.

The door frame screw holes are also a bit of an eye-sore--those got the epoxy treatment as well. But again, I rather deal with visual issues than mold and mildew.

Wealth == Quality of Garbage?

Is wealth a measure of one's garbage? If so, South Park Ln is doing pretty good for itself. I would have snapped more pictures, but quite frankly, I was a bit scared by all the scavengers. I do not think they are the type of people who like their picture taken. (Click pic to see full res version with some scavengers in the background.)

Some of the gems seen this weekend include:

• Hot tub
  
• Piano
  
• Uprooted plant with soil still intact. (Promptly scavenged by mid-day)
  
• Jet Ski
  
• Scavenge of my old biohazard shower door frame within 10 minutes (scrap-metal is big buck$)
  

It's Throw Shit on the Street Weekend!!

Santa Clara has an annual clean up program. During this clean up, you can throw just about anything (especially the kitchen sink) in front of your house and they'll pick it up on Monday. It is both frightening and fascinating to see what crap your neighbors throw away. This is also a weekend you don't want your kids playing on the streets. There are more than a few unpolished rummagers lurking.

I'll try and snap pics of the more intersting treasures.

My Bathroom No Longer Smells of 1970

Gravity not only inspired a new light, but an entire bathroom refresh.
Updates include:
o Ceramic tile floor
o Centering the plumbing with the light (Why was this not done by the original builder??)
o Kohler pedestal sink
o Delta faucet
o Niagara "flapperless" toilet (One of the few non-special order toilets that support a 10" rough-in)
o Updated brushed nickel hardware
o Benjamin Moore Spanish Red paint (expen$ive!!)

All work was completed in four days by a trusted contractor, Geteng Liu. Up next? Kitchen, carpets or the other bathroom.

Gravity 1 -- Vanity 1

Three+ months later, gravity is now my bitch:



Updates include:
* $25 mirror from target
* $50 light from home depot