There are many joys of home ownership. However, correcting past mistakes is not one of them and when you live in a home that is over 110 years old there are plenty of past mistakes. In this case it was using paneling to enclose a bathtub with shower..............

We have had a problem in our upstairs bathroom with ants.... it has gone on for several months and the pest control people have tried everything they know to get rid of the ants. Finally they suggested that the paneling (wood paneling) that surrounded our bathtub [the bathtub alcove] may be part of the problem.... it had some cracks and there was some mildew around the edges.... So Sandy and I decided that we would give our bathtub alcove a make over!!!!

The day after Christmas I began ripping out the paneling that surrounded the bathtub. Not to my surprise there was rotted wood and wall board and stinky old wall paper. Ugh!!!! Also, I saw what appeared to be a dead wasps nests in the wall.... Soooo, I took my reciprocating saw and cut into the wall just under the window.... Wow!!! There was an area about 9 inches wide and 12 inches high where there was indeed a dead wasp nest - a big one!!!! and it was full of ants.... so, I sprayed the ants and sucked out the wasp nest with a straw - just kidding - it was my shop vac.... The was nest had completely replaced the insulation.....

We have not seen one ant since I removed all the yucky (not a scientific term) wood and sucked out the dead wasp nest - go figure....

I replaced the rotten wood and wall board with plywood......................

then I covered it with a plastic wall covering that I bought at Lowe's - it came in a kit called a bathtub alcove replacement kit!!!!

It worked well except for the fact that there are no square corners or straight anythings in a 110 (actually 112) year old house!!!

Here is the covering without the trim or the window frame....

and here it is with the unpainted trim and the the window frame - I used PCP wood (I think that is a contradiction) for the window frame.

And here it is finished and ready to use................

It has been a fun project and I got plenty of exercise.... Upstairs to basement over-and-over and over-and-over ........................

Now I can get ready for my Sunday School class at church and my regular classes at work...

The joys of home ownership never end...

Peace to all in the new year.... John

brrrrrrrrrrrrr -

But not as cold as MN!!!!

shots from the upstairs windows - too damn cold to go outside!!!


And Jill dog from the front poarch.

Happy New Year -

Please keep praying for Matt as he continues to have chemo.

Peace, John

ps - more on the bathroom in a day or two!!