Basement Bathroom Remodeling Old House

This project started as a simple request in an old Midtown Toronto home:

“Can you make our basement bathroom modern and functional?”

The shower didn’t work, there was no fan, the radiator was dead — basically, a cold, damp space nobody wanted to use.

Once we started demolition, the truth came out.

First surprise: a leak in the bathroom ceiling.
After investigation, we discovered the water was coming from the front porch above — the original builder hadn’t done the waterproofing properly. We brought in a specialized crew to fix it, because there is no point installing a beautiful bathroom under an active leak.

Second surprise: the radiator.
The pipes hidden behind the shower were completely rusted and rotten. There was no way to replace them without opening the shower and removing the tiles — that’s why the previous owner ignored the problem for years. We rebuilt the zone, installed new piping and a modern radiator without changing the layout or blowing the budget.

Third surprise: the water supply from the city.
While another crew was waterproofing the porch, they uncovered old lead pipes feeding the house. This material is no longer used because tiny particles can slowly poison the water. We had to pause again and wait for a full replacement before we could tile the floor and move on.

A “two-week” cosmetic renovation turned into four weeks of serious repairs.
But we’re actually happy it happened during our project — not after.

The lesson?
Always pay attention to waterproofing and what’s happening behind the walls. Poor waterproofing and old pipes don’t just damage your home — they can affect your health and your family’s safety.