For questions regarding the room where one bathes or uses the toilet.
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Should unsanded grout become darker when wet?
Anyone who recognizes me at this point will know I've been working on remodeling our bathroom (Should we use a tub surround and Curing time for grout with GroutBoost).
We finally finished everything ...
3
votes
1answer
71 views
How do I install a bathroom exhaust system?
We are set to close on our house in about three weeks and one of the problems that the inspector noted was that the vent in the guest bath vents into the attic (never going outside) and the master ...
3
votes
1answer
220 views
Can a bathroom fan be vented just outside the bathroom?
I belong to a housing cooperative in the arctic and the temperature drops below -40 C. We are having problems with mold on the ceilings in the bathroom. The buildings were built in 1984 with an air ...
3
votes
2answers
721 views
How can I fix a ceiling above the shower that was damaged by water?
Our pipe coming out of the wall was leaking a very fine stream of water. We haven't had time to fix it. I don't know what that bumpy stuff on the ceiling is called but it's all peeling off. I know the ...
3
votes
2answers
194 views
How can I remove a burn mark on finished wood without replacing the piece entirely?
Our new home has a wooden bathroom vanity with an obvious blackened burn mark on it below the mirror, perhaps from a candle burning too close for too long. What are some ways I can remove the mark? I ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
How can I make a mixer shower more powerful?
The Mira mixer shower has variable temperate settings from 1 (cold) through 10 (hot), plus the extra bit for hot water only.
I normally shower at 3 and was thinking there must be a way to let more ...
3
votes
2answers
703 views
Low Pressure From Shower Head Troubleshooting
The water pressure from the shower head in one of my bathrooms is extremely low. The pressure coming out of the faucet of the bath is low as well. It has not always had this low pressure, it has ...
3
votes
1answer
173 views
Basement Bath floor
I'm putting Platon drain board on the slab of my basement because I'm concerned with humidity and moisture. Then I top it with laminate. What should I do with the bathroom?
Can tile be put on top ...
3
votes
2answers
754 views
Building a sunken tiled bath
I'm planning to build a sunken bath/wet room type shower. The plan is to raise the floor of the bathroom by 18" and then build a bath with its bottom just above the original floor level (to allow for ...
3
votes
1answer
305 views
Sealing a cork tile floor?
I just finished installing a cork tile floor (US Floors brand). If I do say so myself, it looks gorgeous! Cork is not generally recommended for a bathroom, but we felt that a half-bath should be a ...
3
votes
2answers
39 views
How can I clean silicone mastic stains from a bath-tub and tiles?
I was redoing the silicone dilation around the bath-tub, using the silicone mastic from a tube. Unfortunately, I stained the tub and a tile with silicone. You cannot see it really, but they got quite ...
3
votes
1answer
70 views
What should be done about water under bathroom floor tiles?
There is water getting under our bathroom floor tiles. The landlord believes that due to a recent remodel of whole bathroom, water is not draining from the window ledge but is instead going into the ...
3
votes
1answer
114 views
How to tile over shower wall surround flange?
Background
I've been following this guide from Family Handyman on installing a fiberglass tub surround, and am to the point where I need to tile over the nailing flange. They say to put 1/4" tile ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
How can I stop exhaust fan vent condensation problems?
So, our bathroom fan leaks when it is cold. In the attic, the PVC pipe connected to the exhaust is uninsulated, and frosted -- shock!
So, my question is, what is the best way to fix this? Do I cut ...
3
votes
1answer
896 views
Can I use epoxy grout on tiled shower and bathroom floors?
I'm considering white grout for bathroom shower walls (the floor will be covered with a shower tub). Wanting to avoid problems with graying, mold and mildew in the shower and sink back-splash area, I ...
3
votes
1answer
287 views
Bathroom Vent is tied to ceiling vent in adjacent room
I live in a bungalow with a bathroom on both levels. The bathrooms both have exhaust vents. Outside of each bathroom is a ceiling vent. The previous owner stuck towels in these to block them off. ...
3
votes
0answers
52 views
What should I do about a potentially bad repair of a leaking pipe?
In our apartment, the ceiling began leaking in 2 places. One of the places, the water was brownish and had multiple droplets, the other the water was clear. We called maintenance at 8 am and no one ...
3
votes
1answer
55 views
What is the best way to build a box to elevate my bathroom fan above joists?
I want to create a register/ return air type box about 4" high so my bathroom fan's exhaust will be above the joists so that the duct can have the shortest and most direct run to a gable vent. Is ...
3
votes
0answers
170 views
How do I replace this bathtub handle that has a plastic piece?
I have followed a number of videos, but they all seem to have a copper (?) stem. At this point I'm up to some plastic piece that has no notches (namely around the metal piece) to use a wrench on.
...
2
votes
4answers
419 views
How can I fabricate a custom one-off plastic part?
Here's some background: I just moved into a house and am in the process of fixing up the bathroom. I want to keep the two florescent lights that frame the medicine cabinet but the plastic covers are ...
2
votes
2answers
353 views
How do I tighten this screw?
I have a fairly new bathroom suite. The toilet seat has a nifty quick-release hinge which allows you to just press two buttons to take it off for cleaning. Underneath, the hinge assembly is fixed on ...
2
votes
2answers
914 views
How do I seal a cracked pipe using epoxy putty?
So, I have a broken pipe exactly on the L join on the wall. It's a huge crack but no big gap, just a curved crack along the pipe.
At first I thought of replacing the pipe, but it means that I have to ...
2
votes
1answer
224 views
How should I remove this bulb?
My bathroom bulb died and I am trying to replace it, but before I can figure out what sort of bulb to buy I want to remove it so I can take it with me to the store and get an exact one. However I've ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I secure a shower curtain rod?
In my bathroom I have one of those spring-loaded shower curtain rods that you twist to get tight. When any real weight is on it, it moves, and if it moves enough, the whole thing comes crashing down.
...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Will an exhaust fan made for ceilings work in a wall instead?
Does anyone know whether a bathroom exhaust fan designed to be installed in a ceiling would have any problems if installed in a wall instead? From a mechanical, ball bearings, noise perspective. Not a ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Where to place shower curtain rod in relation to the tub? [closed]
I am not asking how high to mount the shower curtain rod (that is easy to determine from an existing shower curtain). I am trying to figure out how far "into" the tub it should be mounted. I want ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
How do I run new water lines from the basement to the second floor through a finished wall?
I am redoing an upstairs bathroom that has galvanized steel pipes currently running to it for water supply that run straight up from the basement. I am debating between using PEX or copper for the new ...
2
votes
1answer
713 views
Under bathroom sink piping (exposed)
We are looking at setting up the piping for under our wall mounted sink (no vanity, ie, piping will be exposed). And after our contractor finished putting the wall we noticed that the hole from the ...
2
votes
3answers
3k views
How do I remove dried paint from ceramic tiles and the bathtub?
The previous owner didn't bother to lay down a dropcloth when painting the bathroom, and there are multiple, small paint stains on the ceramic tile and bathtub. What is the best way to remove them?
...
2
votes
4answers
2k views
How do I seal the sink basin opening?
I purchased a new bathroom sink and faucet and set everything up according to instructions. The faucet instructions told me to use silicone for the drain lip (the border thing around the stopper in ...
2
votes
2answers
260 views
Bathroom air vent drip
I have a constant drip coming from the air vent in my downstairs bathroom. After one week it has filled a bucket full of water. There has been no snow or rain in my area. The air conditioning hasn't ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
How do I refinish a bathroom ceiling after it got moldy and peeled?
I need to refinish the bathroom ceiling in my 35-year-old house. Before I bought the house a few years ago, the bathroom had just had some work done (new wallpaper, probably new lights, and I assume ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Why does my bathroom exhaust fan drip during the summer?
I've seen a lot of questions (including one on this site) about condensation on bathroom vents. However, they all seem to take place in winter, with consensus being that as the warm air from the ...
2
votes
2answers
486 views
How do I loosen my bathroom stopper pivot nut
I'm trying to remove my bathroom sink stopper so that I can clean out the drain.
I found these instructions for doing so but they talk about a pivot nut that can be loosened. Under my sink, in the ...
2
votes
2answers
784 views
Bathroom vent pipe going down instead of up? Is it OK?
I'm considering connecting the vents of two bathrooms to the same inline fan.
See my previous question on inline bathroom fans.
Does the fan and the exterior vent grille really need to be above the ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
What is causing the minor leak in flex supply line under sink?
I had new shutoffs and new flex supply lines installed by a professional plumber a few months ago. Today, I installed a new faucet because mine was very old and starting to fail. I installed ...
2
votes
2answers
4k views
How do I seal a leaking plughole fitting?
The plughole in my bathroom basin is leaking. The leak is between the plughole and the basin (i.e. through the circular hole in the basin in which the metal plughole is fitted), and it seems to me as ...
2
votes
1answer
93 views
Why is there a sewer gas smell coming from my door jamb?
I am at the tail end of tiling my basement floor and undercut the existing trim on the bathroom door. I started noticing a sewage smell and pinpointed it as being strongest at this point. This is ...
2
votes
1answer
739 views
How do I install a bathroom exhaust fan?
I need to know how to wire a bathroom fan with a light and night light. The wiring has a black/white red/white blue/white and green. The bathroom has a light switch for the light fixture over the ...
2
votes
1answer
89 views
What length of finishing nail should I use?
I just re-tiled my master bathroom and plan to put wood trim back up around the perimeter soon. How do I know what length of finishing nails to use?
I see 2" and 1.5" nails - does it really matter?
2
votes
1answer
120 views
What information do I need to give a general contractor to get a good quote?
I'm looking to do some major renovations:
removing an interior wall
removing popcorn ceilings
new kitchen (layout, appliances, counters, cabinets, etc)
new master bath
new flooring throughout
new ...
2
votes
1answer
807 views
Mold in grout or just stained by mold…is retiling needed?
At my parent's place there's a small bathroom with a shower but the bathroom doesn't have windows (there is a ventilation fan).
I've noticed that in the grout, and some of the caulking around the ...
2
votes
1answer
4k views
Is it better to vent a bathroom fan out the soffit, the side of the house, or the roof?
Working on a friend's house, we're installing a bathroom fan. He had planned to vent the fan out the closest soffit, which is only a few feet away. I'm trying to persuade him to vent it out the roof ...
2
votes
1answer
410 views
How to turn on a ballofix / ball valve?
When I turned the valve off, it was as if it made a small click, as if it had reached a locking position.
Now I can't turn it on again.
I have one other just like this one, and that one can I turn ...
2
votes
1answer
143 views
How can I stiffen the subfloor of an upstairs bathroom?
I have been doing polished concrete throughout my house. My wife loves it more than I thought she would and now wants me to do it upstairs. I am afraid that the subfloor flexes too much, which ...
2
votes
1answer
147 views
How can I repair my bathroom cabinet?
I've got a Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) sink cabinet that is at least 30, if not 50 years old. The bottom has gotten wet a few hundred times from a shower that was near it, and it is flaking apart ...
2
votes
3answers
517 views
How can I remove hair dye stains from a porcelain sink?
Anyone have any suggestions about how to do this? I've tried Comet, bleach and windex, all applied with plenty of elbow grease, but the stains aren't budging.
Any other ideas?
2
votes
2answers
408 views
Can I vent a basement bathroom into a semi-enclosed crawlspace under an attachment?
I'm refinishing my basement bathroom and installing a vent. I can easily vent out to this wall, but the thing I'm worried about is it's semi-enclosed. In the winter we put up tarps and store wood ...
2
votes
2answers
141 views
Why do my toilet valves seem to have started running at the same time?
I had a bad toilet that started running last year. This was in a bathroom that is not used at all (guest bedroom). So, i just closed the valve to that toilet and decided to look into it later. I ...
2
votes
1answer
329 views
What does the Plumbing Code say about securing a bathtub faucet to the studs?
My son is renting an apartment. It looks as if the bathtub faucet (spout and valvehandle) are only secured by the grout of the tile and haven't been properly secured at all to the studs. I know that ...
