Two broken bathrooms

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    • #3105
      EDWARDMAJEWSKI
      Participant

      Hi guys, New subscriber here. I have two bathroom projects coming up – mine and a relative’s who can’t afford to hire competent help so I got volunteered. Both are in older houses with galvanized plumbing and both bathrooms have rotten floors needing replacement. The mother-in-law bought a 2-piece acrylic bathtub/wall surround at Home Depot. My house is going to get some sort of shower stall to replace the ancient fiberglass tub that my wife hates but we haven’t decided exactly what we want yet. The water heater’s gotta go too.

      I’m reasonably handy with tools but I’m a noob at this kind of work so I’ll be glad for someone who can help with the multitude of questions that will inevitably come up.

      Haven’t had time to watch all the videos yet but a couple questions come to mind at the moment. The drain on the new Home Depot tub is not in the same place as on the existing tub. Is that likely to be a big hassle? And is it practical to install a safety hand rail on the wall surround. I’m thinking I could install support framing between the wall studs but there’s a gap between the wall and the surround that probably needs to be filled. Would it be best to install the unit and then open up the wall on the far side of the surround and shim the gap? Is there a better way to do this? Any downside other than adding holes and potential leaks?

      Ed

    • #3109
      Jeff Patterson
      Keymaster

      Hey Ed, sounds like you have some good projects.

      Feel free to post any pictures of the tub drain setup. That way we can be sure if it’s going to be a problem with the new tub. As long as a joist isn’t blocking the drain and you have some access it should be okay.

      Adding 2×8 or 2×10 wood to the stud walls will be good for the hand rails. Either toenail or screw them with 3″ deck screws. It’s best to get all the walls open in the tub surround, install the tub, then add the blocking. That way you can be sure it’s at the right height for the person using it.

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