Bathroom - Toilet and Sink Install

I took Xmas day off from working on the bathroom.

I spent a little time the next day installing and painting the base board trim behind the toilet. I smeared some silicone along the base of the wall and on the floor behind the trim piece to create a better water-proof transition in case water gets on the floor. 

On the 27th I installed the new toilet and the old sink (which is just a place holder until I get the new sink and vanity designed and installed). Plus, I still have to paint (and finish mudding) that side of the bathroom.

The first thing I did was pop out the built in plug/cap on the closet flange.

Then I installed the wax ring and new seal called an hydro cap. It supposedly allows you to reseat the toilet multiple times and increases the life of the wax ring. It made the installation pretty easy.

Then I set the (Toto) toilet base and installed the tank. It was kind of nice to hook up the water and flush the toilet for the first time. It was also a little anxiety producing, but no water came squirting out from under the toilet when I flushed for the first time.. *whew*

I also installed the old sink since is sucks not to have a sink in a bathroom. It's really easy to pull out again (only 5 connections) when I get some more time to mud and paint.

My spouse is very happy to have a working toilet and sink in the hall bathroom again. I even installed a toilet paper roll holder. I think I get to go out for Ethiopian food soon. Yay!

Bathroom - Drain Lines

I spent Xmas Eve day installing all the new ABS drain lines for the hall bathroom sink and toilet. Then I tied into the old cast iron drain line. I had cut a section out of the old drain line on the 21st and capped the pipe until I could get back to the work.

Here is a photo of the 1 1/2" drain line with clean-out for the sink.

I used a couple of J-hangers to hold the sink drain pipe. Very handy things.

Here's a shot of the new vent pipe for the toilet. The vent pipe is 2" and it ties into the old 3" vent. The old 3" vent pipe connected to the old 4" cast iron vent pipe. I am not really looking forward to removing the old 4" vent pipe from inside the wall. It's really hard to cut. And heavy.

Here you can see the 4" clean-out, the sink drain pipe, and the 4" toilet drain pipe connecting into the new 4" drain pipe that connects into the old 4" cast iron drain pipe.

Bathroom Walls - Accent

I primed and painted the wall behind the toilet. I also installed the double towel bar that we bought almost eight years ago. We are currently debating whether we want to paint more of the bathroom blue or just leave the west wall blue. 

I'm going to install the base board trim along the blue wall and then install the toilet. I also have to connect the drain line for the toilet.

Bathroom Walls - Mudding

I still have a little mudding and sanding to do, but the drywall is up and mudded. There was a small patch of ceiling that I had to patch and mud as well.

Bathroom Floor - Grout

I grouted the floor this morning. I had intended to do it yesterday, but I didn't feel well (I have some post infection inflammation in my inner ear that is causing me to feel dizzy and nauseous from a cold). It only took about an hour and a half. The most time consuming part was the wiping and cleaning of the floor tiles after I squished the grout into the cracks. 

I used a premixed polyurethane grout called QuartzLock2. I picked the color Silver-Gray since we think that it will go nicely with a Carrara marble counter top that we intend to use for the vanity/sink. It's more than twice as expensive as regular grout, but it retains some flexibility over its life (reducing cracking) and is self-sealing (so I don't have to seal it after I grout). I thought the grouting was pretty easy all in all. The grout has a shelf life of two years so I'll get to keep the bucket (which has a little left over in it) to do any patching of my mistakes that I lose sleep over.

You have to install the grout using a special polyurethane trowel which is kind of soft. And the manufacturer suggests using a cleaner (like Windex) in the cleaning water when wiping the tile clean. You're only supposed to do small patches of grouting at a time since since you wouldn't be able to reach the areas to clean them otherwise. I did patches of about two square feet at a time.

My knees were a little sore when I was done. So was my back.

Bathroom Floor - Tile

Happy Thanksgiving!

I installed the floor tile in the bathroom today. Doing the tile and grout this long weekend gives the floor enough time to set and cure so that the shower can be used on Monday morning.

The first thing I did was to cut and layout the tile sheets (I rented a tile saw from Home Depot). I lined the tile up along the center line from the sink to the toilet. Sadly, that line is not parallel to the tub. Oh, well. Next time I install a tub I'll make sure my old house walls are not only plumb but perpendicular to one another.

Here's a photo of the tile sheets laid out on the floor. We chose to use a 1" white porcelain hex tile. The tiles come on mesh sheets that are 10"x12". The glue that holds the tiles to the mesh seems to be water based because the tiles let go when they get really wet. This means that they let go sometimes when being cut on the tile saw. They also let go after they've been sitting in the thin-set for a while (which isn't a problem, just interesting). It's not a good idea to lift up an entire sheet after you've set it in the mortar.

I used a 1/4" V notch trowel to spread the thin-set mortar. It took a little while to get the hang of getting the thin-set to spread at the right thickness. The fact that I was working on top of Ditra moisture barrier made this process a little harder for me that I think it would have been otherwise.

I also didn't use tile spacers because these tiles seems to be 3/32" apart instead of 1/16" or 1/8". They didn't have 3/32" spacers at the store and the tile guy said the 1/8" would work (but they don't). That's okay since I can see 1/32" discrepancies and can make adjustments. One of the perks of being an anal retentive product designer.

Here's a photo of the finished installation. The mortar will set overnight and I'll grout tomorrow. Probably in the afternoon.

Bathroom Floor - Moisture Barrier

I covered the heating wire with thin-set mortar this morning. The thin-set layer is about an 1/8th inch thick. I laid down a sheet of Ditra on top of the still wet thin-set. The Ditra has a fabric back that gets bonded the the thin-set under it. 

The Ditra does a few things. It's a moisture barrier. It also allows moisture under it to escape because of the waffle structure channels. And it allows the material below and above to expand and contract independently thus reducing cracks in the tiles and grout.

I also added an extra 1/4" thick ring of Hardiboard under the toilet closet flange. This extra detail will bring the flange closer to finish floor level since I have layers for heat and moisture barrier.

I didn't have to install the original full floor layer of Hardiboard since I'm using the Ditra, but I couldn't bring myself to put thin-set directly on my new subfloor.

Bathroom Floor - Heat

I installed a layer of 1/4" concrete Hardiboard on the bathroom floor and then hot-glued the radiant floor heating wire in place. I also tested the heating system and found that it worked fine. Next I will apply a layer of thin-set mortar and install a layer of Ditra (moisture barrier).

Address Numbers

I nailed some address numbers on one of the posts at the end of the driveway. I've had the numbers for well over three months. My two-year-old was moderately helpful (he leaned on me the entire time), but that kept him out of traffic at least. I hope the FedEx can find my address this holiday season!

Vent and Drain Pipe

I installed the sink drain and vent pipe today. I even ran it up through the hole in the roof for the old vent pipe. I think I'll add a little length to it so the exiting pipe is plumb, but it works for now. I also added some blocking in the wall so that I can install the old pedestal sink (we need a sink and I won't get to doing a nice vanity right away).

I also added a brace so that the three-gang box of switches and outlets is stiffer. I didn't like the flex that it had when I plugged into the outlets.

I've pretty much done everything I can do in the bathroom except install the tile floor and drywall. My next steps for the drain pipes is to go under the house and build then new drain lines. And then connect them to the old cast iron system.

I'm also looking forward to installing new insulation in the attic space and in the crawl space for the hall bathroom. That should significantly decrease the heat loss from that room.

Electrical and Plumbing Progress

I was able to move and connect all of the electrical connections and hot/cold water lines today. I'll be installing the vent pipe and hopefully some of the drain line for the sink and toilet tomorrow.

It's kind of disorienting to not have the outlets and light switches hanging from wires in the middle of the sink alcove. But it's also nice to have all the wires out of the way, too.

Here's a photo of the sink alcove. You can see the mirror/medicine cabinet, the sconce j-boxes on either side, and the two water lines coming down from the attic space. I'll install the vent pipe and drain tomorrow.

Here are all the electrical connections. There are three switches (for the sconces, the fan, and the light above the shower. There is also a GFCI outlet that feeds the entire run of electrical for the bathroom. In between the switches and GFCI duplex is a night light. Up top is the thermostat location that will control the electrical radiant floor heat. I've run some string in the conduit so I can pull the wires for the radiant heat system and the sensor from the floor up to the thermostat.

Here's a photo of the toilet wall. You can see the new vent pipe (that I still have to connect down below and up above). You can also see the water supply line for the toilet. I've also installed an electrical outlet that can be used for a bidet or other smart toilet accessory (like the Brondell Swash).

You can also see the boxes of 3/4" white hex tile in this last photo.

Love the New Shower

I love the new shower and tub. I'm generally pretty happy with all the decisions we made.

1. I love the controls on the Hansgrohe valve. Having the pressure and the temperature completely separate is nice. And I like the temperature override to prevent scalding. I can turn off this feature, but I suspect I'll leave it on until the kids are older. The shower head had a nice flow, especially after I removed the flow regulating O ring. The Eco-Air spray feels nice and doesn't splatter water all over the shower walls after it bounces off my skin.

2. I really like the tub. I cleaned it today using Bon Ami and a soft nylon brush (as directed by the manufacturer) and it was very easy. I look forward to taking a bath in it someday. It seems to warm of quickly and stay very warm.

3. I like the wall tiles, but I feel like we show have picked a higher quality and larger tile though. 3x6 tiles would have been nicer for suction cups and required less grout overall. I'm happy we went with a non-contrasting grout and tile combination. Everthing blends together and I don't dwell on the natural imperfections of tile installations.

4. I also regret not building in shelving for bottles and soap. My wife nixed the choice of having corner shelves. And I vetoed having inset cubbies/shelves because I was so paranoid of future leaks and water damage. We'll definitely be building inset shelving on the master bath/shower.

If you want to come over and try out the shower, let me know. ~_^

Things Learned from this Bathroom Remodel (so far)

I spoke with a friend yesterday about my current bathroom remodel. He had some questions and I thought I'd share some of my answers.

Q: What's the most valuable piece of advice that I got from contractors?
A: Don't buy a bathtub that costs less than $400. We bought an American Standard Americast  steel tub for about $500. It weighs about 160 pounds (a third of the cast iron tub it replaced). We're very happy with it so far.

Q: Will I use a tile contractor for future work?
A: Maybe, but probably not. After watching the install and even doing a little tile install myself, I feel like I could do a pretty good job. Good advice on choosing tile... buy the best tile you can afford. Cheap tile doesn't cut nicely (chipped edge). Buy porcelain instead of ceramic it possible.

Q: Was the contractor happy with the work I did prior to him starting?
A: He was very complimentary on how plumb my walls were (he said he had never worked on walls that were so plumb... only 1/8" off). It made his cuts for the tile in the corners all the same which saved a lot of time. I guess it paid off having spent the extra time reframing the walls.

Q: Where did I buy my valve and trim package for the shower?
A: We bought it all at Aurora Plumbing in Seattle. The folks in the parts department have always been helpful (they removed the flow restrictor in the showerhead for me - I can control flow via the valve) and the sales staff in the showroom (Adele) was particularly helpful in guiding us to the right valves, spouts, etc. We just bought the new toilet for the hall bath from them (a Toto).

A Functioning Shower and Tub

I spent what time I had today installing the valve controls, trim, shower hardware, and spout. I also spent some time cleaning the tub, floor, and covering the big hole in the subfloor where the toilet will eventually sit. The tub was surprisingly easy to clean. Nothing really sticks to it: not tape, not mortar, not grout. Silicone does stick though.

The shower is now functional! I took the first shower and have to admit that it was perhaps the best shower I have ever had in my life! Going almost four weeks without one made this one extra special. My spouse also got to take a shower. She was disappointed in the shower's water pressure. I'll try to address that tomorrow. The shower wand has a flow control in it. Our two kids got to take a bath as well. They had a great time!

I taped plastic on to the floor to provide a little protection should some water find its way out of the shower. The plastic will help keep the subfloor dry and our feet clean. I also hung a new shower curtain that my spouse bought well over a year ago. It looks very nice!

Tub Walls and Tile

The tile contractor started last Thursday. He got the HardiBacker concrete board up the first day and some tile. I had to move the valve back an inch that evening though because it was too far forward to allow the wall board to lay flat. It was a moderately easy fix, and that allowed the contractor to re-install the board flat the next day and install more tile.

He left his tile saw and tools so that I could install more tile over the weekend, but I only did a little bit as I was pretty tired of all the work I'd done over the previous week. Plus my father-in-law was in town and we spent some time doing family stuff like picking pumpkins.

The contractor finished installing most of the time on Monday and then grouted on Tuesday. The grout needs to set for 72 hours and then we can shower! The faucet spout, valve handle, and shower connection can all be installed after 24 hours, but a couple of holes need to be drilled for the shower adjustment bar and that can't happen until after 72 hours.

The tile was very difficult to work with. It was cheap ceramic tile and if we could do it over we'd pick a higher quality porcelain tile. We had initially wanted to do a dark contrasting grout, but we changed our minds after the tile started getting installed. We feel the white grout hides some of the problems that the tile gave us.

We're thinking that we might try to do the tile on the floor in this bathroom ourselves as well as in the master bathroom. And we might try to do tighter grout joints. We'll have to do a little research first though.

Tub and Plumbing Installed

I installed the tub (and framed around it). I also connected the drain. Then I installed valve and all the connections for the shower. I flushed the valve (as the instructions told me to) and then tested all the joints for leaks. No leaks. Yay!

We chose a Hansgrohe valve as well as the other pieces of the shower. We're pretty excited to use it! The controls for the temperature, pressure, and diverter are really slick. We're also installing a height adjustable shower head.

Tile for Hall Bath Shower

We picked the tile for the hall bath shower. It's a 2x4 white mini subway tile. Off the shelf at Home Depot. The house up the street that we visited to see the contractor's work used them. They're nice. The contractors don't like installing them because they are fussy. We're going to use a dark gray grout with them. The contrast should be quite nice.

New Tub

Just a quick update on the bathroom remodel.

So far I have:

• Demolished the old subfloor and wall framing
• Removed sixty 5 gallon buckets of dirt from under the house to make room for me to work
• Sistered three joists
• Removed rot from two joists
• Installed new subfloor (except around the toilet area)
• Prepared the tub drain plumbing to receive the tub
• Carried the new tub into the bathroom (with the help of a friend)

The new tub seems nice.

My next steps are to reframe the walls around the tub, set the tub, and install the plumbing components for the tub and shower.

We will got buy tile tomorrow. Hopefully.

Good-bye Old Steel Pipe Plumbing

One of the very first things we did when we moved into the house was convert all the hot water lines to PEX because they were corroded to the point that there was virtually no water pressure. This fire drill to get the hall bath back up and running has given us the opportunity to convert the last of the cold water valves (the shower and toilets) from steel pipe to PEX. Now whenever we see a steel pipe we can cut it with my reciprocating saw (a.k.a. the light saber) because they are defunct!

Good-bye old steel plumbing.

Hello new PEX plumbing. I've love you, SharkBite!

The first round of PEX was installed using Rehau fittings. The tools required to install the fittings were rented for $130 a day and they were not that easy to use. We have been using SharkBite fittings for the rest of the plumbing conversion and really appreciate the ease of use and time savings they offer.

Hall Bath Hell

It's really only sort of hell. An odd sort of livable hell. The hope is that it will turn into heaven in the next few weeks.

Here's the situation:
Ever since we moved into the rat hole, we've had issues with the bathrooms. Even bleached, de-mildewed, etc., several times, they've always been semi-horrific. The tile surround for the tub in the hall bath in particular has been awful, slowly collapsing in on itself even after a couple of repairs. We knew the deteriorating tile was trouble, but we limped it along.

Then we decided for our ten-year wedding anniversary that we would finally do something about it. Since we intended to completely redo the bathroom someday, we opted for a temporary solution of a plastic tub surround. We found one we could live with for a couple of years and purchased it. The plan was to put up the surround, redo the master bathroom next fall/winter, then redo the hall bathroom the year after. That way we'd always have functional bathing facilities.

We opened the walls in the hall bathroom and found horror.

Ok, so it wasn't so bad, nor was it unexpected. Lots of old insect damage and rot, but nothing that looked recent. We (and when I say "we" I really mean my spouse) cleaned out the detritus, tore out the studs, and really examined the damage. We figured we could reframe, replumb, and be on our way.

 Before and After Demolition

Then the tub sunk into the subfloor, which was rotten. The leaks over the years had degraded the subfloor on one side of the tub. My spouse stepped in the tub, and down it went. It's not like the subfloor catastrophically let go, but it was a definite "oh, crap" sort of moment. We looked at the tub, which we had planned on keeping and refinishing, talked about ways to move the cast-iron beast in order to look at/repair the subfloor, and finally decided to get another opinion.

We talked to a contractor. He said ditch the tub and replace the subfloor. Just put plastic over the tub and whack it with a sledgehammer until it shattered. We figured it wouldn't take that long, and then we'd rest easier knowing just how bad the subfloor situation was. Our little sledge didn't work, so we borrowed a big one from a neighbor. Porcelain shards of danger were safely captured by the plastic. The broken cast iron smelled sort of like welding.

Two and a half hours later we have two small children melting down from exhaustion and we are totally fried, but the tub was gone. Unfortunately our hall bath toilet was also a casualty. Our crappy half-bath in the master bathroom was now our only bathroom. Good thing both bathrooms were now just one big room, I guess.

The good news is that the subfloor damage doesn't look too extensive. We also found a contractor that can help us get it up and running, hopefully in a couple of weeks. We just bought a fancy-schmancy shower/tub faucet/valve set, a new tub is on its way, and we're thinking we'll just say screw it and make the hall bath what we wanted it to be in a few years. Although the thought of going into debt right before we were going to try to finance our bigger additions makes me feel a little ill, we'll figure something out. It will be AMAZING to have a bathroom that I don't shudder upon entering every single time.

So, we'll see how it goes. My spouse will work on reframing, replumbing, etc. to prep for the contractors. Hopefully we can find someone to help watch the kiddos during the day so it goes more quickly. In the meantime, I'll be showering at the local YMCA. I'm advocating bathing the kids in a big galvanized washtub in the kitchen. Living rough in the rat hole once again!

Shed Extension - As Is VS Proposed

It has been about three years since I last worked on the shed. I got  the three compartments functional and had the take a break to work on Arlo's bedroom. My intention was to get back to it the next year and add extensions on both ends that had ground level paver floors. I'm going to try and get the roof up on each extension before winter this year. The previous post showed the work I did for the post bases for the new extensions.

Here are some images that I pulled from the SketchUp model that I built (so I could figure out how much wood I was going to need to build the shed).

Front - As Is

Front - with Proposed Extensions

View of As Is from NW Corner 

 View of Proposed from NW Corner

View of Proposed with Pavers from NW Corner