Tub Plumbing - The Workaround

Bottom left: old water supply line
Top right: new water supply line

In my last bathroom remodel post, I showed you how we'd gotten the refurbished tub back in, plus the next problem we ran into: the old and new water supply lines to the tub weren't the same. Pictured left, you can see that the new one (top) juts out farther than the old one. This was a problem because there wasn't enough room between the tub and the wall to accommodate it. On top of that, the two lines were different sizes, so we couldn't simply switch them out.

After trying every solution he could think of, including calling the manufacturer, Dan finally decided he needed to order a couple of elbows, to come up with his own solution.

He cut the new pipe and attached it to the elbows, and ....

... they fit! Whether or not this will work will have to wait to be tested, because the lines still have to be hooked up in the crawl space.

You can see that the plumbing is a tight fit, but this was the best option. The dryer is on the other side of that wall, so putting the plumbing in the wall with an access cover was not a likely solution.

We still have to install the shower riser kit, but that should be more straightforward because the faucet was a part of the kit.

The other thing he got in was the toilet, although it, too, still needs the water supply connected.

It's definitely starting to look like a bathroom!

It's the same make and low water flush model that we installed in the kitchen bathroom. It isn't the cheapest toilet on the market, but unlike some low flush jobs, we know it does what it's supposed to. Happily, I found it for a really good deal at Home Depot.

Once Dan gets the water hooked up, we can actually start using this bathroom! After he gets the shower riser installed, the sink and vanity will go in next. Then it's almost done except for towel racks and a door.

Tub Plumbing - The Workaround © May 2013 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Tub-A-Dub-Done!

Mild April temperatures have meant being able to finish the bathtub! The tub refinishing kit required air and surface temps of 72° F (22° C), and the house finally warmed up enough to do the job.

Refurbished clawfoot tub re-installed in the bathroom

This is exciting. This bathroom has been torn apart since last July, and in the entire four years we've lived here, the room has never been functional. There were plumbing problems from the start. I can't even imagine what it will be like to have a bathroom bigger than a postage stamp (although at 5 feet by 8 feet this bathroom is not exactly large).

The next step will be the bathtub plumbing. But here's where we ran into another problem - the water supply lines.

Bottom left: old water supply line
Top right: new water supply line

The new one is an inch wider / deeper than the one Dan took off. The problem is that it doesn't fit because the room is so small. We're putting a 5 foot tub back into a 5 foot wide room, and there is no room for the supply lines to stick out so far away from the tub. The problem with the old onse is that they are a different diameter than the new plumbing. Dan installed shut off valves and they aren't the same size. If it ain't chickens, it's feathers! (Or maybe it's, so near and yet so far away). I have every confidence, however, that Dan will figure it out.

Tub-A-Dub-Done! © April 2013 by Leigh 

at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Bathroom Remodel: The Unseen Stuff

If it hadn't been for plumbing problems in our hall bathroom, we probably would have done nothing more to the room than a coat of paint, new flooring to replace the poorly installed, curling vinyl, and possible a water efficient toilet.

Our hall bathroom when we first moved in.

Oh, and I probably would have replaced that medicine cabinet too. And Dan would have wanted to refinish the tub and sink, with their pitted, badly worn, and stained enamel surfaces. That, some new towel racks and a curtain, and we could have lived with the rest.

When we bought the place, the hot water faucet on the sink didn't work and we had recurring drainage problems with that sink. Nothing seemed to be able to permanently unclog it until at last, it quit draining altogether. We also discovered there was a leak in the toilet and that there had been enough water damage there at one time, to make the floor mushy and the toilet lean a bit. The final straw was when the tub faucet started to leak and couldn't be fixed. Dan turned off the water to that bathroom about ten months ago and the room has been nonfunctional ever since.

So far we've repaired the floor and replaced the window. The next step was plumbing repairs and electrical work.

Medicine cabinet will be replaced with a mirror

Plumbing upgrades have included replacing the cast iron drain pipes with PVC, and replacing the cast iron supply lines with copper tubing. Dan also added a vent for the sink.

Electrical work has been moving the outlet so that it's not directly over the sink, and an exhaust fan.

Beginnings of the framework for the drop ceiling

We lived almost nine years in a house with no air conditioning and no bathroom exhaust fan. I battled mildew on the ceiling and walls the entire time we lived there. Dan said never again, so both bathrooms have better ventilation.

The fan was the primary reason he wanted to drop the ceiling; it made it easier to install. All the ceilings in the house are tall, 8'9", so this one will now be a standard 8 foot height.

The fan in the kitchen bath included a light and heater, but this one is an exhaust fan only. The lights we installed on either side of the mirror are adequate, and we're doing to do something else about heat - more on that later.

Next we'll finish the ceiling and do the walls. After that, the floor. Then we can start putting things back together.

Bathroom Remodel: The Unseen Stuff © December  

2012 by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Kitchen Remodel: Sink & Plumbing

Continuing on from the installing the kitchen cabinets post....

The next step was installing the sink. Watching Dan cut the opening for it was nerve wracking. If we didn't get it right, the entire countertop would be ruined. Not that I doubted him, but it was perfect.

The sink was a craigslist find and replaced an old single. I know large, single basin sinks are very popular, but it didn't suit my needs because I do dishes by hand. With a single basin, the only place for the dish drainer was on the countertop, where it took up precious counter space. I also felt that I needed a dishpan to save on water because of it's size, so that meant I needed a place to store that. My new kitchen set-up has plenty of space for dirty dishes on the right, wash in the right side, dish drainer in the left side, and storage for dishes in the cabinets on the left. There's 18 inches of counter space on that side; enough room to set dried pots or pans before they get put away. That area will also be a transfer area, to and from the fridge. Hopefully this will prove efficient.

Plumbing in the cabinet is done...

It still needs to be connected in the crawl space. Once the plumbing is complete we can start using the sink again.

I love how fresh and clean it looks. Quite a contrast compared to this photo of the old...

I took this last photo, right before we tore out the old sink and cabinets. I didn't include it in my Farewell Kitchen Sink poem, but I can tell you it is one more thing that I will not miss. Looking at photos of the old kitchen make me appreciate how far we've come, even if it's taking awhile to get 'er done.

Even though this is great progress, there is still a lot to do: wall cabinets, peninsula, door & window trims, sink & peninsula lighting, baseboards, etc. Not to mention cleaning because of all the construction dust! Next we'll focus on getting the refrigerator's corner finished, so we can bring the fridge in from the back porch. The best part is beginning to see it come together. That's encouraging.

Kitchen Remodel: Sink & Plumbing © May 2012 by Leigh at http://my5acredream.blogspot.com/

Thinking While Waiting: The Hall Bath

Waiting on the arrival of our kitchen floor seemed to go on forever. At first we occupied our time by getting caught up on all the little kitchen projects that had piled up. Then Dan got started on outdoors projects, whenever the weather was mild. Eventually though, because we were in the indoor project mode, we began to talk about another area that badly needs addressing, the hall bath.

Our hall bathroom when we first moved in.
More photos here.

We really needed to talk about this bathroom because it has been plagued with plumbing problems from the start (hot water faucet in sink doesn't work, toilet tank leaks, both drains refuse to unclog) and new (recent bathtub faucet leaks). On top of that the floor around the toilet is rotting because of water damage that happened before we bought the place. This means the toilet leans a teensy bit. The quick fix to all this was to shut the water off to this bathroom, because the plumbing requires more than fixing, it requires updating as well. And if we're going to do that, we figured we might as well decide what in the world we want to do with the room anyway. In the meantime, this bathroom is 100% nonfunctional.

This bathroom is a challenge, because it is small. Not as small as our kitchen bathroom, but at 5.5 by 7.5 feet, it is by no means large. When we sat down recently to discuss it's current plumbing problems, we agreed that we want to keep the project as simple as possible. Our kitchen has been relatively elaborate, but then it's one of the most important rooms in the house. The bathroom needs to be functional and pleasant, but we've had enough of elaborate for awhile.

Here's what we're thinking so far:

Ceiling - is tongue & groove, which Dan doesn't really like

• Minimal updates
• add ventilation fan
• fresh paint
• new crown moulding 
• Maybe (depends on time, money, & energy)
• dropped ceiling? (all our ceilings are 8'10")
• styrofoam ceiling tiles (to cover T&G and add insulation)

Corner of the ceiling. The mouldings cover gaps where the T&G
doesn't meet. Paint cracks are common with T&G too. Would at
least like to replace both the crown and the corner mouldings.

Walls - also tongue & groove 

• Minimal updates
• paint, new color
• new towel racks
• shelves for extra towels
• robe hooks
• new corner molding (also to cover gaps)
• Maybe 
• something besides T&G? What?
• new window? I like the energy star ones, they really help

Bathtub - is an old clawfoot 

• keep but refinish
• add shower enclosure
• new faucet

Sink - the only thing we've done in this bathroom so far has been to add lights above the sink.

Sink lights we added shortly after we bought the place

That was part of a general electrical upgrade when we first moved in. Our current thoughts:

• keep sink lighting (of course)
• replace sink & faucets
• new vanity, one that extends from sink to corner
• replace medicine cabinet (use old one from the kitchen bath)
• replace outlet with a GFCI model

Plumbing

• fix and upgrade
• greywater recycling, at least prepare for

Toilet

• replace with water efficient model if possible (we really like the one in the kitchen bath)

Door

• too wide for the room (32 inches)
• replace with folding door

Floor

• tear out vinyl & repair damaged area around toilet
• box in toilet
• tile? not vinyl (Dan doesn't like vinyl)
• new baseboards
• new register cover (old one's yucky)

Compared to the kitchen project, that doesn't seem like a very bad list at all. Still, these things have a way of turning into nightmares bigger projects than anticipated. Nothing will get done until after the kitchen is finished however. And then, only when the weather won't let us work outside. As per our 2012 homestead goal list, we still need to continue work on the outside of the house: the front porch is badly in need of structural repair and we need install the new front door so that winter winds no longer blow in through the gaps.

I recently updated my remodeling (formerly house projects) blog page and saw that we've basically completed one indoor project per year. Some projects have taken longer than others, but our progress is steady. We work on indoor projects mostly during winter months, when it's too cold and rainy to work outside, so it's likely that we won't actually start on this bathroom until next November or so. That, of course, is assuming the kitchen is done by then!

Thinking While Waiting: The Hall Bath is © February 2012
by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Farewell Kitchen Sink

Kitchen sink and cabinets, as they looked right before the end

Farewell kitchen sink,
I will not miss you.

Your single bowl
I didn't like.
Dish drainer
Counter hog. 

I will not miss you.

Farewell countertop,
sloping,

dribbling water,
on my toes
and in the drawers.
Rolling okra
to the floor
I will not miss you.

Farewell laminate.
Outdated,
scratched and stained,
edges loose
DIY badly done. 

I will not miss you.

Farewell window.
Old and drafty,
leaking cold,
 Not long enough
for a good view.
I will not miss you.

Farewell sink sealer,
grungy, grimy,
mildewed.

Poorly applied.
I will not miss you.

Farewell old circuit box.
Why there?

Eye sore,  

empty now. 

Better in the
utility room.

I will not miss you.

Farewell dishwasher.
Broken, useless.

Best use?
drying ziplocs.

I will not miss you.

Farewell cabinets,

Narrow sticking drawers,

bad paint job
showed every stain.

Impossible to clean.

Destruction is upon you.

Farewell .........

Farewell Kitchen Sink © December 2011 by Leigh at http://my5acredream.blogspot.com/

Project Next: Water Heater

More and more things are getting crossed off the bathroom project list:

• paint moulding
• toilet seat
• hang door
• paint door
• sink
• faucet
• window treatment
• towel hooks
• wall cabinet
• toilet paper holder
• insulate floor in crawlspace
• hand towel hanger

With the end of that project in sight, Dan took some time to catch up on one of our 2010 goals, install a new water heater. The old one had started to leak and hadn't been very consistent heating water, so replacing it was moved up to "next" on our house project list.

Old water heater in crawl space

The old water heater was a lowboy model which resided in the crawl space. Not only did it make it difficult to access the rest of the crawl space, but it's location made it impossible to maintain. When we turned the back room of the addition into the new pantry, we also decided that the old pantry would become a utility room. That's where we put the new water heater.

New water heater
in utility room

Tankless water heaters are all the rage, and originally that's what we planned to install too. After some research though, we ended up with a plain, old fashioned, non-digital, non-computerized,  conventional storage tank water heater. Why? For several reasons.

The real plus of the tankless heaters is that once warmed up, they give an endless supply of hot water. Considering that the only things we use hot water for are dishes (done by hand), showers for just two of us, and an occasional bath (which the old water heater couldn't supply), having unlimited hot water really wasn't a necessity.

Energy savings is another selling point and I did some research on that. The chart on this page, was helpful. As you can see, the best savings are for the gas tankless models. We don't have gas, and the savings on the electric models wasn't as enticing. Add to that the cost of the water heater itself (double or more the cost of conventional water heaters), the cost of increased water down the drain while waiting for it to heat up, plus the fact that they require increased maintenance if one has hard water, and it really didn't seem like a wise choice for us. Two articles were useful in this decision making process:

• Tankless water heaters: They're efficient but not necessarily economical at Consumer Reports, and
• Tankless vs. Tank Type Storage Water Heater Efficiency Comparison Testing at PME.

There are other ways we can save on our water heating bill. One is to make a solar water heater to augment the electric one, and we plan to do that. The second is that our wood cookstove has a 5 gallon water reservoir, which will help.

Installing the new one was a relative piece of cake. The real fun began when we tried to remove the old one.

At first we thought we could tie a strap around it and pull it out of the crawlspace with the pickup truck. It soon became apparent that this wasn't going to work.

Dan managed to squeeze by it to see if guiding and pushing helped. It didn't.

We hooked up a garden hose to drain it, removed the insulation, and with a hacksaw, he cut off all the pipes sticking up out of the top. No joy, and by that time he was wondering if I'd be trying to push dinner and a sleeping bag back into the crawlspace for him that night. We could imagine the headlines, "Water Heater Traps Man in Crawl Space!"

In the end he had to kick out the crawlspace door sill. Fortunately it was easily repaired, but the old water heater was out!!!

Now there is more room to maneuver in the crawlspace and the new water heater is in a more accessible location.

With this project under our belts, we can start looking ahead to doing the kitchen! We've already been doing some brainstorming, scanning magazines and kitchen books, plus doing a lot of discussing. We still have to finish up the last few bathroom project details, but it looks as though the kitchen remodel will be commencing soon.

Project Next: Water Heater © January 2011 by 

Leigh at http://my5acredream.blogspot.com/

Progress On The Bathroom Plumbing

In my last bathroom remodel post, I showed you the progress I made on re-taping the drywall seams over the shower stall. Dan has the harder task, as he's been working on the plumbing.

Since we're installing a corner sink, some reworking of the plumbing was necessary. The above photo shows what it looked like after the original sink was removed and the drywall cut away. If you look closely, you can see small holes in the floor where the original plumbing was, just front left of the black pipe.

That black pipe is the vent stack. The white PVC is the new drain. As per building code, it has been tied into the vent stack 6" above the height of the sink.

The next step was to install copper tubing for the hot and cold water supply. He went with copper for two reasons: 1 - all the supply lines in the house are already copper and 2 - the jury's still out on whether or not PVC pips can leach harmful chemicals into supply water.

Then he installed shutoff valves to both supply lines and for the toilet.

When we bought the house, the only shutoff valves were in the crawlspace. Very convenient, eh? (I'm being sarcastic). After the new valves were installed, he went back into the crawl space, hooked everything up, and tested for leaks.

The last step was to cover the cutaway with drywall.

I don't have to worry about taping and smoothing out those seams. We're planning to put up wainscoting, which will hide that.

The other thing Dan did, was to install a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet. Much of the home's wiring was updated when the addition was built on to the kitchen, but regular outlets were used, so we changed this one.

The next step is to reroute some of the drainage pipes under the house.  Partly this is to make it easier to move around in the crawlspace, but also, we plan to  install a greywater system for the sink and shower water.

While Dan's been working on that, I've resumed work on the bathroom interior: painting the ceiling, wallpapering, and putting the floor tile down. After that, Dan can put the toilet back (removed to give us some working room), and install the new sink.

Once we get to that point the bathroom will be fully functional! We'll still have a few details to finish (robe hooks, towel racks, medicine cabinet, storage, window treatment, etc), but after that, I'll be able to show you how the finished room looks! I'm looking forward to that.

Progress On The Bathroom Plumbing © November 2010 by Leigh at http://my5acredream.blogspot.com/