Days 6, 7, & 8 were mostly sheetrock days. The new sheetrock had to be floated, that's when you cover the seams with paper tape or mesh tape, then spread joint compound on the seams. This takes several days because the compound has to dry in between coats. And there were some miscellaneous holes that needed to be repaired.
Our Professional took out the vanity top and removed the cabinet doors and drawers. He plans to seal the joints in the drawers with caulk to make them look nicer. The joints aren't loose, the drawers are in pretty good shape, but they're 40 year old drawers. Caulking the joints will give them a finished look and prevent small things from getting stuck in the corners.
I worked on the doors and drawers to get them ready to be sanded by spraying the corners and joints with window cleaner and then using a brush and one of those sponges with a scratchy side to loosen the crud. In my defense, our house is really dusty!
He also wiped off the ceiling and spot treated any stains with spray-on oil based primer. You can use oil based primer under oil based paint or water based paint. It covers really well and dries pretty quick, so the spray can is perfect for little touch-ups,
Four of the cabinet doors have this impressive design etched into them. I don't know why. I guess that was the style in the 70's. I could order new doors, or fill in the design with joint compound. We opted for the joint compound treatment.
It'll take several layers of joint compound to completely hide the design. It's still wet in the picture below.
If I ordered new doors, then I'd need new drawers. If I did that then I might as well get new cabinets. Then I'd have to pick out the cabinet design and configuration and that's too many decisions. What started out as a shower remodel could get out of hand pretty quick. I think it might be easier to move.
I know that I've left out important details because there are lots of them. Since I'm not doing the work, I probably don't even know what I've left out. So, don't try to remodel your bathroom and put in a shower based on my posts! I really just wanted to share the experience.