Peterjames
New member
Yeah!!! The bath is mostly original but previous owner replaced the floor.
Accidental bathroom remodel
- Thread starter mattblast
- Start date
It’s been a few weeks of waiting for supplies to arrive. 4 weeks after ordering I found out that the Kohler shower pan was not going to arrive until December 12th!
The supplier suggested another brand which would come sooner. It arrived Friday and I was all set to get it installed and also finish the cement board this weekend, but there was one small issue...
The unit was described as 48” wide. (Same as Kohler unit)
To be safe I framed he walls slight wider at 48-1/4”
But the shower pan is 48-3/8”
I suppose I could grind one edge but I don’t want to risk breaking it. I’ll be on the phone with the manufacturer in the morning to get this resolved.
So I decided to start work on the drain line. The original was 2” copper but the pan requires PVC. PVC is s bit wider than copper which is an issue in this case since the drain is right up against a joist.
The top of the joist was chiseled out at an angle to make room for the original drain which had a couple 45s to keep it tight.
The new drain will require I notch out the full joist width (and most of its depth) to make room.
So I’ll sister a 2x10 to the opposite side and use PL construction adhesive and some carriage bolts to secure it.
My wife hasn’t been home yet to see the kitchen ceiling.
The supplier suggested another brand which would come sooner. It arrived Friday and I was all set to get it installed and also finish the cement board this weekend, but there was one small issue...
The unit was described as 48” wide. (Same as Kohler unit)
To be safe I framed he walls slight wider at 48-1/4”
But the shower pan is 48-3/8”
I suppose I could grind one edge but I don’t want to risk breaking it. I’ll be on the phone with the manufacturer in the morning to get this resolved.
So I decided to start work on the drain line. The original was 2” copper but the pan requires PVC. PVC is s bit wider than copper which is an issue in this case since the drain is right up against a joist.
The top of the joist was chiseled out at an angle to make room for the original drain which had a couple 45s to keep it tight.
The new drain will require I notch out the full joist width (and most of its depth) to make room.
So I’ll sister a 2x10 to the opposite side and use PL construction adhesive and some carriage bolts to secure it.
My wife hasn’t been home yet to see the kitchen ceiling.
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That was the same BS I dealt with from Dreamliner. What was supposed to be 2 weeks to my door became 6 AND all their talk about THEIR perfectly dimensional product was **** too.
But what I'm not sure of for your application is have you already undercut the wall so your backer board lays over the top of the lip. If that's the case what I had to do was notch it deeper then find a happy medium for squareness. I was not happy after spending countless hours getting everything dead on.
But what I'm not sure of for your application is have you already undercut the wall so your backer board lays over the top of the lip. If that's the case what I had to do was notch it deeper then find a happy medium for squareness. I was not happy after spending countless hours getting everything dead on.
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I love how manufacturers do this for many kinds of products. The one most critical piece of information and they print an approximation. Or they assume it is common knowledge among professional tradesmen that it is only a nominal dimension. They may put a clarification somewhere in a footnote or on an entirely different page... or not.
Not to mention their lack on knowledge of the product line. DL does not include the centerline measurements for the wall mounts of the frameless glass nor how much standoff for the mounting screw. I even spoke to a supposed product engineer. That was critical to me because of the glass accent and boarder trim that set proud of the tile. And most importantly my backer stud for the mounts. I finally just straight cut some 4x6 and framed it in just in case.
I talked to the manufacturer today and they say the product is technically to spec since the dimensions may vary +/- 3/8”.
(That is noted at the bottom of the second page of the spec). They say I can grind down one edge safely using 36 grit or notch out the bottom few inches of the studs at one edge.
(That is noted at the bottom of the second page of the spec). They say I can grind down one edge safely using 36 grit or notch out the bottom few inches of the studs at one edge.
Trimmed off 1/8”’on each end of the shower pan today. It came off easily with a belt sander.
I was afraid to take off too much so I measured every few passes and brought it up to the bathroom to test fit a few times. Now it fits perfectly.
But floor was a bit too bouncy so I removed it.
It was only 1/2” and top lamination was water damaged so maybe 3/8” effective thickness. It’s all out now and I’ll replace with a sheet of 3/4” plywood then continue putting in the shower pan. A bit of a detour and I hate to do more demo especially after drywall is up but it will mean a sturdier floor.
The open floor also gives better access to finish up the plumbing and to sister on the joist which I hope to have completed tomorrow.
I was afraid to take off too much so I measured every few passes and brought it up to the bathroom to test fit a few times. Now it fits perfectly.
But floor was a bit too bouncy so I removed it.
It was only 1/2” and top lamination was water damaged so maybe 3/8” effective thickness. It’s all out now and I’ll replace with a sheet of 3/4” plywood then continue putting in the shower pan. A bit of a detour and I hate to do more demo especially after drywall is up but it will mean a sturdier floor.
The open floor also gives better access to finish up the plumbing and to sister on the joist which I hope to have completed tomorrow.
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Even if you set the base in some kind of a bedding material slide a strip of Tyvek or roofing felt between the drywall flanges and the studs around the base.It will eliminate any little squeaks from the base rubbing on the studs.
Made a lot of progress today.
Had to cut back the copper drain line another bay to make room for the wye to the vent line. It took a few hours and over a dozen trips down to the basement to grab tools then back to the 2nd floor bathroom. Then a trip to Home Depot for a pvc slip coupling for the final connection. I worked non-stop from 9am until 8pm. It took way longer than I expected.
Also got the new joist sistered so I could cut out a section of the old one to make room for the trap.
Then got most of the flooring down (glued and ring shank nails)
There is zero bounce in the floor now.
Tomorrow I should be able to get the last piece of flooring in, and if time permits I’ll set the shower pan in a mortar bed.
Had to cut back the copper drain line another bay to make room for the wye to the vent line. It took a few hours and over a dozen trips down to the basement to grab tools then back to the 2nd floor bathroom. Then a trip to Home Depot for a pvc slip coupling for the final connection. I worked non-stop from 9am until 8pm. It took way longer than I expected.
Also got the new joist sistered so I could cut out a section of the old one to make room for the trap.
Then got most of the flooring down (glued and ring shank nails)
There is zero bounce in the floor now.
Tomorrow I should be able to get the last piece of flooring in, and if time permits I’ll set the shower pan in a mortar bed.
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Shower pan installed!
I put down a full 50lb bag of thinset mortar under the pan to support it and then was able to fine-tune the position until it was perfectly level. (There’s a sheet of plastic over the mortar to keep it from getting too messy)
It required some minor tweaking with a mallet and then I let it set with a bucket of joint compound keeping it down.
Tomorrow I’ll predrill the flange and secure to the studs and start working on the cement board.
I put down a full 50lb bag of thinset mortar under the pan to support it and then was able to fine-tune the position until it was perfectly level. (There’s a sheet of plastic over the mortar to keep it from getting too messy)
It required some minor tweaking with a mallet and then I let it set with a bucket of joint compound keeping it down.
Tomorrow I’ll predrill the flange and secure to the studs and start working on the cement board.
Attachments
Made a ton of progress this weekend. Got the cement board on the shower walls (smooth side out for use with mastic) and on the floor (rough side out for thinset). The floor pieces were set in a layer of modified thinset mortar the screwed every 8” into the plywood.
Also got all taper and **** joints done with setting compound and two applications of general purpose compound over the screws.
Floor is covered in cardboard to protect the cement board from compound drips.
To get the compound to dry faster I removed the rag i put in the heating duct to get some heat and circulation. Some demolition debris fell down so I reached in to clean up the debris and found this:
So all this time the duct was over 50% blocked by some sloppy plumbers from years past who forgot about a length of copper pipe.
I’ll continue working on the joints this week.
Also got all taper and **** joints done with setting compound and two applications of general purpose compound over the screws.
Floor is covered in cardboard to protect the cement board from compound drips.
To get the compound to dry faster I removed the rag i put in the heating duct to get some heat and circulation. Some demolition debris fell down so I reached in to clean up the debris and found this:
So all this time the duct was over 50% blocked by some sloppy plumbers from years past who forgot about a length of copper pipe.
I’ll continue working on the joints this week.
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Hollywood D
Well-known member
Heck of a job. Good on ya
LifeLongWNYer
Well-known member
Hey Bill Wright, you said something that made me curious...."If you haven't reset the toilet in a long time start there. ". So does that mean a toilet should be reset periodically?? If so, why, and how often?
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More compound then some sanding, priming and painting.
Both the ceiling and walls are now painted and I also cleaned, sanded, primed and painted the window. That took some time.
Also got the electrical installed except for the shower light (I used fan box which needs larger mounting screws so I need to pick those up)
I wired an outlet inside the vanity but realize I should have used a box that mounts inside the cabinet rather than using a recessed box. Guess I’ll have to pick up some spacers when I’m ready to wire it.
I was ready to tile but as I was laying them out to get a better look I realized I had wall tile for the floor. So back to the tile store!
Both the ceiling and walls are now painted and I also cleaned, sanded, primed and painted the window. That took some time.
Also got the electrical installed except for the shower light (I used fan box which needs larger mounting screws so I need to pick those up)
I wired an outlet inside the vanity but realize I should have used a box that mounts inside the cabinet rather than using a recessed box. Guess I’ll have to pick up some spacers when I’m ready to wire it.
I was ready to tile but as I was laying them out to get a better look I realized I had wall tile for the floor. So back to the tile store!
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I think what he is saying is toilets are the most common leaks in bathrooms.
I have had several customers call me over the years for leaks in their showers
and found the problem to be a leaky toilet, sometimes in another bathroom!
I always check the toilets first.
Floor is tiled.
The tile I originally picked out (and hauled up to the second floor) was wall tile, not floor tile. I didn’t notice until I was ready to install. I went back to Home Depot to buy more and the employee in the tile aisle insisted that wall and floor tile are the same. I did eventually convince him that there is a difference in slip resistance between the two, and picked out a new design that matched.
And the inside corners of the shower are taped and filled with thinset.
Should be able to grout the floor one evening this week then work on the shower tile this weekend.
The tile I originally picked out (and hauled up to the second floor) was wall tile, not floor tile. I didn’t notice until I was ready to install. I went back to Home Depot to buy more and the employee in the tile aisle insisted that wall and floor tile are the same. I did eventually convince him that there is a difference in slip resistance between the two, and picked out a new design that matched.
And the inside corners of the shower are taped and filled with thinset.
Should be able to grout the floor one evening this week then work on the shower tile this weekend.
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Got the grout down last night.
A few weeks ago I picked up the vanity and was getting ready to install it. There was a dent on the most visible corner. The manufacturer is building a new one and expediting it so hopefully I’ll get it in 2 weeks.
I expected Home Depot would offer a small discount but when I showed them the photo they decided to just remake it.
A few weeks ago I picked up the vanity and was getting ready to install it. There was a dent on the most visible corner. The manufacturer is building a new one and expediting it so hopefully I’ll get it in 2 weeks.
I expected Home Depot would offer a small discount but when I showed them the photo they decided to just remake it.
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And the back wall of the shower is done.
I tried hard to arrange tiles to keep a nice pattern and avoid duplicates next to each other. But at one spot I didn’t do too well - two duplicates touching each other. Oh well.
Took about 3 hours (plus an hour of planning and layout prior) and 25lb of thinset.
I tried hard to arrange tiles to keep a nice pattern and avoid duplicates next to each other. But at one spot I didn’t do too well - two duplicates touching each other. Oh well.
Took about 3 hours (plus an hour of planning and layout prior) and 25lb of thinset.
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garrett1812
Well-known member
Shower tile looks great!
C_F
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I can't spot the duplicate in your shower tile from here, looks great to me!
Marctrees
Well-known member
Second and third row from top, center tiles.
Did I win ?
Marc
Did I win ?
Marc
rburke65
Well-known member
It’s a great looking job in my opinion. I can’t see the difference in the tiles.
Marctrees
Well-known member
GJ Fraternal Secret... No one else will ever know.
Looks excellent.
Marc
Looks excellent.
Marc
Marctrees
Well-known member
I think 4 hours for something you don't do everyday is very good.
Probably two days for me, most time hand wringing doing the decisions part.
Marc
Probably two days for me, most time hand wringing doing the decisions part.
Marc
This morning I worked on the side wall of the shower. But this time I pulled out all the tiles from the boxes and matched them up. Turns out there are only 20 unique tile.
It took a while to sort but that made it much faster to pick out a set of 3 for each row. Some tiles have nothing distinguishing on them and probably no one would notice if they were next to each other.
It took a while to sort but that made it much faster to pick out a set of 3 for each row. Some tiles have nothing distinguishing on them and probably no one would notice if they were next to each other.
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The rest of the tile got installed and grouted.
It’s actually off about 1/2” or so on the side walls. Each row should be shifted 50% as I did for the back wall, but the wall width meant that I’d have cuts at the end of each row. So I shifted the pattern over and was able to do a full tile left and right every other row. No one will ever notice the slight offset.
The right wall went slowly due to having too dry a thinset mortar mix. So each tile had to be back buttered to adhere. The next day I made it a little wetter on the left wall and it went up 4x faster with very good adhesion.
Plus I got the original marble threshold installed.
It’s 1974 vintage and nicer marble than what they sell locally so I reused it. Has some scratches and scuffs but hard to see while standing.
Then I got the window trimmed out.
Remember I had to shim out the wall 3/4” at the top to make it plumb? That meant that I’d have a gap in the trim so I replaced the window stops with 1” wide stop and that perfectly filled the gap. Only small issue is that the moulding has no reveal. I had to **** it right to the stop or a gap would show.
Also got the tile drilled and the grab bar mounted. Wish I used slightly bigger blocking to allow some more adjustments of the position but after some careful measurement I was able to get it secured with 3 stainless screws at each end. Also got the shower valve finish pieces installed too.
And finally got the drain line connected. I’ll leave the hole open a few more weeks to make sure there are no leaks before drywalling. A pro would have connected it in 10 mins but my son and I took 2 hours of measuring and remeasuring then cutting and measuring and dry fitting and glueing. I wanted to be sure that the drain would be centered in the pan and level at the drain point. Plus it has to be just the right height.
The two wires required a small notch in the sistered joist and some metal protection plates.
This weekend I’ll caulk the inside corners of the shower and work on closet shelving and hanging a new door.
It’s actually off about 1/2” or so on the side walls. Each row should be shifted 50% as I did for the back wall, but the wall width meant that I’d have cuts at the end of each row. So I shifted the pattern over and was able to do a full tile left and right every other row. No one will ever notice the slight offset.
The right wall went slowly due to having too dry a thinset mortar mix. So each tile had to be back buttered to adhere. The next day I made it a little wetter on the left wall and it went up 4x faster with very good adhesion.
Plus I got the original marble threshold installed.
It’s 1974 vintage and nicer marble than what they sell locally so I reused it. Has some scratches and scuffs but hard to see while standing.
Then I got the window trimmed out.
Remember I had to shim out the wall 3/4” at the top to make it plumb? That meant that I’d have a gap in the trim so I replaced the window stops with 1” wide stop and that perfectly filled the gap. Only small issue is that the moulding has no reveal. I had to **** it right to the stop or a gap would show.
Also got the tile drilled and the grab bar mounted. Wish I used slightly bigger blocking to allow some more adjustments of the position but after some careful measurement I was able to get it secured with 3 stainless screws at each end. Also got the shower valve finish pieces installed too.
And finally got the drain line connected. I’ll leave the hole open a few more weeks to make sure there are no leaks before drywalling. A pro would have connected it in 10 mins but my son and I took 2 hours of measuring and remeasuring then cutting and measuring and dry fitting and glueing. I wanted to be sure that the drain would be centered in the pan and level at the drain point. Plus it has to be just the right height.
The two wires required a small notch in the sistered joist and some metal protection plates.
This weekend I’ll caulk the inside corners of the shower and work on closet shelving and hanging a new door.
Attachments
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lieutenant
Well-known member
Looking good. Thanks for the updates. Your pace is about my pace. Sometimes drives my wife a bit nuts but it gets done right.
The tile was grouted with Fusion Pro grout. It’s a bit harder to work with than a traditional grout but acts like an epoxy grout that doesn’t ever need to be sealed.
It’s not cheap. Ended up using most of a gallon which runs about $50 at Home Depot. The tough part using it is that it will start to cure in just s few minutes and if you wait more than 5 minutes it can be difficult to wipe the tile surface clean. The high cost of the grout is one one the reasons I went with 1/8” rather then 1/4” spacers between tile (that plus the fact that the tile I selected was very dimensionally consistent)
The grout kept falling into the shower pan and was messy to use but once cured it works great and lasts a long time. Doing the floor with this grout was much easier.
The next weekend I caulked the inside edges of each wall. It’s not recommended to use grout at the inside corners since it can crack with shifting and then leak. In my last bathroom I used clear silicon caulk which was fine but if you look closely you can see some ragged cuts. So I used colored caulk this time. The difference is subtle but you should be able to notice a difference in the two photos below.
Home Depot stocks it, but only in siliconized latex. They do make the same color in pure silicon but it’s special order. So I had to wait several days for it to arrive (free shipping to local store). Latex colored caulk was about $8 and the silicon was about $14. I almost went ahead with the latex but there is no need to rush the project since there is still another 2 weeks before the vanity finally arrives.
This caulk was impossible to get a good bead with - it just took too much pressure to come out even after piercing the inner foil a dozen times. I never had s new tube behave this way. To compensate I taped the edges and worked the finished joint with denatured alcohol to get a nice finish. I used a new technique - instead of dipping a finder in the solvent I misted it onto the joint using a spray bottle then shaped the joint with my finger. When misted with the denatured alcohol the caulk won’t stick to your finger and you can slide along it for a perfect shape.
End result looks great and it should last many years before needing to be recaulked.
The joint between the floor and shower pan was done with standard white silicon caulk. This was good old GE brand and came out of the tube with the normal amount of pressure.
The next day I started the finish carpentry. I like to cope the inside corners for best results. Takes a little more effort but I’ve done it so much that it only takes a short time to do each joint.
It’s not cheap. Ended up using most of a gallon which runs about $50 at Home Depot. The tough part using it is that it will start to cure in just s few minutes and if you wait more than 5 minutes it can be difficult to wipe the tile surface clean. The high cost of the grout is one one the reasons I went with 1/8” rather then 1/4” spacers between tile (that plus the fact that the tile I selected was very dimensionally consistent)
The grout kept falling into the shower pan and was messy to use but once cured it works great and lasts a long time. Doing the floor with this grout was much easier.
The next weekend I caulked the inside edges of each wall. It’s not recommended to use grout at the inside corners since it can crack with shifting and then leak. In my last bathroom I used clear silicon caulk which was fine but if you look closely you can see some ragged cuts. So I used colored caulk this time. The difference is subtle but you should be able to notice a difference in the two photos below.
Home Depot stocks it, but only in siliconized latex. They do make the same color in pure silicon but it’s special order. So I had to wait several days for it to arrive (free shipping to local store). Latex colored caulk was about $8 and the silicon was about $14. I almost went ahead with the latex but there is no need to rush the project since there is still another 2 weeks before the vanity finally arrives.
This caulk was impossible to get a good bead with - it just took too much pressure to come out even after piercing the inner foil a dozen times. I never had s new tube behave this way. To compensate I taped the edges and worked the finished joint with denatured alcohol to get a nice finish. I used a new technique - instead of dipping a finder in the solvent I misted it onto the joint using a spray bottle then shaped the joint with my finger. When misted with the denatured alcohol the caulk won’t stick to your finger and you can slide along it for a perfect shape.
End result looks great and it should last many years before needing to be recaulked.
The joint between the floor and shower pan was done with standard white silicon caulk. This was good old GE brand and came out of the tube with the normal amount of pressure.
The next day I started the finish carpentry. I like to cope the inside corners for best results. Takes a little more effort but I’ve done it so much that it only takes a short time to do each joint.
Attachments
The replacement vanity arrived! I opened up the box and found it had a dent in exactly the same spot as the original. The dent is smaller and I’m not willing to wait another 6 weeks so I installed it.
It’s a small dent but I paid about $1000 for this and have been waiting since October when the original damaged vanity was ordered. Kraftmaid needs to protect the front edges better for shipping.
The first step was to position thevanity and level it. Then I transferred the measurements for the pipes and the outlet then drilled and cut the holes after double and triple checking my measurements.
Oops!
Turns out that I measured to inside of the electrical box but then used a box extender to trace for the cut. But I traced the outside of the extender not the inside. So the cut was off by 1/2”. No one was home when I screamed out a few profanities.
A few pieces of 1/2” plywood were glued in place and with the cover plate you cannot even see the mistake.
Once the vanity was in position I was able to measure for a 2” spacer. The wall and vanity were both plumb so no scribing was needed. The designer at Home Depot kept insisting that a spacer wouldn’t be needed but then the door would be very close to the wall. I planned on a 2” spacer and had the mirror and light positioned with that in mind.
Next was the trim behind the toilet, then fill holes and caulk and finally paint. Then the toilet could be installed. I was tempted to be the first to use it but decided to give it a test flush first. The bowl just filled up and never drained. That’s when I realized I left a towel stuffed in the toilet flange! Vacuumed out the water from then bowl and tank and pulled the toilet. Removed the soggy towel and re-secured the toilet.
Next is installing the shelves, ordering a countertop and installing the shower doors (ordered 2 weeks ago and should be ready in another week or 2)
I did put up a temporary tension rod and curtain so we can start using it.
It’s a small dent but I paid about $1000 for this and have been waiting since October when the original damaged vanity was ordered. Kraftmaid needs to protect the front edges better for shipping.
The first step was to position thevanity and level it. Then I transferred the measurements for the pipes and the outlet then drilled and cut the holes after double and triple checking my measurements.
Oops!
Turns out that I measured to inside of the electrical box but then used a box extender to trace for the cut. But I traced the outside of the extender not the inside. So the cut was off by 1/2”. No one was home when I screamed out a few profanities.
A few pieces of 1/2” plywood were glued in place and with the cover plate you cannot even see the mistake.
Once the vanity was in position I was able to measure for a 2” spacer. The wall and vanity were both plumb so no scribing was needed. The designer at Home Depot kept insisting that a spacer wouldn’t be needed but then the door would be very close to the wall. I planned on a 2” spacer and had the mirror and light positioned with that in mind.
Next was the trim behind the toilet, then fill holes and caulk and finally paint. Then the toilet could be installed. I was tempted to be the first to use it but decided to give it a test flush first. The bowl just filled up and never drained. That’s when I realized I left a towel stuffed in the toilet flange! Vacuumed out the water from then bowl and tank and pulled the toilet. Removed the soggy towel and re-secured the toilet.
Next is installing the shelves, ordering a countertop and installing the shower doors (ordered 2 weeks ago and should be ready in another week or 2)
I did put up a temporary tension rod and curtain so we can start using it.
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The countertop went in last week. It was made based on measurement and not a template so some drywall notching was required to get it to sit flat against the wall.
Perfect fit.
And the same with the backsplash.
If you look closely you’ll see that there is some silicon on the wall. That’s because I started installing it then realized I forgot to make a notch so it had to be pulled off while I quickly chiseled away at the drywall.
Once it was in I caulked the stone-stone joints with clear silicon and the stone wall joints with acrylic which I’ll paint to match the walls.
Joints were wiped with a finger dipped in some mineral spirits which gave a nice even bead.
Perfect fit.
And the same with the backsplash.
If you look closely you’ll see that there is some silicon on the wall. That’s because I started installing it then realized I forgot to make a notch so it had to be pulled off while I quickly chiseled away at the drywall.
Once it was in I caulked the stone-stone joints with clear silicon and the stone wall joints with acrylic which I’ll paint to match the walls.
Joints were wiped with a finger dipped in some mineral spirits which gave a nice even bead.
Attachments
This weekend I installed the glass shower doors. The install went well and only took an hour or two. Tomorrow the caulk will be set and we can take out first shower!
Still a few finishing touches: attach toilet paper holder and towel hooks, patch some paint that got damaged, get bins for shelves, etc.
Still a few finishing touches: attach toilet paper holder and towel hooks, patch some paint that got damaged, get bins for shelves, etc.
