But I got to a point where I said f* it. I’ll have to trust that the work I do will not leak and just move forward. The amount of time that has lapsed is unconscionable.

and so, and so, and so

So the tubs in place, and the studs are furred. More or less. Next, the 15# felt goes up. This covers everything, and makes it everything all right! Well no, but…

Then, backerboard!

Now, let’s add drywall!

Although there is a long way to go, adding the backerboard and drywall makes it seem so much further along.

I had to expand the holes a bit to get the pipes through.  That turned out to be a mistake, as the pipe on the right fit right where the original hole was.  And the waste pipe could have been smaller.  I hated doing this part, because I had to turn off the water in order to remove the valves in order to keep the holes small. Ideally, just a bit bigger then the pipes. Then there’s always more water coming out AFTER you removed the plastic bucket. So I’ll patch those holes and call it done.

Now, anyone know how to mud?

Here’s where the RotoZip came in handy:

That tool just cut right through those nails in seconds. Handy!

That wood is warped and twisted every which way. I used many thicknesses of furring to flush it out.  And then re-did it when I couldn’t drag a straight edge all the way up across multiple 2x4s without gaps!  Still can’t (quite) but it will have to do.

Now I may have to redo it because the lip has a slight angle.  I set the furring flush with the top of the lip, not the bottom. -sigh-

What a waste of money. The tub was loose, the surrounds had a lot of give and none of it would ever have been waterproof.  And he use plain drywall screws to attach the surround. That would have lasted a year or so. After months of doubt, I tore it all out and returned it.  Well, I tried to anyway.  On two separate occasions I stopped at the front desk and asked if I could return it, even though it had been installed, and holes cut in it. They said sure, no problem, just bring it in.  So when I finally did they said no, it has holes in it, we can’t resell it.  Ass hats.  I didn’t use their store for months afterward. Well, they did refund the tub price.

But let me back up a bit.  I never did post about installing the CBU and tile.  Here’s the floor after it was slathered in mastic and covered with backer.

Here’s the tile layout.

Cleaning up after grouting.

Here’s Madison, thinking she will have a new bathroom soon. Guess I fooled her, huh. -sigh-

So basically, the bathroom has been used as a storage closet for the last two years.

After much harping, complaining and snide comments, I went back to work. First, I had multiple Skype conversations with my friend who used to work construction. And who is, incidentally, a member of Mensa. He showed remarkable restraint and gave me a few pointers.

First, I had to get a tub. Before it was finally placed (set in cement as it were) I must have set it in its alcove and removed it 15 times.  Good thing too, as it can’t be slid in; it has to be set directly on top of the pile and smooshed until it’s resting on the ledger board.  Doing this isn’t as easy as you might think. I couldn’t drop it straight in as the spout and handle protrude out from the wall. So you have to tilt one end, then schooch it over and drop it in. It’s a tight fit; I ended up sanding some of the 2x4s for that little extra space. Anyway, practice made perfect and it seemed to work fine.

I didn’t want to use cement for the bed. The instructions said to use paster of paris or casting plaster.  Well, that’s $60 I won’t ever see again.  You see the white rings on the felt above?  That’s about as far as I got.  The stuff turned to stone while I was still mixing it. I tried to dump it out by upending it, but it was too late.

So I ended up using cement. Much easier to mix and plenty of working time.

So I placed the tub, then nailed it in.  Had to use shims everywhere. Between the settling of the house and the careless construction, there’s nary a straight or even board to be found.

Today I started furring above the tub. This allows the backerboard to come down over the lip of the tub without bowing.

I had the insulation stapled directly to front facing part of the 2x4s. Today I decided it would be better to staple it to the sides instead. This would make it easier to work with the furring strips. There’s a lot of guess work with this process.

When I was done, I noticed all the dark spots on the wood where water had penetrated. Mostly it was where the drywall had been nailed.

It would probably have been fine, but I erred on the side of caution. I took a large drill bit and cleaned out that nasty stuff.  Then I filled with wood filler.

After I sand that down, I’ll continue with the furring and hopefully the backboard!

I had to have some help when I opened this up.  But my objective was to add a light over the tub; I had to do some wiring, drilling and cutting as well as climbing into the dusty attic.  This is what I had when I finished.

And it works!

Next up was the toilet.  More specifically, there was no way I could change out the floors and still leave the same flange. I talked to my friend Matt; my best bet was to cut the pipe in the garage below and add pipe which would extend above the floor level.  I can then cut it to the correct height when my floor is installed.

You can also see in the above picture the added layer of plywood.

I took out that new piece near the door and replaced it with plywood running in the same direction for added strength.

I also replaced the insulation; obviously I need more practice at this.

Although to be fair, the walls on the left have a ton of obstacles!

Next up, I will be installing the CBU, although we do not yet have the tile picked out. Alex wants some sort of blue tile, we will see…

Stripped

And some of the soft spots patched.

Patched

Now I need to figure out how to bring home all the backerboard and drywall.  I think everything else I need will fit into the car.

Not like this!

And then there is the lip problem. No, not the areas that the razor just doesn’t reach.

I’ve read many forums on this and not a few instruction PDFs from tub makers and cement board makers.

Some say to leave 1/4 inch between the top of the lip and the bottom of the CBU.

Some say to use furring strips on the studs so that the CBU can be brought to within 1/8 inch of the top of the tub, thereby covering the lip.  The furring strips will make the protruding lip even with the studs so the CBU won’t bow when it goes from tub lip to stud.

All say to use a vapor barrier, but some say 15# felt, some say plastic (anywhere from 3mm to 6mm). Some say to bring that barrier over the lip, and trim it before caulking. And use caulk to help stick it to the tub lip.

Why is there no consensus?

And then there is RedGard and Ditra. What the heck are they?

I nudged a few of the surrounding tile; they came off as easily as a dress after the prom.  Knowing what mold spores can do, I sent the girls out of the immediate vicinity.  Well, that and they were both grabbing my arms and yelling at me to stop doing that!  The youngest was crying; she just doesn’t like letting go of anything!

Here’s what it looked like after I quit prodding.  Yuck!

Was that really behind there?

So we headed out to find someone who might know what the next step should be.  In this case, it turned out to be a man at Lowes.  He said the best step would be to just rip out all the drywall rather then peeling the tile off.  That way we could avoid spreading the spores everywhere. He also said that lumber from 15 years or more ago had anti-mold properties that today’s lumber doesn’t have. He said that in 1985 the government no longer mandated the use of chemicals to prevent mold. To my relief, he was more or less right – at least above the tub.

I did that, and decided to go ahead and replace the insulation behind the drywall I removed as well.

The new insulation comes wrapped in some sort of plastic.

I also added some Great Stuff to the gaps where I could see daylight.

See that yellow foam-looking stuff?

I’m lucky enough to have a friend who worked in construction for 10-15 years, and he was a perfectionist. He says you should do it right or not bother. So I had a video call with him via Skype. (Why doesn’t everyone use Skype? I don’t get it…) He said I might as well take out all the tile on the floor. And look under the tub. And… He makes me think this might be an opportunity rather then tragedy.

I think this tub needs replacing!

Smish-smash I was taking a bath!

The black spots near the tub were bothering me, so my friend told me how easy it should be to pull the tub as it was mostly likely steel and not that heavy. I did manage to snap off the drain pipe; thankfully it’s PVC. Here’s the nastiness underneath.

Black spooge.

Don't look in the corner.

I’m going to pull the sink next. Might as well see what’s what. But unfortunately before I can begin repairs I need to fix the sagging garage where the dumb-ass “handyman” cut through a support beam to install a garage door opener.

Right through a support beam!