Tonight my husband and I went to help our oldest son with his latest home improvement project. He is finishing his basement into a family room, bedroom and bathroom. We are helping with the bedroom and bathroom.
On our way to his home we stopped at Home Depot to pick up some sheet rock, 2 X 4’s and a bathtub/shower combination for his bathroom. We managed to get in all in the pickup truck and secured for the last half hour to his home. He doesn’t own a pick up truck so we have hauled whatever he can’t fit in his Impala with the seats folded down. I’m amazed at what he can fit in his car.
After arriving at his home we unloaded the truck and decided it was time to tackle carrying the bathtub into the house. His home is a split level entry so we went in the front door and started down the steps to the basement. My husband was at the bottom and my son and I at the top.
We made it through the front door with the beast but soon realized that we would have to change our plan of attack so it was back outside to turn the tub a different way and then back inside to try it again. We had to lift it high over the railing and head down the stairs.
We got to the bottom and got stuck. Back up the stairs to remove the hand railing to give us more room. Did I mention that the tub was made of fiber glass and by now we were itchy and had cuts on our hands from the fiber glass? Not fun.
Before we could remove the hand railing we set the tub down on the stairs only to wedge my son’s foot into a spot under the tub that we were having difficulty removing it from. He felt a little claustrophobic. We got it out and the railing off.
Back down the stairs with the tub. At the bottom of the stairs we needed to turn the tub 45 degrees to the left. Not enough room so we had to remove the packing feet from the tub. Still not enough room. My husband had to remove two studs from the wall at the bottom of the steps and the sheet rock from those spaces to negotiate the turn. We thought we were done with demolition last weekend.
After tonight we are taking tomorrow off from home improvement to take Dad’s sailboat out of the lake for the season. There may be large quantities of wine involved after tonight’s wrestling match. Then it will be back at home improvement on Saturday and Sunday. I hope we survive and his home.
Flying Gma's Blog 
nrhatch
October 7, 2011 at 9:20 am
You are the best mom and dad ever. 😀
flyinggma
October 7, 2011 at 9:41 am
Thanks Nancy. I love when we can help our kids but sometimes I think we bite off more than we should.
Christine Grote
October 7, 2011 at 10:57 am
I can just see you struggling up and down the stairway with that heavy, awkward tub. Nothing is ever as easy as we anticipate, is it?
Your son is lucky you are not only handy, but willing to help.
Although we’ve never moved a tub, with four kids, college dorms, and apartments, even houses, we have done a lot of moving large items up and down stairs. The worst case was when we had to demolish our oldest son’s large computer desk (the kind you assemble). After managing to navigate it out of the first apartment, down the stairs, then up the stairs at the new apartment, we found that we couldn’t get it around the hall corner to his room.
That was not a happy occurrence.
flyinggma
October 7, 2011 at 1:23 pm
I’m happy that both our sons have their own homes because at least for now I know we won’t be packing up their stuff and moving it somewhere else.
Our daughters are still in an apartment and in college so I know we have a few more moves ahead with them. Their last move was up to the second floor at the farthest point from either stairway and no elevator. We almost didn’t get their couch in the apartment after wrestling it up to the second floor.
pattisj
October 7, 2011 at 11:40 am
This brought back memories of remodeling days. Our house is older, with narrow doorways on the bathrooms, and tight corners throughout. We need to replace the shower stall in the upstairs bathroom, but choice is so limited to get something we can work with. I’d just like to see it DONE. 🙂 We have always moved everything ourselves–but we were much younger then, and didn’t own much.
flyinggma
October 7, 2011 at 1:24 pm
I can relate to the much younger…I feel much older today after last evening.
Sandi Ormsby
October 7, 2011 at 4:03 pm
How SWEET you are to help! I can’t imagine my mom helping us remodel. 🙂
I can just imagine what a pain the bath tub must have been!
Good luck with everything else!
Sandi
http://www.ahhsome.wordpress.com
Lake Forest, CA
flyinggma
October 7, 2011 at 8:10 pm
We hoping to get a lot accomplished this weekend. I may have to post our progress, before and after of course.
Both my husband and I enjoy remodeling and the challenges that go with it.
I am so happy that the bathtub is in the basement so we can start fresh tomorrow instead of starting with the tub.
Linda
October 7, 2011 at 4:28 pm
I need a new bathtub but this sure doesn’t make me want to tackle it myself. Yep, something always goes wrong and there is always the threat of injury. I hope it all goes smoothly and quickly for you guys. Good luck with the beast.
flyinggma
October 7, 2011 at 8:14 pm
Our mistake was trying to put a one piece tub/shower unit that is usually installed in new homes where there are less obstructions. It is a one piece unit. Most remodeling projects use two or more piece units which are easier to install.
tedgriffith
October 7, 2011 at 5:33 pm
Oh, the joy of remodedling. I can certainly relate. Hope it all goes smoothly from here on out. 🙂
flyinggma
October 7, 2011 at 8:16 pm
We have been in the remodeling mode for so many years between our homes and siblings homes that we have helped on and now our boys. I think things will go well. I think we have the worst behind us.
Patti
October 7, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Too much fun. Great title for this post! Reminds me of a time when we had to saw our queen sized box spring in half so that we could bend it around a twisting stairway and then bolt it back together.
flyinggma
October 7, 2011 at 8:18 pm
We nearly had to do the same with our first bed but our room had a small balcony with a sliding door that we were able to lift it up to rather than the interior stairs that were too narrow. Sometimes you just have to get creative.
belleofthecarnival
October 7, 2011 at 9:52 pm
That just brought back memories of moving into our split level and getting the couch stuck in the door frame. I hope you enjoy several bottles of wine this weekend 🙂
flyinggma
October 8, 2011 at 11:42 am
We’ve all been there for sure. I don’t think I would get much done if I started on the wine too soon.
ceceliafutch
October 10, 2011 at 3:12 pm
Your son is lucky to have parents like you all! Yes, it is a wine kinda night, for sure!
flyinggma
October 11, 2011 at 1:20 pm
Thanks Cecelia. We’ve enjoyed spending time with him working on the project. Better than sitting in front of the tv.
pearlsandprose
October 11, 2011 at 2:54 pm
You are so wonderful to help your son like that! He is saving a bundle.
We couldn’t get bedroom furniture up the stairs in my husband’s 75 year-old house, so had to take off two railings. Even then, the delivery guys were scraping their knuckles on the stairs all the way up.
flyinggma
October 12, 2011 at 6:02 am
I am so thankful the boys both have their own homes and hopefully only a few more moves for a daughters as they finish up college. It seems like they always get the apartments farthest from the steps and no elevator.
fivecats
November 6, 2011 at 3:20 pm
We recently did a bathroom upgrade, and can certainly identify with what’s involved. But, we decided to leave it to the contractor to wrestle with it. The hard part for him was removing the cast-iron tub. He made it look easy. When the project was done, it was worth the cost.
My job – making sure the cats were secured indoors.
flyinggma
November 6, 2011 at 6:06 pm
We love doing home improvement projects but that bathtub gave us a run for our money especially after a long day of work before we started on the bathtub.