Rotting floor in bathroom

[metspitzer]

I have a bathroom where, due to poor calking, the floor has rotted. The floor is tile and still looks fine, but when I go in the basement and look at the floor above the floor is rotted completely thru and I can see the bottom of the tile. The amount of rot is about 5x5 inches.

What I want to do, for now, is use some filler material and fill in the rotted wood. Then take a piece of plywood and toenail it into the floor joists, or use a couple of blocks to screw to the floor joists.

Any recommendations on what to use for filler?

[jmeehan]

No, you can't patch on rot. The only fix is to remover the tile until you get to solid wood then replace the wood, maybe the framing as well, and put the tile back.

I have to agree with Smitty, and you may well have a serious safety issue.

[Rick-Meister]

You really are playing with fire here. Once wood rot starts, no amount of filler is going to put it back into shape. There are several ways to jury-rig a temporary patch by cutting out a large section of sub-flooring from underneath and then installing plywood patch pieces and braces. But NONE of these fixes are long term. The only way to fix this properly is to remove the tile and install new sub flooring.

If you do this temporary patch and try to sell your hose down the road, you're going to get nailed big time by the inspector.

[J. Clarke]

Fix it right or not at all. Also find out why it's rotting--it's not likely to be just "poor caulking". Put a level on the tub and make sure that it's set so that water drains back into the tub instead of out onto the floor.

[Claude Hopper]

Well to keep your leg from falling through until you can get somebody to fix it I would cut a 3/4 inch piece of plywood and screw it over the rotted area between the joists then nail or screw a 2x2 or 2/3 along the joist for the plywood to sit on. That will keep your leg from going through the floor. Now get an estimate to really fix it.

[cshenk]

"Rick-Meister" wrote

Agreed. First thing is to find the leak that caused the rotting. He may have already fixed that but not mentioned it?

He may have serious structural damage that is ongoing and patching it for a few weeks til he can get it fixed might be 'ok' but thats just a few weeks.