Earlier this week the hubs and I completed our bathroom “remodel”. Within the last year we suspected our bathroom vent fan was not working. Moisture seemed to accumulate in the bathroom on the walls and mirror and the vent fan didn’t appear to be removing any of it. We left the window open when the weather allowed for it, but winter made it hard. We were cleaning the water drips from the walls all the time, it was ridiculous.

After watching some Youtube videos of the “paper test”, we proceeded to conduct the “paper test” on our own bathroom fan…and it failed. If you aren’t familiar with the “paper test”, it’s where you turn on the bathroom fan and holding a piece of paper in the air (or toilet paper, etc.) you let go and it should get sucked to the outside of the fan if it’s working. Ours fell to the floor in disappointment.

We then tried to clean it out thinking it might be clogged with 12 years of dust, but after trying to vacuum it out, it still didn’t pass the paper test (sigh). So that’s when we decided to replace it. On top of that, we noticed the paint was peeling around the tub due to the excessive moisture and lack of caulking, so we added re-painting and caulking to the list. Before we knew it we had a little summer project on our hands.

Below is what our bathroom looked like before. Nothing really wrong (except for the bathroom fan not working), but kind of boring.

The first thing we did was clean out the bathroom and prep the walls. We removed all wall fixtures, light switches, and spackled any wall imperfections. After the wall compound was dry we sanded it down and began to tape off everything – the bathroom mirror, the vanity, the tub, and the window. We didn’t end up removing the light fixtures or taping them as we decided to replace them as well.

Because we were dealing with a moisture problem we wanted to be sure we covered all the bases; we didn’t really know whether the drywall in the bathroom was moisture/mold resistant or not. Despite our regular cleanings, we bought Zinsser Mold Killing Primer to prime the ceiling and walls with. We ended up doing two coats on both the ceilings and walls.

We then painted the ceiling with two coats of Sherwin Williams Ceiling Paint in ultra-white. It is a stain-blocking paint and primer with antimicrobial properties. Lastly, we painted the walls. We’ve never had dark walls before, so we decided to take a leap and go bold! We applied two coats of Sherwin Williams Infinity One-Coat Perfection Satin Finish in Splendor Blue. On the can it states you only need one coat of paint (and it’s thick paint), but for dark walls you definitely need the 2nd coat for coverage. It is also an advanced-hiding paint and primer with antimicrobial properties.

We then removed all the tape and completed some minor touch-ups. We caulked the entire perimeter of the tub (including the floor and trim), including the toilet and sink as it was in rough shape. Caulking is so important as it prevents water from dripping behind the tub and sink or accumulating under the paint and peeling. We used clear caulk for a transparent finish around the tub and toilet.

The following day the electrician came to the house to replace the bathroom vent fan and the wall sconces. Apparently the bathroom fan was never hooked up to the vent in the first place, which kind of defeats the purpose of having a bathroom fan (sigh). We still ended up replacing the fan as the previous one was probably as old as the house. Good news is that the new fan passed the paper test! Now that we’ve showered a few times in the new bathroom, the new fan makes a huge difference.

Our bathroom mirror was still the builder-grade mirror from when it was originally built 12 years ago. Last-minute I decided to build an inexpensive frame for it. I was originally debating on whether to stain it or paint it white like the trim and doors, but ultimately I thought white would be too bright for that area and so I stained it with some leftover deck stain I had lying around (it’s waterproof, so another bonus!).

All-in-all the refresh took about two days, with an extra trip to Lowe’s for more wall paint. I’m very pleased with how it came out, and for under $250 it is quite the transformation. The only thing we didn’t touch in the bathroom was the vanity and floor which will just have to wait for another time. Below you can find a list of everything we used.

Broan 3.5-Sone 70-CFM White Bathroom Fan

Kichler 1-Light 6.25-in Brushed Nickel Cylinder Vanity Light – $39.98 x 2

Rust-Oleum Mold Killing Interior/Exterior Multi-purpose Water-based Primer 128 oz – $31.98

HGTV HOME by Sherwin Williams Infinity Satin Latex Paint 30 oz (in Splendor Blue) – $21.98 x 2

HGTV HOME by Sherwin Williams Ceiling Flat White Latex Paint 32 oz – $14.98

1″x3″x6′ Whitewood board – $4.92 x 2

KwikSeal Ultra-Clear 5.5 oz Caulking – $6.99

Do you have any inexpensive remodels in the works at your house this summer? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!