I had a discussion with my parents about our bathroom. It has needed attention ever since we moved in. They asked if we had ever considered getting one of the high sitting (or handicap) toilets. Dad said he thought he would have to call for help the last time he was in our bathroom. I told him we had discussed it. They said if we decided to do it, they would pay for it. I told them Lady Nottaguy-TYG would be heading down to see the new baby, and I would tackle the job then.
When she left, I set to taking up our old toilet. I tried to unbolt it, but the bolts simply turned. I thought I was going to have to cut them off. Then I had an idea. I simply lifted up and the toilet came up. The floor was so rotted, nothing was holding the toilet down. Then I saw that the flange & wax ring were virtually non-existent.
I then removed the vanity. Once it was out, I then began taking up the old floor. The wood under the tile (and linoleum) was the chipboard plywood. Then that stuff gets wet, it is worthless. It was black (eeewww), soggy and about as strong as wet bread. It came up easily. This was the way the bathroom looked Friday at 9:30 PM.
The next morning, I got a text from the Woodsman, asking if I was ready to start on the bathroom. I told him that I had started the previous night. He came over and we jumped in with vigor. The sub floor had damage too, so part of it had to be cut out.
After making a run to our large home improvement store for a sheet of 3/4" plywood, a sheet of 5/16" plywood, a 4" flange, nails and the new toilet, we set off toward home to complete the job. On the way, we stopped and picked up a hot & ready $5 pizza for lunch. I had several drinks chilling in the refrigerator. Here's what the lunch debris looked like at the end of the day (The Woodsman took home his half empty bottle, so it isn't pictured here):
Once we got the plywood cut, the floor fell into place quickly. We had to reinforce the floor that was between the joists, because the bathroom wall landed between them. We then went to attach the flange. It didn't fit. I went back to the home improvement store for a 3" flange while The Woodsman drilled the hole for the water supply line to go through.
When I got back, We tried to put the 3" flange in, but it didn't fit either. We examined the drainpipe a little more closely to see what was going on. It dawned on The Woodsman that the flange had been glued to the pipe and we had two options, replace the pipe from elbow up or find a metal flange ring that could be taken apart and put around the flange base. We made a dash over to the neighborhood hardware (which closes at 5PM, it was 4:50 when we got there). If the large home improvement store doesn't carry it, the local hardware does. We found what we needed and by 5:30, had the toilet hooked up.
The Woodsman asked if I needed help re-installing the vanity. I told him I could handle it (I was sensing that he was anxious to get home). By 7PM, this is what the bathroom looked like:
I took Monday off to make sure all our mess was cleaned up & disposed of. Plus, I didn't want my wife to get home before me. She was shocked, to say the least. The really good part, everything that was done cost under $200.
1 comment:
And I am very pleased with all the hard work! I'm having fun looking at new floor coverings. (Maybe too much fun.)
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