Murphy's Law

I'm picking up where this post left off on the bathroom re-do.  A lot has happened since that post ended.  However, some of it involved one step forward and two steps back.  Seriously, I had to  twist that phrase to accurately describe the chain of events.

 More details on that down the road.

There was also a situation of uncovering an unexpected dilemma and having to make the decision to spend more and work longer than planned, or cut corners and work around the problem.

As a refresher, what you see now on the floor is the underlayment that was put down before the vinyl tiles were laid in the last phase of redecorating.  Looks good, seems sturdy, and should certainly be ready for tile.  Piece a cake!

Off I go in search of tile at my favorite, most economical place in town, HOODS.  I usually have good luck at Hoods, but today this was the only piece I would consider.  (each tile is about 12 x 15..I'm showing four tiles pushed together here)  I felt I could work with this if I could find a tub surround and backsplash tile to compliment it.

I found this hex tile with a chrome border and it worked well with the floor tile.  A little pricey but I only need about 5 square feet.

The 4 x 16 subway tile in the background is what I chose for the tub surround.  It's gray but waaaay lighter than it looks here.

When I returned home with samples I was greeted with the news.  There is a problem.  Upon closer examination it was determined that under that plywood subfloor, the concrete had a large crack and there was movement.  No tile setter wants to start anything under those conditions.

Note the original blue and white tile

You might be wondering, why concrete?  The original tile (117 yrs. ago) was laid in a bed of concrete.  When the original tile was removed, the concrete was covered with plywood and a vinyl tile.  No worries. Right?  Is this where they say, the chickens come home to roost?  Laying tile over a crack that is moving is an invitation for disaster.

This is where the expression, "It gets worse before it gets better.", proves it's point.

Besides breaking up concrete and hauling it out, there was a layer of cinder to scoop up as well.  Thus all the buckets.  Approximately 80 five gallon buckets full of broken concrete and cinders had to be carried down a flight of stairs and hauled to the dump.

That revealed the uneven (remember that word) old joists and those short pieces of wood flooring stretched between them.

Out come all the wood strips along with some abandoned pipes.

See the new pieces of lumber.  They are being attached to the old joists but slightly raised above them to get level support for the new plywood subfloor.

Nothing is really that simple.  There had to be a radiator in the mix.

The guys got creative and suspended the radiator from the ceiling so they could pull the floor out from under it and do what they needed to do before releasing it back on it's feet.

Are you wondering what happened to that bathtub?

Well, it got hauled out onto the second story deck where it sat for a week or so.  I decided to sell it on Craig's list but needed to get it to ground level first.  With the help of my brother, nephew and three of their crew, it was carried down the stairs and out to the garage.  Really wish I would have gotten pictures of that but I was busy moving my car and making space in the garage.

Don't worry, it's not over for this beauty.  It went to a tall guy looking for a nice long claw foot tub for a house in a historic district that he is restoring for himself.  He climbed in to make sure it was a good fit.

Does it seem like I exaggerated about the troubles and tribulations on this job?  Hold on.  There is more.  While all the above was going on there was this open pipe under the floor that really should not have been a problem...until it was.  It seems water was back flowing from the shower in the other bathroom and making it's way uphill in this pipe and onto the kitchen ceiling below.

By the time the clues made themselves apparent it was too late to halt the damage.

 It appears my kitchen has become part of this rehab and....

I'll be having a few of these before this is over.