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I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. And I’m very happy to report that thanks to the Black Friday sale, I have a new best friend helping me finish a few projects:
My shower in the guest bathroom is finally ready to actually take a shower in, but not without a near hissy fit this weekend.
There are several truths of DIY I’ve learned over the years, and installing this showerhead was simply a reminder of them:
- Use the right tools.
- Caulk hides a multitude of sins.
- When all else fails, tape the ever-loving shit out of it.
Taping is what I had to do with this showerhead. Many times, a new showerhead will state on the box that “no tools are required” or “no tape needed”. If you’re in an old house like mine, be prepared for the box to be lying.
Teflon tape and a set of pliers tightened everything up, and after a very frustrating half hour, I had a leak-free shower. Small tip: for the best seal, when wrapping Teflon tape around the thread of the shower stem, be sure to wrap it in the direction that you’ll tighten the shower fixture.
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I was hoping to get a little more done in the room before the big reveal (like hang a little art), but a working, clean shower trumps my half-finished primary bath, so I’ll be switching rooms and using the room in here until the primary bath is finished.
So once the baseboards are in tonight, I’ll take a few final shots to show you what things look like. While I can’t really call the room “done” yet, this room is one of the farthest reached on the shit-show to completed scale. Which also means that when I’m using this bathroom, I get to move on to other projects. Woo hoo!
(Oh, and just because I think these guys rock – if you’re looking to get some GREAT photography tips from amazing people – I’ve met them and yes, they are fantastic just to talk to – ShootFlyShoot is having a 50% off Cyber Monday sale. They are affiliates, so if you buy through my site, I get a little thank-you referral fee in return from them, but I really benefited from their class at Haven and wanted to share! Click on the picture below to be taken to their site)
Psst: Want more? I love to post sneak peeks on Facebook and Instagram. You can also find me on Hometalk and Twitter at uglyducklingDIY.
I'm bookmarking that taping tip. We have an old bathroom that's…temperamental. Even hanging up window coverings is a more complex than you'd expect affair, as we learned this weekend.
I've always had bad luck with the teflon tape so I switched to Rectorseal #5 pipe sealant on almost everything. Easy to find in the plumbing section at HD or Lowes (little yellow tube lasts a long time). The instructions say immediate pressurization, but I found that it's better to let is set up for a day before turning the water on. Works great for me!
Hi Sarah, just stumbled upon your blog and I'm so impressed with what you've done with your home! It's looking absolutely gorgeous and I'm so inspired by the changes you've made. We're four months into a pretty-much-full-gut DIY reno on our first house, a 1944 bungalow that had been a neglected rental for ages, and it's really nice to come across someone else who's DIYing everything and learning as she goes. I'll be back to visit often!