Hello,
First post here, just wanted some more opinions on what I should/could do. I would consider myself an average DIYer around the house. Probably my biggest project to date is tearing out a fiberglass shower and putting in a tile shower. We bought our house about 12 yrs ago, about 5 years after it was built. My wife wanted me to replace the mirror in an upstairs bathroom. The mirror is about 3 ft x 5ft. I have done this previously in a bathroom downstairs. I got it off the wall and what is staring me in the face ( see the attached picture ).


This is the wall that carries the 3" vent pipe. Obviously they didn't build this wall with 2x6's like they should have to allow for the 3" pipe to have a place behind the drywall. So they started putting up the drywall, realized their mistake and just cut a hole in drywall, knowing the mirror would cover it up. yes, I see the mold on sheetrock. The flashing on vent pipe had cracked allowing water to go down the pipe until it hit the wall where pipe is against it. I noticed the flashing issue right after we moved in long ago, and regularly go up on roof to check/repair all flashing.

If you are facing the wall, it has a 10ft ceiling on left hand side and then about a 7 ft ceiling on the far right side and is approx. 12 ft long. Under what was the mirror is a 7ft vanity, 2 ft space to the right, then toilet, then another 1ft space. ( Hope that makes sense )

My question is.. what should I do to fix it? I first thought.. fix it the way it should have been to start with when they got to this point.. tear down all the sheetrock, put 1/2" to 1 inch furring strips on outside of 2x4's, then put sheetrock back up. This would be my wife's choice, because then she can get a new vanity, toilet, floor, etc..LOL
2nd choice - tear out the sheetrock around pipe and replace it with 1/4" sheetrock and hope it still doesn't touch the pipe.

What would you do?

 

Welcome to the forums!

If you lay a straightedge on the wall over the gap where the pipe is - how much space is there between the pipe and the straightedge? I assume the new mirror will be smaller ?

 

If you want the wall smooth I'd go over that wall with another layer of sheetrock. I would not bother removing the old and furring out. Let the existing sheetrock provide the space over the pipe you need. It could be problematic around the vanity and you also need to make sure you have clearance behind the toilet. Personally though I'd put up a big honkin vanity or mirror to cover the pipe as any sheetrock job is going to be a PITA to get a smooth wall.

 

@marksr - its a tough call on that measurement, because of where the water has messed up the existing sheetrock. I would say its 3/16" at shortest point. Yes, smaller mirror. The one she wants there is roughly 22"tall by 3ft wide

@Dane - starting to like this idea.. means I don't have to tear out that whole wall. Toilet is an issue, the one currently there has a 12" tank, I would just have to buy a new one with a 10" tank. The tank lid on toilet already there, touches the wall now. So I really need a new one anyway.
IF ( big IF ) I could talk her into leaving this vanity here, I have about a 3/4" lip on top of vanity, so putting up new drywall on top of existing should be possible, and means I don't have to pull that vanity out.

 

It would be possible to cut a strip of 1/4" drywall about 3"-4" wider than the opening, then backcut and remove the excess drywall [back paper and gypsum] leaving the face paper. You would then mud each side of the gap and insert the drywall using the excess face paper as your tape.

I like the idea of laminating the entire wall with 1/2" drywall providing it doesn't cause more problems than it fixes [fitment of cabinet, commode, tub/shower and wood trim.