If you'd told me a year ago I'd be filming myself replacing a toilet for this blog, I'd have given you a SUPER dirty look.
BUTT.
Here I go:
John is very proud of his intro, so at least watch the first 10 seconds for him. :D :D (Sound on.)
Of course I realize most of you don't NEED to replace a toilet right now, so for your BONUS DOUBLE FEATURE, here's how to replace a sink faucet:
These home repair vids are surprisingly draining (heyooooooo), and I'm looking forward to getting back to our geekier content (Potter party prep, anyone?), but it's still super satisfying to do so much on my own. I usually let John take over because he's faster & stronger, so not only am I proving to myself I CAN, I'm also learning to get past some of my body issues and camera phobia. Sure, my belly is roly-poly, but I'm LIFTING A GOL-DANG TOILET, dangit.
Plus I'm actually having fun, at least when John and I are goofing around and laughing through shots. Not so much when it's 11:30 at night and we're on Take #3 of inserting a fiddly faucet plunger designed by Satan himself. (Flames... on the side of my face...) (Granted, this is what we get for buying a $30 faucet... BUT STILL.) At least all the scratches I made are facing the back wall where you can't see them, ha.
We're up to trim and painting now, so next we'll film our most requested tutorial: how to paint baseboards next to carpet. I'm excited to get back in my wheelhouse with painting again!
On a completely unrelated note, yesterday John and I set the date and sent out invites for this year's Christmas Potter Party, and I'm so excited I can't see straight. This year I'm not keeping anything a secret, either; you guys are going to see every project and decoration as we make them. I'm even going to show you the theme and my idea list soon, so you can make suggestions and brainstorm with me.
SO. EXCITED.
Next up is Part 2 of my favorite cosplay from Tampa Comic-Con, so stay tuned for that!
POTTER PARTY PREP WOOOO!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFor the first time in my life, I feel like I could replace a toilet. That is so cool!
ReplyDeletei never realized how easy a sink faucet is to replace!
DeleteLove the bead board wainscoting in the bathroom! I saw a similar look in a magazine a few years ago and thought it looked really good. I've wanted to do this with my bathroom. Can you use an adhesive to put up bead board or do you still need to nail it in place?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for doing these. I know you and John have quite a bit of prior experience doing these kinds of projects but it still seems less intimidating watching you. Man, that sounds like a left handed compliment. What I mean is that you are straight forward so I can tell you know what you are doing but you break the DIY down into doable steps so it doesn't seem that complicated.
Also, you lifted a frigging toilet.
I would like to know this answer, too!
DeleteThanks, Kelly! Not a left-handed compliment at all; I'm average to below-average when it comes to construction stuff, so I know if *I* can do and explain this stuff, then everyone else has a shot, too. ;)
DeleteAs for the bead board, we find it's better to only nail it up - no adhesive. If you glue it then Future You (or the future homeowner) will be cursing your name, since you'll have to rip the drywall to get it down again. That's actually the situation we're in; ours is glued, so we have no choice but to work with it, even though all the trim is installed really poorly. :(
So to sum up: just nail it up with small finishing nails (you can spackle the holes so they don't show). That will be plenty strong, and will make any removal in the future MUCH easier.
OMG so much easier installing the faucet when the sink is on sawhorses. I'm usually barking my knuckles and doing things by feel, half-in the sink cabinet. No teflon tape on the water fittings? I love me some teflon tape.
ReplyDeleteI watched the whole toilet replacement as I plan to replace my toilet with a dual flush type, this was super reassuring, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI replaced my sink recently and had an unexpected pause in the proceedings when the water shut off valve didn't shut off the water (the rubber gasket had rotted). I plan to check my toilet shut off valve real soon now, it's an easy fix with a valve stem replacement kit, but I'd advise checking for leaks as you disconnect the water supply line during toilet replacement.
Too late for you, but if you had poured a bucket of water into the toilet, it would have 'flushed' and pretty much emptied out. Just in case you ever need to change a toilet again.
ReplyDeleteSomeone mentioned this trick over on Youtube - I had no idea! Now I know for the next toilet, ha.
DeleteReally enjoying your home renovation series! You make everything seem really straightforward and unintimidating.
ReplyDeleteI'm also super excited to see the Potter Party prep, I look forward to seeing it every year.
Well-timed tutorial! I'm about to change out the floor in my bathroom and need to temporarily move the toilet to do so. I suspect it's so much easier to move if I take the tank off, like you did, but would it be ok to leave the tank on and just move the whole unit to a safe storage location?
ReplyDeleteI can confirm that it is possible to just move the whole unit. Heavier, but possible.
DeleteI've never tried it, but in theory it should work. Just have two people do it, so one can keep the tank steady.
DeleteJen, I LOVE your and John's home renovation videos! You make it look so easy to replace or repair things. It really gives me hope because a lot of the repairs around our house have me fixing things alone. I think the last thing I actually replaced was a garbage disposal and that was a real pain.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I know what struggles with body image is like and I know that even if I say this, you probably won't believe me but here goes. You have NOTHING to feel bad, ashamed, or awkward about. You're beautiful just the way you are. All the best!!!
OMG no gloves when removing that dirty, old, been-pooped-in-probably-thousands-of-times potty?!? I cringed the whole time watching you do that!
ReplyDeleteFeet clean easier than shoes...
DeleteWhoops, read that as no shoes for some reason. Apparently I need more coffee.
DeleteLol, the toilet itself was actually quite clean, but believe me, I've had worse on my hands during construction jobs. The worst was a falling-down shack from the 1920s filled with dead bugs and rat poop - we actually had to wear masks, it was so toxic. (And yet, there were times I still didn't wear gloves. Ha!)
Delete"Flames, on the side of my face..."!!! ������������
ReplyDeleteYou are a rockstar!
Ah, the puns. 😍 Also, go you for not grossed out by the wax removal! When I had to help remove a toilet I made the guys do that part. Heh. Too much ick.
ReplyDeleteGirl! You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you? (And you'll never believe it, will ya? sigh....)
ReplyDeletecouple of tips, you don't HAVE to remove tank, and seat prior to removing toilet. It does make it a little lighter, but if you can lift the whole toilet, it's just added steps. Also plunging the toilet after disconnecting the water will make most of the water go down the drain. Less bailing.
ReplyDeleteQuick question: you put the tank back on the toilet with just primer on the walls... Was that because you were going to put that beadboard on the walls? Normally wouldn't you paint the wall before you install the toilet?
ReplyDeleteThe bead board is in the other, smaller bathroom; this one just gets wall paint.
DeleteAnd no, you don't have to paint before installing a toilet, though we did prime the walls after the wallpaper removal. It's up to you and your construction schedule; we plan to paint the entire house at once, and that will come last so we don't have to worry about scuffing them while we work.
If you're just doing the one room, though, by all means paint the walls while the toilet's out; that's one less thing in the way!
Well, actually...I did need to replace the wax ring and one bolt a month ago. I was fairly certain that was the only problem, but I wasn't positive and didn't have the confidence to do it myself, so we paid a plumber to come do it. Not *too* expensive, but after watching your video I might be brave enough to try the next time something like this comes up.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your crafty posts, but I really appreciate the practical lessons now that I've become the fix-it person around the house...
That's not uncommon; if the bolts come loose over time & the toilet shifts, crushing the wax ring, then you get leaks. That's the good thing, though; it's a cheap fix, since all you need is a new ring (and in your case, bolts!)
DeleteLooking great! ❤
ReplyDeleteThanks for these videos.
ReplyDeleteOne thing - the second video "How To Replace A Bathroom Faucet" does not show up when I look for Epbot Youtube videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ9Im8XaX_RWw3h0Mw6DMog - I like to watch them in Youtube because that's the only way I know to give them a thumbs up.
Anyway, just a gross anecdote to end this comment... My sister is in a rental while they build their dream house. Someone "fixed" the toilet of the rental with spray foam instead of replacing the wax ring ... so gross ... my BIL deserves sainthood as he is the one who fixed this disaster.
Oops, thanks for mentioning that; I forgot to list the Faucet video as public, ha. Just fixed that now, so you should see it over on YouTube!
DeleteAlso, spray foam?! o.0 Yowza. That's a new one.
Aw, not sure why my comment never posted :/
ReplyDeleteJen, why do you caulk around the toilet? I was always told to not seal the bottom in so leaks may be discovered before they become a problem and that caulk would just hide the problem until it's too late and the subflooring is rotted out and mold becomes an issue. Is this dependent on the floor type and region?
That's a valid concern, Rae, especially if you're on a wood subfloor. So yes, it does depend on the circumstance: here on a single-story concrete floor, potentially leaking water isn't as much of a concern.
DeleteThe other deciding factor is if the toilet rocks; rocking can further damage the wax ring - leading to leaks - and a little caulk or grout can stop the rock and actually prevent leaks long-term.
All that said, if you're caulking/grouting in a brand new toilet over a brand new wax ring, you should be perfectly safe. What gets dicey is covering over an old rocking toilet; that for sure is going to hide and trap potential leaks, so I'd recommend at least re-seating the toilet on a new wax ring before caulking it in, just to be extra safe.
Would you mind sharing the source for your faucet and sink? As well as a parts/tool/vocabulary list? It's cool to see you throwing out all these cool technical terms, but some of the terminology has my head spinning.
ReplyDeleteI love how you ooze confidence in these videos, and handle the grody stuff like it's no big deal. I want to see so much more! If you can film it, I'll watch it!
I'm planning a big Renovation Roundup post listing all our sources & expenses, so absolutely! I can tell you now it's a combination of Amazon, Ebay, local hardware stores, and local discount places like ReStore that sell used fixtures & appliances, though.
DeleteThe tools and vocab thing is a little harder, but I'm kicking around the idea of a livestream Q&A at the house, so maybe we could tackle that sort of thing there?
Excited to see more on your HP party! My friend & I are going to have an HP party to celebrate turning 40! Since it is in December, I told her it could be our own Yule Ball...
ReplyDeleteSO - not only do I actually need to replace my toilet (the tank is no longer filling properly and it is OLD) but your reference to Clue and the flames on the side of your face made me laugh out loud! My sister and I quote that part of the movie to each other all the time. Thank you for the inspiring video, I never would have tried to tackle changing out a toilet myself before watching that. You've given me courage!!
ReplyDeleteI had to take a deep breath and a few days just to get up the gumption to watch these amazing things, let alone try to do any of it. But I have a failed plug assembly on my vanity sink; don't know if I can successfully repair it, but I at least will know what I'm looking at (or for). Thank you! (and Virgo here-- definitely will be wearing gloves!)
ReplyDeleteI feel like this should be pretty simple, but I haven't done it myself: I'd love to see a quick video about selecting the correct GFCI at the store (there are different amperages?) and how to replace a regular outlet with GFCI.
ReplyDeleteif you warm the wax ring with your hairdryer for a short bit, it's easier to get a tight seal.
ReplyDelete