Yikes, that's rough... reminds me of when we redid our bathroom plumbing. Previous owner swore up and down they'd replaced all the old galvanized pipes with copper. Well, guess what we found behind the shower wall? Yep, rusty galvanized pipes just waiting to burst. Definitely learned my lesson—always better to check things yourself or get a pro in for peace of mind. Glad your reno turned out comfy though, nothing beats finally getting it right after all that hassle.
Haha, gotta love those little "surprises" previous owners leave behind. Reminds me of when we redid our kitchen—pulled up the floor and found layers upon layers of linoleum, each uglier than the last. Felt like an archaeological dig into bad taste. But you're spot on about checking things yourself or bringing in a pro; saves headaches down the road. Glad your bathroom turned out comfy though...nothing beats that first relaxing shower after finally getting it right.
Haha, those hidden layers can be a pain, but honestly, sometimes older stuff was built to last—even if ugly as sin. I've seen plenty of DIY "fixes" that make you wish they'd just left the original alone...
I get what you're saying, but honestly, some of that "built to last" stuff is more nostalgia than reality. When I moved into my first place, the bathroom fixtures were original from the 70s—sure, they still worked, but barely. The shower knobs leaked constantly, and the toilet flushed like it was apologizing for existing. DIY fixes can be sketchy, yeah, but sometimes they're just a symptom of people trying to patch up something that wasn't great to begin with. I'd rather deal with a questionable DIY job that at least tried to improve things than live with outdated plumbing that's "built to last" in theory only.
I see your point, but I think there's a middle ground here. Sure, some of the older fixtures aren't exactly stellar (trust me, I've had my share of apologetic toilets too...), but I've also run into plenty of DIY jobs that made things worse. When I moved into my place, the previous owner had "fixed" a leaky faucet by wrapping it in duct tape and caulk—no joke. Took me an entire weekend to scrape that mess off and replace it properly.
Honestly, the key isn't so much about old vs new, but about quality and maintenance. Even newer fixtures can fail pretty quickly if they're cheaply made or poorly installed. If you go step-by-step—researching reliable brands, installing carefully, and maintaining regularly—you'll probably end up happier in the long run. At least that's what I've found so far. Sometimes nostalgia is just nostalgia, but sometimes older stuff really was built better...just depends on what you're dealing with.
