Handyman Services
Bathroom renovation, Pacifica Kitchen, hall, bathroom, toilet, San Francisco
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I recently renovated a bathroom in Pacifica, CA. The client had had new tub faucets installed years before, and the surrounding tiles had been broken out. The area had never been fixed, and the temporary covering of thin plastic sheeting and shelf paper was beginning to decay into its component atoms. The was also water damage to the wallboard around the window above the shower enclosure, as well as mildew. One wall had been papered and was now peeling; the client wanted the wallpaper removed and the whole bathroom painted. I had previously removed and replaced the vanity unit, countertop, mirror and light fixture, and installed some shelves.

The first thing I had to do was clear everything out -- free-standing shelf unit, cat litter boxes, cleaning supplies, garbage containers, etc. While I'm happy to do this, many clients don't seem to realize that they can save themselves money by doing this themselves before I start the job. In this particular case, moving personal items out and tools in took about an hour - that's $35.

Here's a couple of views of the tile damage.

Above, rotten drywall above the shower window. You can see the damage has opened up a hole all the way through to the wall framing.

To the right, more moisture damaged drywall and topping. Not only is the shower and bathroom a moist environment, the house is situated a few hundred yards from the Pacific Ocean. Houses near the ocean need regular periodic maintenance in many areas because of the corrosive nature of the salty, wet atmosphere.

When I first started this job, this area looked like it might just need a cleanup, light spackling, and painting. But the wallboard and surfacing had been so thoroughly soaked that they crumbled at the slightest touch.
Left, cobwebs and mildew -- more moisture and neglect-related problems.
Above, surface wall damage from removing the old glued-on mirror, and peeling wallpaper.