Embarking on a challenging journey, we took on the renovation of a unit that had seen better days. With years of water damage in the bathroom and walls coated with tar and dirt, the task was daunting. Our goal? Transform this neglected space into a desirable living area.
The unit was in a state of disrepair, with holes in the walls, cigarette butts littering the floor, and a layer of grime coating the cabinets. An attempt to wash the walls quickly proved futile – the tar and dirt were here to stay.
This was an incredibly tough unit to turn around. The bathroom had been given many years of water infiltration and negligence for the need of a major reno. The walls of the whole unit, as well as the cabinets were coated with tar and dirt. We were a little overwhelmed by the complexity of smoke and tar and what would be the best way forward.
The unit had holes in the wall that were not properly patched, cigarette butts next to the walls and just disrepair and dirt. We tried to wash the walls to see if that would be a solution, short answer – NOPE.
We had a couple options, 1) try to use multiple layers of primer hoping that it would seal in the tar and dirt. 2) tear down the drywall and replace drywall in the whole unit. 3) Drywall over the current filth but just adding one more layer of drywall. 4) float drywall compound over the tar and dirt, sand it smooth, then prime and paint.
We went with option 4, we thought option 1 would not be a long-term solution and option 2 would be extremely costly. We debated between drywall versus compound and our trade – Justin at Gilchrist Brothers Interiors convinced us that option 4 would seal the tar and dirt in and still be a cost effective option. So far so good.
The bathroom needed a complete gut, right down to the studs and beams.
Completely rebuilt the floor, and then mold free drywall. Then a layer of complete waterproofing, followed by tile. What a difference.
The layout of the apartment was not useful. There was one incredibly large bedroom, with one huge closet. We added one wall, two closets and a built in desk in the den. We also added a breakfast nook, with a four-piece kitchen which we think turned out phenomenally.
The unit started coming together, looking more like a place I would want to live. All the big stuff took time, the plumbing in the bathroom was completely gutted and redone, the bathroom was completely redone, the unit didn’t just get a polish it really has a new lease on life.
We knew this unit was going to be a bit of a struggle. But seeing where it started to the finish line shows that some vision and work can make a big difference. Now to get it rented and move the value of the building higher!
