When A Bathroom Renovation Is Required...

 I worked yesterday.   And I was planning on making this blog post about Mushrooms.  However, the bathroom issue has been pushed to the front of the line this weekend.   I have been thinking and planning on tackling the project for a few weeks now....  Ever since I learned that the toilet was leaking.    From there,  It has been a:  "What do I do first?" type of thinking.   

The problem must have been an issue for a long time.   And, after watching lots of plumber videos on You tube,  I'm pretty sure I know how it has come to this:   A rotted Subfloor under Tile!    The story goes something like this...

Landlord gets complaints from tenants.   Landlord hires a plumber to "stop the Leak!"  Plumber tells landlord that a leaking toilet will probably have subfloor issues and they will need to replace the subfloor before it gets worse.   This includes the expense of ripping up the tile!  

Landlord refuses fixing the issue and demands the "band-aid" of making the leaking stop.  Plumber lifts up toilet and puts on another wax ring.   Buttons up the toilet...   And leaves knowing he will be called upon in a month or two.  

So that is probably the reason why this place has been neglected for so long.  

But it's mine now!  And I want to fix it!    But I'm not a plumber ( yet!)   Nor a Carpenter!  (Yet!)  So I have to learn everything on the fly and pray that any issue that arises will not be catastrophic! 

Hey!  At least I will know it was stupidity instead of malicious neglect.   (Somehow that sounds like a better reason for failure....) 

I have been setting up my plan and was going to begin it this weekend.   But they asked me to come into work yesterday,  so I had to scale back my expectations.   Even then,  I considered the possibility to kick the issue down the line to next weekend. ( Hoping they don't ask me to come in next Saturday either...) But then I thought of it as breaking it down into smaller tasks.   The only problem with that is that once you tug on  any part of it,   you will be committed!

So can I live without a toilet for a few days?   How about a week?   Will I end up replacing the shower as well?   (The thought had occurred to me. )    But no!   The plan is to replace the subfloor, floor, and toilet.  ( at least for now!)   And from there, we will make adjustments after the leaking stops and the bathroom is fully functional once more. 

The problem is the tile!   That Terrible, Awful Tile!   Why?   Why would anyone put that junk on the floor only to let the toilet leak and ruin the floor underneath?   I can tell you one thing,   This job has now fully cemented me into the "NO BATHROOM TILE ON THE FLOOR!" camp.  I mean,   I once paid $250+  for a fancy hotel room.   And the only thing I could figure that made that room so expensive was that the entire bathroom was tile!   It did not make using the bathroom any more luxurious....   It simply functioned as normal.   Maybe I'm missing something....

Well,  as expected,  pulling up the tile was a nightmare!   And took nearly an hour. ( Maybe more,  I was not really keeping track.) And that was just the beginning! 

There was a Floor under that tile!   And it was "Screwed"  to the subfloor.   

A LOT of screws!

I started out trying to remove them with a drill/screwdriver...  But ended up using the wrecking bar.   Any damage I inflicted on the subfloor I would most likely replace anyway.    And I think it went faster in the end.  

Finally!   The SUBFLOOR!

The damage around the Toilet flange was pretty bad.   What wood remained was spongy,  and I did not want to simply screw new plywood over the top of it.   In fact,  it looks like when they put the tile in,  they raised the floor over the level of the existing cast iron flange.   So they put an extension in ( another flange on top of the flange....)  And double or tripled up on the wax seal! (There was a LOT of wax...)  

I ended up pulling out the vanity sink as well.   I knew I would have to if I wanted to rip up that floor.   And the instal on that was was "great" as well.   

The installer glued the cabinet to the wall.   And dumped about three tubes of caulk all around the open areas.   I no longer have to worry about damaging the walls as I will probably be replacing  most of that as well.  

Eventually,  I found subfloor that was still solid.    And that is when God told me I had better be done for the night.   I think God sends you a sign now and then in your ever day routine... trying to tell you things.   I will skip the details and just say the message was something line:  "You accomplished what you wanted,  Now stop before you hurt yourself!"   And My Guardian Angel made sure I got the message!  Loud and Clear!

So,   Clean things up.   Put tools away.   I'm done for the night.   I know I can take a shower tomorrow and can use the bathroom at Kwik Trip before work if I need to.  This week I will try to install the new subfloor.   And maybe build it up to the level of the subfloor before they buried it in tile!   I think I have an extra half inch of clearance.  I just wonder if I will be able to accomplish anything in the 3-4 hours before I have to head to work tomorrow.  

My hope is to possibly use the original Cast Iron flange that is now exposed.   Unfortunately,  it is not orientated in the direction I had wanted... So I may have to insert another flange and secure that.  

 And I was pricing Toilets at Menhards  while picking up the Plywood.    I know the China Toilet is cheaper and virtually identical to the American Standard one...   But I do like the look of the American Standard.  We shall see when I get there.   And hopefully it will not take too long.   I still have to install the subfloor;  install the new floor;  and install the Toilet back on a new flange!   This could take the rest of the week!  

So I had better make every second count!

Removing/Moving The BEAST!

 Everyday I wake up with a few hours I can dedicate towards a small goal.   Lately,  those goals have been focused around my house and trying to make it modern and livable!   But I have to set realistic expectations on how long each task will take and just how much I can accomplish in any given time frame.   It beats waiting for the Weekend as the only time to tackle a project.  And it is made even more challenging when I have been working a LOT of Saturdays!  

That being said,  The last couple of days I have been removing the tile from the floor in the "Other" room that is no longer there.   There was less water damage on the floor, so breaking up the tiles was a bit more challenging than the "Bar" room.  

But..  I did have all day on Labor day to burn up some more wood and clean up the areas.  Now I just have to wait until the Garbage man picks up   and empties the bin so I can quickly refill it.  ( Which I did already!   At least I was able to free up two more garbage cans. 

But today's task... And the Title and inspiration for the blog post...  Was to remove this HUGE, ancient utility sink near the washer.   I discovered a few days ago that the main water shut off is located behind it.   And with no real reason to keep it where it is,  I wanted to move it.  Should be easy,  Right?

The Challenge!  The #1 Challenge  that was most noticeable was the the darn thing was made of CONCRETE!   Can anyone say "HEAVY!!!"    Honestly,  I'm thinking 500 lbs!

I have moved heavy items  before.   And there are several strategies that can be implemented.   One is get a friend.  Preferably one that is a member of some CrossFIT gym.  If you are lucky,    he will invite one or several gym bro's over and they can move it for you!   

Otherwise,  you can two-man the  BEAST to its new location.   I'm confident an extra set of hands could have "easily" handled the job. ( It still would be heavy.... But Dave and I moved a PIANO!   Not far... admittedly, but we did move it a short distance with just the two of us.) 

Another option is to fall back on any training you might have learned as a mover.   Specifically using mechanical advantage and various tools and techniques to inch a heavy item along to its new destination.   A method that pits the brain against the "Brawny" way...  Challenge accepted!

I guess I could have also attempted to Break the think into smaller pieces.... But that would make a mess and I don't know if I want to actually use it in the future.  

The first rule in solo moving is:  Do No Harm!  Especially to yourself!   I'm not 20 anymore,   and even then,  lifting things that were heavy required a better body than I currently have now....  And I will have to pay the doctor's bill if I get hurt.  

The pleasant surprise I discovered was that this thing was not actually attached to the wall or the stand!  (Or the Plumbing fixtures!)   I was so heavy that the builders must have just thought it required no other need to secure it in place.   Let Gravity do the work!

I could pick it up slightly and slide it a bit.   Each time I would move it with the thought I would slowly inch it down, using items to "break the fall".  Similar to descending stairs...I used a 5 gallon bucket  for support.   

Eventually I got it on the ground,  but then I could not pick it back up! Luckily, I still had my 4 wheeler from the move and was able to rock it around until I could get the sink on it.  I can now roll it around on the floor.  That is good enough for now...  I will think more about option number One or Three if I decide to move it up the stairs...

Now I have to remove the stand.   You would think that would be easy now that the gravity field had been removed, but Oh Noooo!  We were just getting started. 

Either they ran the pipe through the legs of the stand,  or assembled the stand around the shut off valve.  Either way,  It was coming apart if I wanted it moved.  My first thought was to grab the grinder and cut it off,  but I figured that would send sparks flying and was not the best method.   I ran outside for my tool box. 

You would think,  removing a couple rusty bolts would not take very long, but you would be mistaken!   Even when the bolts did move,  the ended up breaking and clogging up my 5/9ths sockets.   And turning them with the wrenches was just slow and frustrating.  

I ended up having to remove all 8 bolts holding the end on before it would slide out.  I now no longer have any functional 5/9ths sockets.  (At least until I spend time trying to remove the broken bolt heads from them....) But the Sink is OFF!

And then I had to head to work.   Time flies by so quickly when you encounter problems.   I just left all of my tools on the floor figure I would pick them up tomorrow.  My new Goal!

Because I volunteered to work tomorrow as well,  so I have only a precious few hours in the morning to accomplish my task.   Hey!  At least most of my tools are now in the house... Instead of the garage.  I guess that is a good thing?

So now, after I post this entry,  I will probably watch a few more Youtube Videos about water replacement valves and re-piping your houses plumbing.  All while trying to get to bed before 2 AM... So I can get some sleep and be ready for tomorrow.  And make every second count!

Putting The "Labor" In Labor Day...

 We had today off from the Haribo!   That being said, I still volunteered to work on Saturday to help out with some organizing.   I didn't know it until the end of that shift that I had managed to put in just over 60 hours this week! 

Oops!

I think you have to have some special authorization if you are going to work that much.  Unless you are salary. ( I think) Well I don't think I have ever been in trouble for working too long for any job where I was employed. Usually they are trying to make overtime Mandatory!   Either way, I think Material Handlers have an open invitation for as much overtime as they can handle.  So I think I should be ok. 

That being said, I spent the last two days working at the "University of Home Ownership."  Most of my classes are "Hands On!" with no instructor.  Meaning,  I have to do my own research and learn my own practical skills.   Motivation is provided by you living on campus!   And you are forced to live with the grade you get.   IN other words:  If you fail,  you get to live in the home with no plumbing or electrical! 

That being said,  you get as many attempts as you want (or have money for)  until you achieve a passing grade.   Or even a grade you actually want!

Currently  I am "happy" with "basic plumbing and electrical."   That being said,  the plumbing leaks and the electrical is all over the place!  ( In other words:  The last owner was happy with a D- as a passing grade)   

But I want to add a little order to this chaos of a house! I want plumbing that works AND does not leak.   And is easy to maintain.   With some updated materials and methods thrown into the mix.   So I have big plans to maximize my education at this University! 

That being said... One class at a time.  

My First class:  The demolition class... Is finally nearing its end with the final removal of the hodge podge rooms that were created by the last owner.  Everything was nailed together.... 

And NOT in the best, most professional way!  It reminded me of that time we discovered an antique furniture that someone had "Nailed" back together....  Only to have it split and become unrepairable. 

Well,   The demolition man does not care about repair!  (Hey!  That Rhymes!)  

My goal over the last two days was to finish up and complete the demo of the main walls.   I was limited by the storage of the debris that was produced.   I have been slowly burning the wood in a small outdoor fireplace.   

The rest of it,  I have to wait until Tuesday  night to put it out on the curb.  I heard that there are "Bulk Pick up" days by the city,  but I don't know if I want to wait for that.  So far, I only have 4 garbage bins filled with drywall and insulation.    The neighbor said I can use his bin too if I need to.  So there are options....

I am impressed that the burning is actually working out... so far.   The HUGE pile of cut 2x2 is slowly disappearing as I go out ever half hour or so and continue to feed the fire.  I Still have to cut up some of the last remaining lumber but I think it will disappear in a similar way without having to be tossed into the bin with the other "Non-Burnable" stuff. 

I nice thing is that, with the walls and rooms finally removed,  I have access to outdoor natural light!   And have finally discovered  the main water chut off for the house!  I can now begin the plumbing classes!  

And there is definitely a reason to advance to that level....  The toilet needs attention.   Whoever installed it before....  Again,   Barely passed!   IT flushed!   And it filled with water.   But it leaks!   And now has  ruined the subfloor underneath.   I will be combining my class  of basic plumbing with some basic carpentry!   I will have to use the demolition skill to remove the tile flooring.   Then cut out the subfloor.   Replace the Subfloor.   Then replace the floor with new flooring before I can install a new toilet.    I think all of these tasks are within my skill set.   

It will just require extra time.   Because I want to do it right.    And,  since I live here,  I don't want to be a failure!  

But time is something I do not seem to have much of these days.   I may have to ask for a PTO day just so I can plan things out.  I don't want to go several days without a flushable toilet!    As it is, I have been peeing in the shower just so  I don't have sewage water trickling down to the basement floor.  ( I have a bucket catching it...still.... Kind of gross! 

All that being said, ( with perhaps, a little too much information added)   it should be understandable now why this project has moved up in priority.  

As for today,   I fixed the dishwasher. (Possibly a separate Blog Post)  Did my laundry. Mowed my yard.   AND I am currently feeding the remining scrap timber into the fire.  The big project will have to wait.  

In the mean time,  I will be planning things out.   It cost nothing to think and plan.   And I can do that without having to take time off from work.   "A Plan of Action!"  And lots of You Tube videos!   

Well,  Better get out and put some more wood on the fire.   With a little luck, I can get the pile down to just the panelling and stuff I have in the basement.   I would not want to miss an opportunity to make every second count.