For questions regarding the room where one bathes or uses the toilet.
5
votes
5answers
15k views
How do I remove a stuck faucet/tap cover?
I've been fixing leaking faucets in a bathroom. There are total six faucets in a bathroom,
two made into a bathroom basin, two made into the wall in the shower tube
and the last two are on the wall ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the best way to install a shower curtain when one wall is sloped
I have a converted attic bedroom with a bathroom. I want to install a curtain rod, but one side of the rod has to connect to a sloped wall (the roof). What would be the best way to install a rod in ...
5
votes
4answers
1k views
How can I finish this “peeled” drywall?
While doing some work in my bathroom, one thing led to another and paint started peeling. I found that under many layers of paint was some wallpaper so it seemed natural to pull...
I started peeling ...
5
votes
2answers
3k views
What are the standard sizes/clearances for bathroom elements?
I expect to be asking several more questions about this project; but I'm starting with a general one, and will get more refined as things develop.
We are working on finishing our basement, which ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
How do you build a “wet room” style bathroom floor?
20 years ago I lived in Sweden, and remember that the bathroom was designed with floors that could tolerate a lot of water. There was a tub & shower head but no shower curtain. The floor sloped to ...
5
votes
2answers
486 views
How to best keep floor vent by shower dry/mold free?
We just moved into a rental home. It turned out after living there for a few weeks that we discovered the vents were innudated with mold. They were so bad the landlord had to replace all the vents in ...
5
votes
1answer
341 views
Should I seal around the base of a bath/shower?
I was planning on putting caulk around the base of my bath/shower, but I have been told by someone that it is preferable not to seal the bottom of a bath as it "prevents it from being able to breath" ...
5
votes
4answers
506 views
How can I protect my hardwood floors from water damage?
I just bought a home with hardwood floors everywhere, including the bathrooms. While this is nice, I worry that they will be damaged by constant exposure to water. Is there anything I can do to ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I secure a toilet bowl to a tile floor?
The bathroom in my house was redone right before I moved in. After moving in, I noticed the toilet is loose. It seems to only stay in place due to it's sheer weight, and it has quite a lot of jostle ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
What is the minimum required distance from a shower to an electrical outlet?
In Fairfax County Virginia, what is the minimum distance that an outlet must be from a shower in the bathroom? Does the minimum distance change if it is GFI outlet?
5
votes
3answers
199 views
How can I brace a bathtub faucet without tearing out the tile wall?
I pulled the trim off of my bathtub faucet to grease a sticky cartridge and I saw that the plastic brackets that were used to secure the pipes to the studs were broken. My shower is tile, so I don't ...
5
votes
3answers
9k views
How do I replace a bathtub drain trip lever?
The trip lever for the drain in my bath tub is very old (I'm guessing 30+ years) and has begun corroding and rusting. It's definitely time to replace it. I plan to replace the entire trip lever along ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
How can I repair a flexible hot water supply hose that is leaking at the nut?
The hot water supply hose under my sink started leaking after I replaced the popup drain on the sink. Apparently I disturbed the hose in some way. It is leaking from just above the nut where it ...
5
votes
4answers
534 views
How can I locate and repair a leak?
We recently bought a 100 year old house that stood uninhabited for 18 months prior to our move. Everything had been properly winterized for the cold winter months (Temperatures can reach -40 C) and ...
5
votes
1answer
224 views
Replacing subfloor in bath
Working on a bathroom remodel project and found rot and water damage to the plywood subfloor around the shower area. The shower is 36" x 36", and the joists are 24" apart and his part of the subfloor ...
5
votes
2answers
172 views
How should I handle bare wooden posts in a wet area?
In a post-and-beam house (built from Douglas Fir), I will have a bathtub right next to a couple of the posts.
Should I be worried about the effect of water on the longevity of the wood?
The other ...
5
votes
1answer
76 views
How to have a free-standing bathtub resurfaced
I have a nice free-standing claw-foot tub. It was re-finished poorly by a previous homeowner and now we're getting white flakes in the water. There are also rust spots in a couple of places.
...
5
votes
1answer
96 views
When tiling a shower surround, how do you transition from backer board to greenrock?
I am remodeling a bathroom and have done demo down to bare studs. I am going to tile the bath tub (with shower) up to about 6 ft, and one wall will have tile up the wall 4 ft high. I am planning on ...
5
votes
2answers
218 views
Do I need water protection over tile grout in my bathtub?
A handyman suggested to me that I might need to periodically apply water-sealant to the tile and grout on the tile wall of my bathtub. Is he correct?
If so, what's a good sealant to use, how is it ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I repair drywall around a bathtub?
I have an area of drywall that is next to my bath tub that has gotten soft and crumbly. Mostly held together by paint & caulk now.
I'm reasonably sure I understand why. We're getting some water ...
5
votes
2answers
127 views
What do I do with a sewer pipe (toilet rough-in) full of cement?
I have a problem that is mind boggling. I bought a house and am now just getting ready to put a toilet in the basement, which has a cement slab. I just took the cover off the rough-in expecting the ...
5
votes
2answers
421 views
How do I make my bathroom pipes more practical?
I need to install a new vanity in my bathroom but I'm not sure what to do about the plumbing for under the sink. I believe the present location of the sink was originally where the bathtub was. The ...
5
votes
1answer
4k views
How can I properly vent a basement toilet & shower using an AAV?
When we bought our house the plumbing drains for a basement bathroom were roughed in but they did not install any vent lines for them.
We have the first floor plumbing draining into the main stack ...
5
votes
3answers
249 views
How do I build a wet room for a wheelchair user?
How do I build a wet room that:
Does not leek
Does not have water run out of its door
Is wheelchair accessible (e.g a very low slope)
It is very hard to get the slope right by hand and I have need ...
5
votes
1answer
664 views
How should I convert a double sink to a single sink?
We are going to remodel our bathroom which currently has two sinks (and not that much cabinet/drawer storage) to a single sink with larger (and more) drawers for storage.
Under the current double ...
5
votes
0answers
146 views
Recommendations for particular brand/models of shower enclosures? [closed]
We have a partially finished basement. Our unfinished laundry had a toilet and sink in the corner. Both are ancient and we're going to replace them. Still, they're in the corner of our laundry room, ...
4
votes
2answers
803 views
Can a toilet on concrete slab be moved about 4 1/2 inches?
My toilet is situated such that it doesn't allow much room to get in and out of the shower. I'd like to move it back to the wall as close as possible, to allow more space. The toilet is on concrete ...
4
votes
2answers
986 views
Precautions necessary when removing toilet and sink for extended period of time?
I'm in the process of remodeling one of the bathrooms. The remodel includes removing tile from walls, installing a new shower, toilet and sink, refinishing the walls, new linoleum, etc. I would like ...
4
votes
4answers
2k views
How do I install this wall mount bathroom sink?
I'm replacing a sink that was on a vanity cabinet and hoping to do as little busting through the perfectly good tile as possible. I heard a rumor that I need to make very sure that the sink is ...
4
votes
1answer
157 views
Why is the caulk cracking and the toilet rocking?
We paid a lot of money to have our bathroom gutted and redone. After several problems with the contractor not returning calls to correct shoddy work, we are at a loss. I am not sure if the shower ...
4
votes
1answer
638 views
How to fix a hole in the wall of a plastic shower/bathtub?
I have a hole in the wall of my shower about 4 inches in diameter. I think there is fiberglass underneath. What is the best way to fix the wall and what kind of paint could I use to make it blend in ...
4
votes
2answers
22k views
How soon can I use my shower that I recently grouted and tiled? Should it cure first?
We have been retiling my tub surround area and finished grouting the tile last night. I used non-sanded PolyBlend grout (sold at Home Depot) and added a bottle of Grout Boost Advanced Pro. Everything ...
4
votes
4answers
3k views
Can a bathroom vanity be installed higher than 30 inches?
"Standard" bathroom vanities are 30", where as kitchen counter tops are typically 36".
For me (6' tall), the 30" vanity is rather low. Is there any reason to leave vanities that height, or can they ...
4
votes
2answers
702 views
Is it wrong to connect multiple J-bends (traps) together?
My tenants recently told me that they have constant clogging problems with their bathroom sink and had me come take a look at it. I found the following 3-trap configuration:
This was done because ...
4
votes
2answers
597 views
How can I replace a non-standard (20cm) bathroom faucet?
The bathroom sink has a separate cold and hot tap, their centres are 20cm apart. I want to replace them with a mixer tap. However, the mixer taps I see have 18cm distance.
What are the options for ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Can I vent a bathroom through the soffit if I use a product designed for it?
I am looking for some clarification. I have been reading about installing an exhaust fan in a bathroom, and I have been reading that you should always vent to the outside, but I continue to read that ...
4
votes
2answers
231 views
Should I remove nailed-down plywood before laying tile?
In my bathroom there is vinyl on top of plywood, which is nailed to the sub floor. Should I pry up the plywood before putting down cement backer board for tile, or can I go over the plywood?
4
votes
2answers
497 views
can i paint my bathtub wall?
One of our bath walls is green Sheetrock with a white semi gloss paint finish.
As you can see on the pictures attached, the paint has started to bubble and strip.
What can we do now?
shall/can ...
4
votes
2answers
487 views
Is the drain cover in my shower sufficient?
I bought a new house about a month ago. In the apartment that I moved from, I had a cheap rubber drain cover that seemed to work very well at preventing hair from getting into the drain, similar to ...
4
votes
5answers
2k views
How do I safely and cleanly remove sealant from a plastic bath?
I really need to replace the sealant around the bath, but I want to do a good job of removing the old stuff first.
The bath is a plastic one, and the walls are tiled.
What's the best way to get the ...
4
votes
3answers
178 views
How can I make these bath valves easier to use?
I'm looking for a way to make the valves in the pictures below easier for my mother to use. She has a bad case of arthritis in here hands, so this was suggested by a nurse.
I would really prefer any ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
Can I vent a bathroom fan through the eaves?
I want to fit a fan in our bathroom. The easiest way to do this seems to be to drill down from the loft and put it in directly above the shower. I'm then considering running the vent (flex pipe) ...
4
votes
1answer
322 views
Can I ask my contractor to redo a tile job I'm not happy with?
Click on photo for full size
I had my bathroom renovated while I was away last week. I'm not happy with how the floor tile came out. I assumed the contractor would lay the tile out in a uniform way ...
4
votes
1answer
453 views
How do I hang a large wall to wall mirror?
I have a 5' by 6' mirror to install frameless in my bathroom. When I set it on the back splash do I need anything on the back splash or can I set direct without any metal or plastic things making a ...
4
votes
1answer
688 views
How can I fix a sink drain stop which won't hold water?
I have a bathroom sink & fixture which are about a year old. The drain has worked fine, until about a month ago. Recently, any water I try to hold in the sink slowly leaks out. This is mildly ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
How can I soundproof a bathroom door?
I'd like to make one of my bathrooms that one special place where a guest can go about their business in peace. Essentially, I am going to be soundproofing/insulating my entire bathroom, but the ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
How do I properly seal slate tile?
We recently installed slate tile in our renovated bathroom. We have sealed it with a penetrating water-based sealant. Water still seams to soak in to the tile and little water spots on the tile are ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
Should light bulbs above showers be “steam proof”?
In replacing the lighting in my apartment with LED bulbs, I noticed that the recessed can lighting above the shower (to be fair, the light is centered on the shower curtain) does not appear to be ...
4
votes
1answer
580 views
Can I use the white from one switch, but the black from another?
Some terminology, because I don't know any better:
light-fixture - An existing, separate, light fixture...currently with dedicated 14/2
vent-unit - A new vent just installed, has three ...
4
votes
1answer
2k views
How to fix a bathtub faucet that leaks only when the shower runs?
I just moved into an apartment and the faucet in the tub is fine when all of the water is off. It leaks when I turn on the water and switch it to the shower head. What could be the problem?
It's a ...
