Not gonna poll on this one since it is way too close to my own heart. My take on it; if you have the money or equity, get the fixtures replaced. Take the old ones and donate them to a building supply warehouse like Boston Renovators for a tax write-off. If doing it yourself will be enjoyable, then make it happen. And while you're at it invite me along for the ride because I know how to tile but don't know how to remove/replace toilets & tubs and I expect to need those skills in a year or so. If doing it yourself is just going to cause stress and anxiety, then hire it out to a contractor.
Clearly you and yours should come to dinner sometime. :-) I don't think I can get James to part with the tub, but it does need the chipped enamel filled in. Everything else was cheap when it was bought, and now it's ugly. It's one of those 'should (and could) have been done right this first time.
imho, a tub should be a glorious thing, that can hold 3 adults in comfort... :)
if the tub is not that, or isn't of the older grand designs, say with gryphon feet holding crystal balls, and all that rot...
and even then, well, old tubs can be professionally re-enameled to look fantastic... old style fixtures can be found, and installed, and say, why not fix the floor and wall too ;)
a room is a room, but a bath room should be heaven, yes?
The tub is 3" thick solid porcelain, made in Stourbridge, England somewhat more than 100 years ago. It only holds 2 adults, but that's grand enough for me.
The ceiling paint is a disaster, but I'm not motivated to tear down plaster and lath just because it was calcimined long ago and paint doesn't stick well. Perhaps I should try a light sanding with a drywall pad and then another coat of paint.
Calcimined ceilings are a pain to deal with, but there are primers that claim to work specifically with calcimine. Gardz has a good reputation for priming difficult surfaces (I've never used it, but I introduced Gardz to the person who painted our upstairs bathroom and she loves it).
You're right, I will not part with the tub. Back when you took more baths you were more appreciative of its unique characteristics. And enamel repairs are simple and inexpensive, they just take doing. Nothing else was particularly cheap when installed; the fiberglass shower enclosure was a deliberate choice of mine because tile inevitably cracks and leaks, producing rot and mold behind. I've lived with it before and I won't have it. The corrosion on the shower knob and the sink drain is inevitable given time and materials - all cosmetic, but only fixable by replacing the units. Ditto for the worn paint on the toilet seat, except that a new seat or painting the current seat is a 30 minute job for either of us.
In general, the details of my environment have an individually small but cumulatively large effect on my mood and energy levels. It feels like stating the obvious to me, but here goes; if you're consciously negatively noticing a detail of your living space, then of course change it.
Now, I'm generally more inclined to go for neutral in my environment (I want stepping out the door to be an improvement without being fleeing), but as the benefactor of the project that drove larksdream crazy this summer, I must say having a well-appointed bathroom helps get the morning off to a good start.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 12:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 01:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 01:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 01:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 01:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 01:47 pm (UTC)if the tub is not that, or isn't of the older grand designs, say with gryphon feet holding crystal balls, and all that rot...
and even then, well, old tubs can be professionally re-enameled to look fantastic... old style fixtures can be found, and installed, and say, why not fix the floor and wall too ;)
a room is a room, but a bath room should be heaven, yes?
#
no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 02:03 pm (UTC)The ceiling paint is a disaster, but I'm not motivated to tear down plaster and lath just because it was calcimined long ago and paint doesn't stick well. Perhaps I should try a light sanding with a drywall pad and then another coat of paint.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 04:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 05:50 pm (UTC)ceiling, a layer of greenboard, attached through yucky plaster to lathe... perhaps do walls same way. tape. paint. done?
#
no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 01:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 02:23 pm (UTC)but cumulatively large effect on my mood and energy levels. It feels
like stating the obvious to me, but here goes; if you're consciously
negatively noticing a detail of your living space, then of course
change it.
Now, I'm generally more inclined to go for neutral in my environment
(I want stepping out the door to be an improvement without being
fleeing), but as the benefactor of the project that drove
well-appointed bathroom helps get the morning off to a good start.