concrete bathroom floor, pipe replacement


  #1  
Old 04-21-18, 11:21 PM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 21
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
concrete bathroom floor, pipe replacement

Not really sure where to post this so if a better place please kindly modarator move it for me.

Very long winded but need advice and opinions,

We moved into a fixer upper about 2.5 years ago,
A 4 story if you count the basement home built around 1909,

Sometime in the last 20-30 years most of the supply water lines were replaced with copper, one upstairs bathroom didnt get ran, it looks like an untouched 60s 70s unit,

The other upstairs bathroom had the copper supply ran and capped off,

The antique high tank toilet had been seated to floor, tank mounted on wall,
No sink,

A huge 6 ft claw foot tub on blocks rests with the drain over a big hole where they removed a galvanized tub drain pipe replaced with pvc, the ceiling under this area shows a sub par repair from water leakage, in my guess from a plugged up galvanized pipe.

I got all the parts hooked up the toilet, it works great, i was really excited, im over 50 but never that i recall flushed a high tank before,
But my crest quickly fell,

As then i learned the vertical galvanized sink drain was packed full of a rust, bummer i started cutting sections out but in doing so and testing it and the the bathtub drain the galvanized pipe they have the sink and tub pvc drains plumbed into is shot, too full of rust needs to be replaced with pvc,

So here are my hurdles and questions and need for other minds on this,
Basically the only way to get this junk galvanized drain out or disconnected from the main drain where is connects is to cut through the floor some more, but the floor is weird to me,

It starts as tiles then about 4" cement, then what appear to be 1" x 5" planks some different weights then a drop of about 6 to 8" and the top of the ceiling of the rooms the bathroom is over,

I realize replacing the plugged up galvanized pipe is a must, my wife suggested a small snake in a drill but i dont think it will help or be long lived, the sink drain i did cut out even after i cleaned it appears about 1/2 restricted with rust scale mess,

If i make another big hole to get at the pipe how do i mend that hole and the one for the tub drain,
I dont want to jack hammer all that creat out, in fact im going for a very rustic imperfect look in this bathroom so the floor need not look perfect,

Do i have to replace the planks and pour 4" of cement in these repair areas, any way to build it up but not use 4" cement?
How do i support the planks where they have been cut out?

As luck has it there is a stock of this same tile in the basement that has lots of old plumbing and electrical stuff stockpiled,

Im a bit depressed on this set back as the floor and its repair are at the moment a mystery to me,

Many thanks,
B








 
  #2  
Old 04-21-18, 11:43 PM
steve_gro's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 967
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Do i have to replace the planks and pour 4" of cement in these repair areas, any way to build it up but not use 4" cement?
That's the way I've always done it. Mixing up concrete isn't that difficult. No disrespect intended, but you may need to hire some professionals.
 
  #3  
Old 04-22-18, 04:33 PM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 21
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
"get a pro to do it" as a reply to a how to ? On a DYI forum that is ironically funny i guess,

Anyway,
After sleeping on it like a wise old indian i woke late and took a new look,
A hammer and small chisel to the floor near where i believed the blocked galvanized drain pipe screwed into the main drain under the toilet yielded more pieces to my puzzle,

The laters of the floor are a somewhat fragile tile, then a thin "mud" ( mud will be my word for fillers that i dont know what they really are )

Then about an inch of a very hard mud, like driveway cement without any gravel or rocks in it,
After that is a mud about 3 inches that is very much like what many of the walls are finished over their wood with in this house.

None of the mud is very tough or hard to crack and break with just a large hammer and more precise hits with chisel,

Then the wood layer,
I will have to cut the wood with a saws all and my plan is to cut the galvanized pipe in sections as it runs through holes in the joists, unscrew it at the main drain get it an out which will likely require a cut trough across the floor,

Since no one has yet to give any useful replies i am guessing to fix the cut out wood i will overlap it with new wood cut to fix,
Im still grinding on a way to bring this repair areas up to level using other methods than filling with fresh mud,

So enough on it today, off to play with more relaxing projects and will get back at the bathroom tomorrow,
 
  #4  
Old 04-22-18, 04:52 PM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
What you have is a thick set mortar base not concrete. It is what they used before cement board. You will probably find wire mesh embedded in it. Yes, it is easy to break up. You can go back with plywood and half inch cement backer board to get to one inch.
 
  #5  
Old 04-23-18, 09:31 AM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 21
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Thanks ray,

Ive learned a lot working on this place and still have so much more to learn,

No wire mesh in it, and like i was saying the top mud about an inch is harder than the 3 inch mud under it,

So is there a way to build up to that 4 inch mark without pouring 4 inches of new mud since that is where the iron toilet main dictates floor height to be,

My wife isnt happy about all that weight on the second floor
It also has a beast of an iron claw foot tub 6 footer and im considering removing all the old mud slab,
I love the antique look but not sure i am keeping the tub, looking at options,

Thanks!


 
  #6  
Old 04-25-18, 09:54 AM
Z
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 6,086
Received 419 Upvotes on 372 Posts
I've seen mud bases in a bathroom, but have never had the chance to work in one. (luckily?)

They do make lightweight concrete. I wonder though if 2" of foam board would work, like you'd use before pouring a basement slab. Obviously you're not worried about insulation or vapor, but it would basically be a filler that you'd then cover with 2" mortar.

I'll have to defer to some of the others heer who may have done this before.
 
  #7  
Old 04-28-18, 01:10 AM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 21
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I have been super busy and running from one chore to another,
I exaggerated how thick the mud was, its more like about 3"

I have been carefully chipping away at it, trying to ruin as little floor as possible,
I can see the galvanized pipe through the seams in the boards after i get mud off them,

My plan is cut sime floor boards to get to the pipe then unscrew it from that main drain hopefully it will unscrew as easy as the sink ends did,

Ironically looks like the pvc tub drain is going to be a bear,
Someone screwed the pvc into the galvanized drain at a T that the old galvanized bathrub drain had screwed into, they had some sort or sealer dripping off it when they screwed it in and at the accessible end of the pvc it just twists the pipe, it doesnt unscrew,

I hope i dont have to tear out mud and floor to get it out too,

This all has made me really dislike galvanized pipe
 
  #8  
Old 06-19-18, 09:21 PM
steve_gro's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 967
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
"get a pro to do it" as a reply to a how to ? On a DYI forum that is ironically funny i guess
Sorry for the belated reply, but when someone shies away from mixing a bag of concrete, I question how much they really want to 'do it yourself'. It's like asking how to paint a wall without dealing with any paint.
 
  #9  
Old 06-25-18, 12:37 AM
T
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 21
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I had long moved forward from this thread, with a j9b done, but thanks for shying back,

i was hunting a way other than cement as in to save weight on the floor, not because im scared of mixing mud, lol,
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: