Has anyone ever used "Rebath" to remodel a bathroom?

[LuckyCharms]

I've remodeled just about every room in my home, and one of the bathrooms is next. I've never done a bathroom, but I think I have the skills to do it. However, I really do not want to do it myself. Mainly because I'm a perfectionist, and therefore, I'm slow.

I do not want to hire a general contractor because it is hard to find one around here that also has design services. Also, it can be very hit and miss with a general contractor as far as getting a timely completion.

Rebath is unlike "Bath Fitter" in the sense that they install all new materials, rather than covering up the old stuff. Also, from everything I can find about them, they are usually in and out of your home in about a week or less, and this is very important to me.

Does anyone have any input on this company? My local Rebath is getting very good reviews...

Thank you.

[CTyankee]

1. Sorry. I can't help you but I can recommend Bath Fitter. They were wonderful.

We have only one full bathroom in the house so we couldn't be without a full bathroom for longer than that. Bath Fitter was perfect for us. We are very pleased. Our house is one of the last houses built here right before WW2. So I like all the original "bones."

[LuckyCharms]

3. Do they put a new skin over your bathtub?

Also, how do they handle the toilet, sink, vanity, floor, etc.

Thank you, CTyankee. I'm glad Bath Fitter worked out for you.

[CTyankee]

5. Yes, a whole new shell on top of the tub. New everything else except the floor.

I like the original old tile.

The house was built in 1941. There are several houses of the same style on the block, but they all look different. Ours is the only one that kept the original front of the house, altho we put on new shutters and of course had to replace the old rope and pulley windows (!). Our electric service was so meager that I couldn't plug in the toaster and the coffeemaker at the same time without blowing a fuse (and I didn't know what the hell a fusebox was nor where I bought fuses).

We do however have access to a gas line and have a gas oven. So wonderful. The old stove was a museum piece. So eventually we had to makeover our small kitchen.

A new roof was the latest large investment and we are close to paying that off. It was THE BEST investment we made, bar none. It looks beautiful and it makes the house totally competitive if and when we go to sell it and that won't be long as we are elderly.

[LuckyCharms]

6. Aw, great job!

Sounds beautiful!

[CTyankee]

7. Thanks. I said to my husband years ago when we moved in that we should do just one new

update a year and we did. We also had the usual new gas dryers and we had a basement treatment that prevented a flooding when there's lots of rain. We're hoping for a good ROI, but if nothing else we are living in a beautiful home that we little by little updated...

And my husband planted a little maple tree which is now a majestic beauty in the front of our house. A birch tree that was there died a sad early death and we replaced it...

I had an "adventure" in trying to redo the plantings in front of the house. I spent hours in the heat, sweating, to plant some bushes and to no avail. It all died even tho I followed all the instructions I got from the nursery. The hell with that, I thought. We now have nice plantings in front.

[LuckyCharms]

9. Just going by what you typed...

it sounds like you should get a good return. I know someone who had a sump pump and french drains put in their basement, and that turned out to be a strong selling point for their house. A new roof is especially attractive to buyers also.

But you are right...putting the ROI aside, YOU get to enjoy your home.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

14. One update a year is an excellent way to do it.

I recently did a whole bunch of things: new washer and dryer, new dishwasher, new furnace, added a/c, new hot water heater. I should have started the process several years earlier, but I'm very happy with all the new appliances now.

Both the furnace and the hot water heater were emergency things when each one (some months apart) decided to stop working entirely. However, both were original to the house which was built in 1994. I'm not so sure about the washer and dryer that came with this place, since they weren't a matching pair.

I moved in in 2009, so it was time I replaced those things.

I have done the front and back yards as a three year project. And no, I don't do any of the stuff myself. I hired a landscaper and I'm very happy with the results.

I don't worry about getting back the money I've put in, but I know that whenever this place goes to be sold, be it by me or by my son when I'm gone, it will sell very quickly. Unless I hang in here for another 25 years and haven't replaced anything then. But I'm thinking that in 10 or 15 years (I'm 71) I'll be looking very seriously at independent/assisted living.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. It's not your electric service that's meager.

The wiring is completely inadequate for modern electricity usage.

Ideally you should have the entire house rewired. I know, that's going to be somewhat expensive, but you might want to get an estimate. It's possible the wiring presents a genuine fire hazard at this point.

[CTyankee]

10. Actually, I think that happened, too. I really can't remember. Our service couldn't support modern

day living so the entire service had to be updated and I guess that means rewired. It cost us plenty. When we put in air conditioning I remember the adequacy issue.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

13. Yep. You wouldn't have been able to have a/c

with completely out of date wiring.

[LuckyCharms]

11. I had to get my service replaced twice due to...

rain water getting into a poorly installed weatherhead where the street wires come into the main house cable. Water flowed down the inside of the cable into the breaker box and rusted all the breaker contacts.

At that time, I decided to have the entire house rewired. I brought it up to the electrician and we examined to cables, and they were the old type with the insulation flaking off. So I had all new 12 and 14 gauge Romex installed. There is just one old cable in my house that was especially difficult to fish, so I left it, but this one cable is in excellent shape.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

15. I watch the shows where they rehab houses

and find I learn a fair amount from them. Not enough that I'd remotely try to do any home improvement myself, but I've become aware of lots of issues.

Recently I've been watching "Flipping Boston" and what stands out to me is how run down many of the properties are. Not sure just how old any of them are, but it's always fascinating to watch how they deal with the myriad of problems that come up.

Also, watching those rehab shows has made me feel quite wary of older homes. Obviously the definition of "older" is crucial. Twice in my life I've lived in brand new homes. One was built in 1955, the other in 1983. At this point, both of them are older homes. My current place was built in 1994, which makes it the newest, in terms of most recently built, place I've lived in, even though it's now 25 years old.

At this point in my life (I'm 71), if I ever move, it will be either to a condo where I don't have to be completely hands on about maintenance, or to a rental. Actually, to be honest, if I move again it's likely to be to independent/assisted living. I've never been the kind of homeowner who loves to putter around and fix things. I've also moved often enough as an adult that I don't understand old people who are determined to stay in their home, even when it's obvious to the most casual observer that they cannot begin to keep up with what needs to be done.

[applegrove]

2. I saw on one of those home redesign shows that the seal around

the bath taps can break and water can start to accumulate in between the old tub and the new one. It was all squishy. I would google that and see if it is a thing. I know the caulking around any tap i have only last 10 years. How does it degenerate? and what is the life of? are things i would look up for both companies products.

[LuckyCharms]

4. Thanks, applegrove.

Rebath actually tears the old tub out and replaces it, rather than putting a new covering over the old tub. They tear everything out and then replace with new.

[applegrove]

12. Oh then good.