Bath remodel help

State43

Well-Known Member
Nov 22, 2010
17,201
3,519
113
Omaha, NE
Okay, so i decided to take thurs and friday off along with the weekend to tear out my shower tile, pedistal sink and tile floor and replace them and now realize the goal to be done by sunday night doesn't look promising. After day 1, I yanked all the shower tile off besides some pesky pieces around the shower window. I removed the cement board as well along with the same for the floor. I knew there was some leaking from this bath to the bath below and found it to be around the toilet along with it being about 1/3" deeper. Looking at the baseboard, there appears to be some rot. Anyone know how I would replace the baseboard around the toilet drain or if I should I just poor thinset around that area till it's level, let it dry and then place the new cement board down?
 

Scott34

Well-Known Member
Mar 16, 2007
3,721
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Cedar Rapids
If your putting tile on the floor, you could cut the tile in half and install that as your baseboard. If your wanting wood base, it just depends on if your putting down painted or oak base.
 

Acylum

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2006
14,357
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Did you find the leak? As long as you're doing all the other work I would pull the toilet, check that the mounting bolts or screws are still solid, and put in a new wax ring.
 

cyrobb

Member
Jan 1, 2012
161
4
18
46
Pleasant Hill
what year is your house? Do you have boards that run at an angle? Or is it plywood? If the toliet ring is in good shape and is sturdy then new sub floor should be okay as long as you are spanning less than 3". If you have cast iron pipe it is a good idea to make sure it did not get cracked. When you put down the new toliet do not use the wax ring that comes with a toliet and instead pay for the thickest one with heavier gauge stool bolts. Good luck on your project.
 

BKLYNCyclone

Well-Known Member
Sep 16, 2007
2,122
104
63
Twin Cities, MN
Eff it... Pull the toilet, replumb the waste to the wall, install a geberit chair carrier, and install a duravit wall mounted toilet (preferably a stark 3) with a soft closing lid. You'll thank me later when you never have to clean another wad of dust/pubes off around the toilet mounting bolts, ever... Seriously, look into it. If you can make the chair carrier work in your wall you'll be a very happy fellow.
 

Vicarious

Member
Feb 6, 2012
51
1
8
Iowa
OK, since you thought you could do this project in a weekend I'm going to assume you have never really remodeled before. You are going to need to do a lot of homework and you should stop asking remodeling Q's on CF. The John Bridge tile forum is excellent for help with tiling Tile Floors, Ceramic and Stone Tiles, How-to | Tile Your World. Gardenweb is also good, maybe in their bath forum or remodeling forum, you can learn a lot just by lurking.

You are also going to need to learn some construction basics, including but limited to learning terms and understanding what you are looking at. If you don't prep the subflooring properly you are wasting both your time and money so don't rush through this. And don't assume the previous builder knew what they were doing.

Since you already have a problem with a leak you need to make sure this issue is fixed first. You might also try to talk to someone in person, maybe at a tile store (I would not recommend a big box store, the help can be spotty at best) or a plumber. There is no shame in subing out part of the job. Good luck.
 

State43

Well-Known Member
Nov 22, 2010
17,201
3,519
113
Omaha, NE
Did you find the leak? As long as you're doing all the other work I would pull the toilet, check that the mounting bolts or screws are still solid, and put in a new wax ring.

The leak appears to be dry. I believe it was just runoff that seeped through the broken tile.
 

State43

Well-Known Member
Nov 22, 2010
17,201
3,519
113
Omaha, NE
what year is your house? Do you have boards that run at an angle? Or is it plywood? If the toliet ring is in good shape and is sturdy then new sub floor should be okay as long as you are spanning less than 3". If you have cast iron pipe it is a good idea to make sure it did not get cracked. When you put down the new toliet do not use the wax ring that comes with a toliet and instead pay for the thickest one with heavier gauge stool bolts. Good luck on your project.

It's just a plywood subfloor
 

BKLYNCyclone

Well-Known Member
Sep 16, 2007
2,122
104
63
Twin Cities, MN
And don't assume the previous builder knew what they were doing.

No doubt. If you would see what I've seen during remodels, you'd definitely never trust the guy that built your house again. I've seen some crazy stuff, especially in NYC. However, one of the craziest I've ever seen is in my own house. There is a 6x6 cedar post that I assumed was holding up the roof corner at my covered deck. I leaned against it only to find that the bottom was swinging freely. Took a look and there was definitely a sonotube, but the concrete mix they poured was crap and it was flaking off big time. My roof has essentially been cantilevering 12' for what I'm assuming is a few years (I just moved in last November and am renting from stepbrother, so never inspected anything). Jacked up the roof and put temporary blocks underneath but I'm probably going to have to pull out the sonotube and replace it before winter... Fun. Still not sure why there was no sign of a post anchor.
 

State43

Well-Known Member
Nov 22, 2010
17,201
3,519
113
Omaha, NE
OK, since you thought you could do this project in a weekend I'm going to assume you have never really remodeled before. You are going to need to do a lot of homework and you should stop asking remodeling Q's on CF. The John Bridge tile forum is excellent for help with tiling Tile Floors, Ceramic and Stone Tiles, How-to | Tile Your World. Gardenweb is also good, maybe in their bath forum or remodeling forum, you can learn a lot just by lurking.

You are also going to need to learn some construction basics, including but limited to learning terms and understanding what you are looking at. If you don't prep the subflooring properly you are wasting both your time and money so don't rush through this. And don't assume the previous builder knew what they were doing.

Since you already have a problem with a leak you need to make sure this issue is fixed first. You might also try to talk to someone in person, maybe at a tile store (I would not recommend a big box store, the help can be spotty at best) or a plumber. There is no shame in subing out part of the job. Good luck.
Wow, it was just a judgement question on one particular issue. I have done a lot of planning and looking into it but I have never demo a bath and was looking for a 2nd opinion. Everything in yanked in the bath. I pulled up all tile and cement board. Just mulling over what to do with the sligh dip and small dry rot area by toilet. And to be fair, it's 4 and a half days. :twitcy:
 

cyrobb

Member
Jan 1, 2012
161
4
18
46
Pleasant Hill
If its a small area new cement board and tile will float the dry rot with no problem. SMALL AREA*** as in less than a square foot. You could use some floor leveler under your cement board if a slight dip bothers you, otherwise you can build up your morter bed on the tile. The second is a little harder if youn haven't done this type of stuff before. That is normally what I do as a building/remodel contractor. as a side note it is easier to increase morter bed if using larger tile, the smaller the tile get the harder to float in a depression in the floor.

Sounds like you're on the right track, but 4.5 days for a gut and redo doesn't seem long enough, but normally I take t down tostuds and do rewire and new plumbing, add heaed floor, walk in showers, etc. so if ts just tile aye not too bad. Make sure to get some pics up so we can judge your work!
 

cysox2

Member
Nov 30, 2011
385
13
18
Newhall
As long as you've got it exposed I'd replace the dry rot, especially if you are setting a toilet on it. It's really not too difficult or time consuming and can save you a headache down the road.
 

State43

Well-Known Member
Nov 22, 2010
17,201
3,519
113
Omaha, NE
If its a small area new cement board and tile will float the dry rot with no problem. SMALL AREA*** as in less than a square foot. You could use some floor leveler under your cement board if a slight dip bothers you, otherwise you can build up your morter bed on the tile. The second is a little harder if youn haven't done this type of stuff before. That is normally what I do as a building/remodel contractor. as a side note it is easier to increase morter bed if using larger tile, the smaller the tile get the harder to float in a depression in the floor.

Sounds like you're on the right track, but 4.5 days for a gut and redo doesn't seem long enough, but normally I take t down tostuds and do rewire and new plumbing, add heaed floor, walk in showers, etc. so if ts just tile aye not too bad. Make sure to get some pics up so we can judge your work!

Thanks for the input. I am using 13x13 tile. I have tiled a couple places in my basement. When you say build up the mortarbed, do you mean just level the area with thinnest and lay the tile level having a thicker layer of thinset keeping the tile level? It is less then a square foot.
 

State43

Well-Known Member
Nov 22, 2010
17,201
3,519
113
Omaha, NE
As long as you've got it exposed I'd replace the dry rot, especially if you are setting a toilet on it. It's really not too difficult or time consuming and can save you a headache down the road.

I have never replace a piece of subfloor around a toilet before so that idea made me a bit nervous.
 

Vicarious

Member
Feb 6, 2012
51
1
8
Iowa
Wow, it was just a judgement question on one particular issue. I have done a lot of planning and looking into it but I have never demo a bath and was looking for a 2nd opinion. Everything in yanked in the bath. I pulled up all tile and cement board. Just mulling over what to do with the sligh dip and small dry rot area by toilet. And to be fair, it's 4 and a half days. :twitcy:

I wasn't trying to critisize, I was just observing. If you reread your initial post it sounds like someone who watched an episode of HGTV and started tearing things out.

Your responses since then are more encouraging but when you asked about just covering up your damaged floor it sent up a huge red flag as does your hesitancy to just replace the subfloor. Is the crack in the tile over the unlevel spot in your floor? Larger floor tiles like you are using require super flat surfaces. And seriously, run your 2nd opinions past a regular tile forum, I'm not trying to be mean or rude I feel it would be in your best interest to do it right the first time.
 

TXCyclones

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Sep 13, 2011
11,415
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TX
It's just a plywood subfloor

The leaking is likely from the wax ring at the base of the toilet. The way to determine if the subfloor needs replaced is to stand over the toilet with the bowl between your knees (seriously) and try to rock the toilet side to side. If it moves it means that it needs to be pulled, subfloor replaced, then the cement board put in place, then tiled, then new wax ring set in place, then the toilet put pack in. You can buy extended bolts and extended wax rings to account for the cement board height.
 

State43

Well-Known Member
Nov 22, 2010
17,201
3,519
113
Omaha, NE
I wasn't trying to critisize, I was just observing. If you reread your initial post it sounds like someone who watched an episode of HGTV and started tearing things out.

Your responses since then are more encouraging but when you asked about just covering up your damaged floor it sent up a huge red flag as does your hesitancy to just replace the subfloor. Is the crack in the tile over the unlevel spot in your floor? Larger floor tiles like you are using require super flat surfaces. And seriously, run your 2nd opinions past a regular tile forum, I'm not trying to be mean or rude I feel it would be in your best interest to do it right the first time.
I jsut posted over there so hopefully they can help me out. I just knew there was some handy peoples here, so I thought i would try it out.
 

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