Bathroom Remodel

[hibb]

I just finished removing all the drywall, the sink and toilet from this small upstairs bathroom. I am trying to decide whether to replace or repair/refinish the old cast iron bathtub that is already there.

One of the problems I have is that the bathtub is set so that the drywall comes down to the top edge of the tub instead of the drywall going all the way to the floor and the tub butting up against the drywall. If I want to keep this tub and drywall all the way to the floor, it looks like I will need to move one wall a little bit and then move the tub over and probably adjust the position of the drain. Also, the longest part of the tub is up against an exterior wall.

If I decide to replace the bathtub, what are the odds that I can find one with just the dimensions I need?

Anybody got any ideas on this kind of situation?

Thanks, David

[RicodJour]

So far, so good.

That is the standard way. I don't know how else you'd do it. You want the outermost edge of the tub lip to be tight against the studs so that all wall materials are overhanging the tub. It's the simplest way to have a waterproof installation. I suppose you could use Redgard and an applied flashing to cover the rim, but then you'd have to increase the wall tile setting bed thickness to compensate. That's a losing proposition.

I don't understand the desire to run the drywall to the floor. Why do it?

They are more or less standard. If you need to notch out a quarter of an inch of the studs - just recess the rim - that's fine, or if it's a little small, just shim out the studs with plywood strips.

R

[Colbyt]

==========================

First time? That is okay we have all been there.

That is 100% normal. If you replace is with a tub only your green board or concrete board should be installed in exactly the same manner as the old stuff was. That is the way it is done.

To decide what to do, measure the distance between the studs. The standard is 60" maybe a tad more. Replacement tubs will fit fine though they may be a hassle to get into place. You may want to add a couple of studs to the two sides depending on the type of tub you choose just to have an attachment point for the new tub or shower doors.

Chance are almost zero that you can get a one piece fiberglass surround tub into that location.

What would you like to do? Ask more questions so the group can help you do it right, especially if you plan to have a shower head in the tub.

[DerbyDad03]

Do you mean that your tub isn't installed like the rest of us have ours installed?

Poor you.

[hibb]

Poor me indeed! :)

[hibb]

It just seemed natural to me, inexperienced me which is why I ask here and everywhere else I can first, and, of course, I did not realize that it is easier to have a waterproof seal with the drywall overlapping the tub.

Thanks, David

[hibb]

Cool, so that will save me a lot of work. If I am correct, there are some pretty good ways of refinishing the old tub enamel.

I thought I would put in a shower head. But I'm not sure it is needed since we have a shower downstairs.

I also discovered a hidden junction box that I took out and now is causing me problems. I will post another thread on that.

Thanks, David

[RicodJour]

There is a lot more to a tile installation than gluing up tile. Don't shoot yourself in the foot. Asking a few random questions on a newsgroup can't replace a concerted effort of study. Before you go a step further, hie thee to a library and check out a copy of Setting Tile by Michael Byrne. It will tell you all of the stuff you need to know and the order in which to do things.

R

[RicodJour]

A pro refinishing shouldn't cost more than a couple or three hundred. That's the guy coming to your place and doing it. The stuff they spray, and the longevity of the coating, will be superior to what you could do.

Showers are more desirable than tubs. Including a shower head while the place is all opened up is trivial and relatively inexpensive. Omitting the shower head will downgrade your bathroom in the eyes of many buyers, appraisers, etc. I'd rethink this one.

Hidden junction boxes often equal a nightmare - either yours, or the guy who installed it who could figure out no other way to make things work - generally a hack.

R

[aemeijers]

Uh, modern tub with lip and skirt, or old clawfoot, that was perhaps badly boxed in, in a previous remodel, to make it look 'modern'? Seen lotsa those in older houses. But yeah, if this is a modern tub, tub goes in first, and you build the bathroom around it.

I'll throw in the standard reminder to insulate behind and under the tub while the walls are open. Even with a cast-iron tub, it makes the water stay hot longer, and reduces cold-butt syndrome climbing into an empty tub.

[willshak]

A tub without a shower to rinse off is just a soaking pool and hardly more cleaner than bathing in a pond. How does one rinse off the soap scum, dirt, and dead body cells that one has wallowed in during the bath? It's like washing a car and then wiping it dry without rinsing off the soap and loose dirt beforehand.

[hibb]

Here ye go.

I don't know how modern it is but it's not a claw foot type.

[aemeijers]

Did you know PCTools has your URL blacklisted? You (and/or this fileave site you are a tenant on) weren't an unwitting zombie carrier or something recently, were you?

Bottom line- I can't see your picture unless I disable my security perimeter. Can you copy it over to one of the trusted public photo sites?

[DerbyDad03]

Worked fine for me using FF and running AVAST 5.0.594.

It looks like your basic steel tub with a flange to accept the wallboard.

[dss]

David,

A good website for renovating a bathroom.

Their focus is on tile, but they cover non-tile installations too. If you are going to add a shower, you'll probably need to make some changes to your existing setup.

Good luck.

dss

[DerbyDad03]

You've got the wall open, so add a shower head. The ratio of work-to- gain is absolutely huge.

We're talking a couple of extra connections and next to no cost compared to everything else you are doing.

If you took a poll and offered the choice between a tub only and a shower only, the shower only votes would blow away the competition.

Since you got the easy option of adding a shower to an existing tub, don't pass it up.

[hibb]

I'll have to check in to that. This is the first time I have used FileAve. I posted in another NG about needing a file hosting site and another poster posted a link to a page that rated those sites. FileAve was the top rated file hosting site from that page.

[hibb]

..

I figured I probably would even tho we do have a shower in the bathroom downstairs.

[hibb]

Thanks, DSS.

I've got the site bookmarked and will look it over more once I get past the electrical problems that cropped up.

David

[DerbyDad03]

FYI...I am able to access the picture via my corporate-image system even with it's site-blocking proxy servers. I can't access anything at tinypic, but I had no problem with the fileave site.