I usually just shut the main off too. It’s safer than hoping a supply valve holds.
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Bathroom Remodel Feb 2018
- Thread starter Huntn
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I should have wrote master valve, but anyway you found it. The laundry room is a good place for it, plenty of room for a softener. If you install a softener, you will have to do some plumbing anyway. Have a new valve ready if needed.
Sorry about your loss. A suicide is hard to handle.
Day 6: Whirlpool Tub Removed
Ran into our first surprise with the realization that the "decorative" 6x5" post in the corner of the tub between the two windows is structural and not decorative... The windows are pushed out creating a space on the outside of the post, where the post represents the true corner of the building. The good thing is that I figured this out before trying to cut it out.
The bad thing is that we have about 4" less on two sides than I anticipated having which, I the new tub should still fit but will be a tighter fit.
The technical challenge with installing a new tub that has a drain in the center vs on the end, is having to jack out the floor to move the drain over to the center of the tub. One question I'll ask is the original drain I assume includes a trap in the concrete or in the sand below the concrete. Should I put a second trap in under the new drain location, or just use an angled piece of pipe to run over from the original trap to the new drain location?
These three items have been a big help (cutting the tub), lower back support, and respirator (a must):
[doublepost=1520799776][/doublepost]
Ran into our first surprise with the realization that the "decorative" 6x5" post in the corner of the tub between the two windows is structural and not decorative... The windows are pushed out creating a space on the outside of the post, where the post represents the true corner of the building. The good thing is that I figured this out before trying to cut it out.
The bad thing is that we have about 4" less on two sides than I anticipated having which, I the new tub should still fit but will be a tighter fit.
The technical challenge with installing a new tub that has a drain in the center vs on the end, is having to jack out the floor to move the drain over to the center of the tub. One question I'll ask is the original drain I assume includes a trap in the concrete or in the sand below the concrete. Should I put a second trap in under the new drain location, or just use an angled piece of pipe to run over from the original trap to the new drain location?
Thanks. Over in PRSI, I plan on starting a separate thread, if one does not already exist on the topic (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/suicide-epidemic.2109662/).
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Day 7- Removed Mirror the hard way, Concrete Button where Whirlpool tub was, plus sinks and counter tops.
The whirlpool concrete stabilization hump (the round thing ?) removed
with a tile chisel, it popped right off.
Almost got the 90" mirror out in one piece...
I got to break glass with a hammer, no injuries.
Sink and counters removed- heavy suckers.
The whirlpool concrete stabilization hump (the round thing ?) removed
with a tile chisel, it popped right off.
Almost got the 90" mirror out in one piece...
I got to break glass with a hammer, no injuries.
Sink and counters removed- heavy suckers.
Protip: Cover your mirror in strong tape and then break if you must break. The mirror in our master was stuck and we did it that way. We, and by that I mean the contractors, were able to pull it off in large chunks using thick gloves. I then used a glass breaker to cut out some decent pieces and saved them. I think we were able to recover around 80% of the mirror in various sizes.
In the old days, it was much easier since the mirrors all floated in homes via a wood frame around it. Remove one size and slide it out.
In the old days, it was much easier since the mirrors all floated in homes via a wood frame around it. Remove one size and slide it out.
What’s interesting was the difference between safety glass, my shower which broke into a multitude of small mostly harmless pieces, while the mirror broke into large, artery cutting dagger-like shards.
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Laminate sheet or the tempered kind? With the tape, you can use it all glass products. Obviously you'll want to avoid painter's tape since it isn't very strong. Any residue can be cleaned up with acetone or rubbing alcohol. It's great because even if you intentionally drop it, it all sticks together with maybe a few small pieces you'll want to clean up. I broke a glass a few months ago out of carelessness and used my dying shop vac to clean it up and then dump it into a trash bag lined with newspaper. I've cut myself a few times with glass and once with obsidian. In terms of pain, the obsidian cut was less painful.What’s interesting was the difference between safety glass, my shower which broke into a multitude of small pieces mostly harmless pieces, while the mirror broke in to large, artery cutting dagger-like shards.
First time I've heard that term. I think for the glass we couldn't use because it was either irregular or too small, the contractors whipped up with what had to be plaster of Paris and threw the glass and dirt into it, let it cool and threw that into the huge trash container we'd rented out. The type a truck takes away. It protects landfill workers or whoever sorts stuff if they even do it.
We tried to be as efficient as possible in recovering materials instead of plain dumping them.
I’ve pulled off the old compression fitting on the copper pipes that feed the backroom sinks. And purchased some SharkBite fitting to seal the pipes before I make a final decision, which most likely will be more brass compression fittings. My understanding is the SharkBite have a 25 year warranty. It’s been reported, and frankly I can’t believe it, is that some people are using them in concealed inaccessible locations. Now for this application, they would be assessable, so I’m still thinking about using them as a permanent solution.
Thoughts? Thanks!
Thoughts? Thanks!
Just popped 4 SharkBite fittings on my water pipes. Wow, was that easy and they are not leaking.
[doublepost=1521149901][/doublepost]Day 8- Removed the Cabinets and ripped out the drywall behind them.
Pictures later.
- I found that there were areas where the insulation was bunched up leaving spots where there was no insulation.
- I noticed some small piles of black granules, and a bunch of black smears on the insulation and on some wood. I'm thinking this could be bug poop, found 1 live roach in the wall, but no dead roaches.
- I found a hole done during construction in the sheathing that surrounds the house frame, where it is open to the brick that is the outside wall of this house. This is a clear route for bugs to enter the interior of the house. I'm thinking foam that?
- And I found two cold water pipes (1/2" copper) coming up out of the concrete foundation hooking into the same cold water line for the bathroom. One of them looked a little crimped and instead of disconnecting the first pipe, I'm guessing 1) they ran a second pipe, 2) unless one them is bringing water in, and the other one, goes back under the concrete to the other corner of the bathroom to catch the shower.
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Solder (sweat) joints aren’t all that hard to do!Just popped 4 SharkBite fittings on my water pipes. Wow, was that easy and they are not leaking.
I know that. But these were intended as temporary seals. I plan on using either solder or compression fittings.
I was, but since then I did some research and I’m leaning towards solder, or compression fittings. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the advice.
Requesting advice:
I have two tasks associated with this bathroom remodel, I have to remove floor tile, mastic, and I have to jack the concrete floor to move the tub drain. Should I be using a cheap air hammer for the tile, or would an electric demo hammer serve for both? I look at the air hammer as blowing a lot of dust around, but acknowledge that both will produce a lot of dust.
https://www.amazon.com/XtremepowerU...F8&qid=1521295655&sr=1-3&keywords=demo+hammer
https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-02845A...F8&qid=1521295655&sr=1-5&keywords=demo+hammer
https://www.amazon.com/Ingersoll-Ra...rd_wg=5Psvd&psc=1&refRID=FHYDNPK8E4807T0TMKNV
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AK1IKR...IZ&pd_rd_r=HNT7RPEAP0TTG14YZV92&pd_rd_w=Q1XLf
And there is this:
https://www.amazon.com/Hiltex-10513...rd_wg=pY9WF&psc=1&refRID=D8A8F1MBCXF23DTRGXCQ
I have two tasks associated with this bathroom remodel, I have to remove floor tile, mastic, and I have to jack the concrete floor to move the tub drain. Should I be using a cheap air hammer for the tile, or would an electric demo hammer serve for both? I look at the air hammer as blowing a lot of dust around, but acknowledge that both will produce a lot of dust.
https://www.amazon.com/XtremepowerU...F8&qid=1521295655&sr=1-3&keywords=demo+hammer
https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-02845A...F8&qid=1521295655&sr=1-5&keywords=demo+hammer
https://www.amazon.com/Ingersoll-Ra...rd_wg=5Psvd&psc=1&refRID=FHYDNPK8E4807T0TMKNV
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AK1IKR...IZ&pd_rd_r=HNT7RPEAP0TTG14YZV92&pd_rd_w=Q1XLf
And there is this:
https://www.amazon.com/Hiltex-10513...rd_wg=pY9WF&psc=1&refRID=D8A8F1MBCXF23DTRGXCQ
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One will work as well as the other. The tile should be easy to pop up, but the old thinset will be tedious.
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Batt fiberglass insulation Vs foam sheets?
Outside wall of the house, would you be using R-13 batt insulation or foam sheets that run between R4-6 per inch? Looking at the current batt insulation, because of the pipes in some places it’s squished up, reducing it’s insulation properties, and in others there are gaps where there is no insulation. I’m thinking foam.
Thanks. I watched a video of the rotary hammer which seemed to rip through floor tile and the mastic like it was butter. My brother who works construction says the rotary hammer can be used to jack up the floor, although a larger jack hammer would be easier. I’m debating if I should be renting this or buying it. What is nice is that there is already a hole where the current drain pops up so jacking it out would be chipping away at the existing hole.
Outside wall of the house, would you be using R-13 batt insulation or foam sheets that run between R4-6 per inch? Looking at the current batt insulation, because of the pipes in some places it’s squished up, reducing it’s insulation properties, and in others there are gaps where there is no insulation. I’m thinking foam.
Thanks. I watched a video of the rotary hammer which seemed to rip through floor tile and the mastic like it was butter. My brother who works construction says the rotary hammer can be used to jack up the floor, although a larger jack hammer would be easier. I’m debating if I should be renting this or buying it. What is nice is that there is already a hole where the current drain pops up so jacking it out would be chipping away at the existing hole.
Looking for a good Rotary Hammer to remove floor tile and do some concrete drilling
I went out venturing today, first to a pawn shop to see just what kind of good deals they had for rotary hammers, none. When a hammer is listed as retail at $180 and they are selling it for $140 and it looks like it has the hell beat out of it, well, it's not that good of a deal, especially with the cheaper models whostart their brief lives on death's door due to cheapness.
Then I went over to Harbor Freight, that some of you are familiar with and looked at their Bauch brand models. They had a $94 and a $149 model. I had to figure out what bits that went to which hammers, because the people there, none of them, including the manager knew a thing about them. I figured out the difference between SDS, SDS+, and SDS MAX (bit shaft types) so you'll see a rotary hammers listed as SDS, SDS+ or SDA Max (a physically larger diameter bit). And my understanding there are other standards like "spline"? Anyway word has it that SDS and SDS+ bits are interchangeable.
Then I started to read the reviews of these cheap off brand hammers and got scared. Things like they broke on the first day, and the replacement model started smelling like electrical after a short term of use. I decided to go with a known brand and picked the DeWalt off this list primarily because of it's shock absorption features, although I almost went with the Bosch Bulldog, and I still stayed towards the inexpensive side:
https://morningchores.com/best-rotary-hammer-drill/
It should arrive in a few days.
I went out venturing today, first to a pawn shop to see just what kind of good deals they had for rotary hammers, none. When a hammer is listed as retail at $180 and they are selling it for $140 and it looks like it has the hell beat out of it, well, it's not that good of a deal, especially with the cheaper models whostart their brief lives on death's door due to cheapness.
Then I went over to Harbor Freight, that some of you are familiar with and looked at their Bauch brand models. They had a $94 and a $149 model. I had to figure out what bits that went to which hammers, because the people there, none of them, including the manager knew a thing about them. I figured out the difference between SDS, SDS+, and SDS MAX (bit shaft types) so you'll see a rotary hammers listed as SDS, SDS+ or SDA Max (a physically larger diameter bit). And my understanding there are other standards like "spline"? Anyway word has it that SDS and SDS+ bits are interchangeable.
Then I started to read the reviews of these cheap off brand hammers and got scared. Things like they broke on the first day, and the replacement model started smelling like electrical after a short term of use. I decided to go with a known brand and picked the DeWalt off this list primarily because of it's shock absorption features, although I almost went with the Bosch Bulldog, and I still stayed towards the inexpensive side:
https://morningchores.com/best-rotary-hammer-drill/
It should arrive in a few days.
You could have rented one... The most fun I ever had tools wise was using a Ramset. That thing is very fun and easy to use. Super fun stuff.
Great for solid foundations, actually. Makes what took hours to do take only a single hour. Definitely rental material since you won't ever need one unless you work construction or really enjoy wasting money and nailing concrete or solid stone.
Great for solid foundations, actually. Makes what took hours to do take only a single hour. Definitely rental material since you won't ever need one unless you work construction or really enjoy wasting money and nailing concrete or solid stone.
Yes, well, if Imunderstoid it correctly, the cost of a rotary hamner at Home Depot was $80+ per day- $60 for the unit, $20 for a Blade/bit, not including insurance, but not sure if that was required or not.
I guess if you did not buy that and broke the machine, they’d expect you to buy them a new one ($500+).That will work on the tile, but will take forever on the slab, with a chisel bit. Instead use it as it was designed, as a hammer drill. Get a good masonry drill bit and drill a series of holes to your new drain, then use a 20 lb sledge to to knock it out. A sawzall might come in handy, if you run into some concrete wire mesh.
Or rent an electric jack hammer.
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I watched a video where a rotary hammer dug into a concrete foundation slab energetically. Now that I’ve made a purchase, besides popping up the tile, I’ll check and see how well it can dig a trench in concrete. I also like the idea of drilling holes along a path and then jacking out what is in between using a chisel or pointed bit. Worse comes to worse and a jack hammer can be rented.
Drain Trap Question
I assume there is an existing trap under the current tub drain. I’m going to be moving the that drain about 2’ to accomodate the new tub, and I’m wondering if the current pipe allows, should I leave the current trap where it is, running a slightly sloped pipes over to the new drain or it it important that the trap be moved so it’s directly under the new tub drain location?
Use the old trap as long as you have a 1/2" drop in that 2'. A drain should drop 1/4"/ft
Day 9-10- Removed floor tile with a Dewalt Rotary Hammer. It was amazing.
Day 11-13- Installed foam insulation board. I decided that with the way the insulation was stuffed into irregular spaces, that the foam was the way to go. I used a combination of 2" and 1" (3" total) pink foam with a rating of R5 per inch which is R2 greater than the batt insulation (R13). But I also noticed gaps in how the batt insulation was installed.
I also discovered why I had a cockroach party (the large ones that live outside primarily) under my enclosed tub. Too many holes behind the insulation directly to the outside of the house into where the brick is. That will be sealed with spray foam along with sealing the foam board around the edges with spray insulation foam.
Day 11-13- Installed foam insulation board. I decided that with the way the insulation was stuffed into irregular spaces, that the foam was the way to go. I used a combination of 2" and 1" (3" total) pink foam with a rating of R5 per inch which is R2 greater than the batt insulation (R13). But I also noticed gaps in how the batt insulation was installed.
I also discovered why I had a cockroach party (the large ones that live outside primarily) under my enclosed tub. Too many holes behind the insulation directly to the outside of the house into where the brick is. That will be sealed with spray foam along with sealing the foam board around the edges with spray insulation foam.