WWA Info Exchange

For Woodworkers By Woodworkers
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 3:41 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: What I've been up to ...
PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2018 5:18 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:44 am
Posts: 3951
Location: Skagit Co WA
Feeling rather guilty of all take and no give I figured I otta put something up here on the board. Since it hardly classifies as find woodworking I'll put it here.

The last stage of this remodel from he!! finally caught up to me, or rather I finally realized I better attend to it rather than retain an expensive divorce layer. The downstairs bathroom has been begging for attention lo these last 23-13 years.

Demolition started innocently enough but I soon realized that whoever installed the ceramic tile countertop and back splash had no intention of ever having it taken out. For anyone who knows about old school tile work, this was all mud set meaning the tile was bedded in portland cement plaster for the back splash and dry pack mortar for the deck. Once cured out and grouted, the bed and tile become as one, about an inch thick usually. The mortar in both cases is floated over expanded metal plaster lath as reinforcing.

Now in all the years that I worked as a tile setter, I did have the opportunity to work with some older journeymen that taught me the trade as it used to be practiced. But never in all those days did I ever help or install anything like I encountered with this little bathroom vanity. The metal lath for the splash was screwed! to the studs with 1" screws. It's usually just nailed. The lath under the deck was attached with some of the heaviest gauge and wickedest staples I've ever seen along with nails nails. Quite obviously I ended up destroying the drywall in the process of removing the spash:

Attachment:
demo 01.jpg
demo 01.jpg [ 288.5 KiB | Viewed 2842 times ]


Aside from that, the vanity cabinet itself appears to have been built in place. I say that since the plywood side and back panels were nailed to the wall in places you wouldn't be able to access if it had been installed as a pre-built box. So that came out in pieces and splinters as well.

This gave me some hope that the adjacent shower might be in good condition and be salvageable. Old school mud work like this usually lasts a lifetime. However my worst fears were realized when I removed enough drywall to get a look at the sill plate of the shower framing. At the bottom corner of the door there's some rot that indicates the shower pan most likely has leaked in the past.

Attachment:
corner rot.jpg
corner rot.jpg [ 363.46 KiB | Viewed 2842 times ]


At this point I just don't have the energy to tear the whole thing out and re-do. I'm inclined to have a pint and call it a day.

_________________
Nullum Gratuitum Prandium

Cheers - Dennis


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 2:06 am 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 14, 1998 12:01 am
Posts: 5497
Location: Tyaak, Victoria Australia
Bummer Dennis,
Still good on you for saving the marriage :D .

Cheers,
Eric


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:31 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 1:01 am
Posts: 4044
Location: Rolling Meadows, IL. USA
Remember that plumbing takes no less than 6 trips to the hardware store!?!

_________________
"It is not a mistake it is a learning experience"
Monte


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:03 pm 
Offline
Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:44 am
Posts: 3951
Location: Skagit Co WA
I'm dragging my feet since I've never had much luck with compression fittings. Taking them apart isn't the problem; getting them not to leak once re-installed, that's another matter.

_________________
Nullum Gratuitum Prandium

Cheers - Dennis


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 8:22 pm 
Offline
Veteran

Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:55 pm
Posts: 2371
Location: ridley park, PA
Well Dennis there is an upside here.

Now Ron realizes that he's not the only one who is having one of those lives!

I'm sure it will all work out!

_________________
"To all those who work come moments of beauty unseen by the rest of the world." Norman Maclean


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 34 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group