Window in bathtub? Bathroom Reno.

[auggie]

Our (one and only) bathroom is retro in a bad way. Think 1950s pinks and black. And the pinks clash with one another. The room is small and tiled on all 4 walls. One big issue is the window in the tub area. Whose freaking idea was this? It is framed in wood and in not so great shape. I just want to gut it but can't. Any ideas how to make this eyesore better without spending tons of cash?

[housegeek]

Put in block glass?

[auggie]

What is block glass? Those squares of glass?

[johnohfs]

Auggie,

We had the same scenario in our first home. The previous bathroom was pretty nasty and had a window in the shower area. We replaced it with glass block from Lowes. I would recommend you pre-order it already assembled and dimensioned to whatever size you need. You don't have to actually assemble the blocks yourself. I would also recommend you trim the window out completely in PVC trim. It's completely waterproof and since it's already a nice white color, you don't even need to paint it again.

We blogged about this project: www.ourhomefromscratch.com/2011/08/a-look-back-at-our-old-bathroom-before-and-after/

If you look closely, you can catch that glass block window in one of the photos.

[FoxInFiji]

Glass block is OK but it has a poor energy efficiency. Edge of glass (yes that is the technical term) is where you loose all of your heat and have infiltration. With glass block you have much more edge of glass and seams than you do with a real window. Plus it looks better IMO.

Replacing the window with a decent fiberglass replacement window shouldn't cost much. And when you replace it you can address any rotting issues with the existing frame to limit your chances of mold. Patch and frame out with pressure treated lumber. Then trim it with exterior grade PVC trim.

[treedimensional]

Jun 27, 2012 7:40:46 GMT -5 @johnohfs said:

Auggie,

We had the same scenario in our first home. The previous bathroom was pretty nasty and had a window in the shower area. We replaced it with glass block from Lowes. I would recommend you pre-order it already assembled and dimensioned to whatever size you need. You don't have to actually assemble the blocks yourself. I would also recommend you trim the window out completely in PVC trim. It's completely waterproof and since it's already a nice white color, you don't even need to paint it again.

We blogged about this project: www.ourhomefromscratch.com/2011/08/a-look-back-at-our-old-bathroom-before-and-after/

If you look closely, you can catch that glass block window in one of the photos.

How did you provide ventilation? Did you install something?

[johnohfs]

Good question. We added an overhead ventilation fan/light that exhausted through the roof of the house.

[emoflamingo]

House*Tweating just did their old bathroom and left the window in the tub, but put something over the top. (NOW I feel like a weirdo stalker since this is the SECOND post this week I've referenced them on lol.)

I will modify with the link in a minute.

www.housetweaking.com/2012/03/27/master-bathroom-reveal/

[lys]

I would remove the wood window and replace it with a vinyl replacement window that does not open - just a glass panel. (tempered glass and then add privacy film if needed)

If you do not want or cannot remove the wood window - hang a shower curtain or plastic curtian over the window.

[mortomo]

We have the same type of bathroom...4 walls of pinkish/peach tile and a window in the tub area. Prior to us living there only the tub was used. It didn't have a shower, so the wood trim was fine. We currently have a clear shower curtain going across the window (we have a small curtain rod above the window frame). We've thought of doing the glass block thing.

[johnohfs]

Jun 27, 2012 18:13:05 GMT -5 @zolly said:

Glass blocks look really dated to me. What about tiling around the window like on this reno? myplace.frontier.com/~yub_yump/guestbath.htm

Tiling is a great option, but you do need to be careful with your seams and you'll need to caulk thoroughly or you'll get water intrusion behind the tile, which can lead to mold.

In terms of the glass block versus a traditional window... for me it depends on how large the window is and how much it protrudes into the shower area. If it's a smaller window that is high up and won't see much water, then I think a normal window is probably fine. If it's very large and is going to get soaked, I'm not a fan of using a traditional window.. too many edges, too much to clean. I'd prefer a glass block in that case. But, many people don't like the look of glass block, it can look dated to many people. We didn't think it looked very dated in our first home. It's not like one of those large glass block walls in a lot of 80's bathrooms.. that's tacky.

[315bride]

I think we have the same bathroom. Pink and black tile with a window. The only saving grace is that it's a metal frame on the window and there's a deep ledge, perfect for housing all our shower toiletries.

[auggie]

Thanks, ladies. The window is large and at a bad height for privacy. Right now, I just have a clear shower curtain over it. I would love to replace it with a higher window that was more horizontal than vertical, but I like the idea of tiling it in. The glass blocks look very nice; we live in a cold area though, so the energy efficiency might not be so great. Thanks for the ideas!