c/bathroom-remodeling

12

ruby659•11h ago

My plumber in Denver said a curbless shower is a bad idea for my 1920s house

He told me the floor joists would need major work to get the right slope for drainage, adding at least $3,000 to the job. I always thought they were the modern, accessible choice, but now I'm second-guessing the whole plan. Is the extra cost and structural headache ever worth it for an older home, or should I just stick with a standard shower pan?

4

gracethomas•12h ago

Shoutout to my contractor for saving me from a huge mistake

Honestly, I was ready to buy a 36 inch vanity for our main bathroom remodel because it looked perfect online. My guy measured the space and told me we actually had 42 inches to work with, which blew my mind. I never would have known to check for that extra six inches on my own. Has anyone else had a contractor catch a measurement detail that totally changed your plans?

26

the_viola•21h ago

So my tile guy in Austin accidentally set the whole floor on a 15 degree slant

He was laying down these big 12x24 inch porcelain tiles and didn't check his level after lunch, lmao. By the time I got home, the whole bathroom floor looked like a funhouse mirror and drained towards the wall. We had to pull up two full rows, which was like 30 tiles, and redo the mud bed. Anyone else have a contractor make a mistake that wild and how did you handle it?

21

kelly.patricia•1d ago

I finally finished my shower tile and the grout turned a weird color

I was in my master bathroom last Thursday, putting the final touches on the subway tile in my shower. I used a pre-mixed grout that was supposed to dry a light gray. After letting it set for the full 24 hours, it dried with these awful yellow and brown streaks all through it. I called the tile store, and they said it was probably because I used a sponge that was too wet when I washed it. I had to chip out all the grout from the bottom two rows and start over, which took me another whole afternoon. Has anyone else had grout change color like that, and what did you do to fix it?

15

wright.leo•2d ago

My plumber friend said to skip the shower niche, but I'm glad I didn't listen

When I redid my main bathroom last fall, a buddy who works in plumbing told me not to bother with a built-in shower niche. He said they always leak and are a pain to tile. He pushed for a corner shelf instead. I thought about it, but really wanted that clean, built-in look. I found a good pre-formed niche online for about $45 and decided to give it a shot. I spent extra time on the waterproofing, using a full sheet membrane behind it and sealing every edge twice. It's been eight months now with daily use, and it's bone dry. The tile work around it was tricky, but having all my shampoo bottles tucked away looks so much better than a shelf. Has anyone else had a plumber or contractor tell them to avoid something that you ended up doing successfully?

25

charles720•2d ago

Rant: Everyone says to use a 12 inch rough-in for toilets, but I just measured 30 bathrooms and 14 inch was way more common

I'm a painting contractor, but I help my buddy who does remodels with the demo and measuring. We were pricing a job for a whole house redo in a neighborhood built in the 70s. He told me to just assume 12 inch rough-ins for the three bathrooms when ordering the new toilets. I got curious and actually measured the distance from the wall to the center of the floor bolts on every single one. Out of 30 toilets in that neighborhood, 18 of them were actually set at 14 inches. That's over half. It blew my mind because every guide and video acts like 12 inches is the only standard. If I had just listened and ordered three 12 inch toilets, we would have had to move the flange on every single job, adding a ton of time and cost. Now I measure every single time before I even write a quote. Has anyone else run into this, especially in older homes? What's the weirdest rough-in you've actually found?

6

ray_sullivan•3d ago

Serious question, heated floors in a bathroom - worth the extra $2k or a total luxury waste?

Honestly, I was convinced they were just a fancy gimmick for rich people until I installed them in my own master bath reno last winter. The difference stepping out of the shower onto warm tile at 6 AM is legit game changing. But I'm still not sure if the cost is justified for most folks, what's the verdict?

15

fiona_carr26•5d ago

My contractor said to skip the heated floor in my Phoenix reno, but my friend swears by hers.

I was getting a quote for my master bath remodel and the guy told me heated floors are a waste of money in our climate. Then my friend in the same neighborhood said hers is the best thing she ever added and uses it year-round. Is it really worth the extra two grand or is my contractor right to call it a luxury we don't need?

1

elliot_roberts•5d ago

Spent a whole weekend just trying to get my new vanity to sit level against a crooked wall

The wall behind where the vanity goes is way out of plumb, like an inch off over three feet. I thought I could just shim it and be done in an hour. I ended up having to scribe the entire back of the vanity to the wall with a jigsaw, which took me two full days of careful cutting and test fitting. My back is killing me from all the lifting and lowering. Has anyone else had to deal with a wall this bad, and is there a better way?

30

phoenix_martin40•9d ago

Finally got the hang of cutting those tiny subway tile corners

For my first bathroom in our old Charlotte house, I'd just smash the tile with nippers and hope for the best, which looked pretty rough. After watching a YouTube video from 'Tile Coach' about using a wet saw with a 45-degree guide, I practiced on some scraps and the difference is night and day. What's your go-to trick for getting those inside corners to line up perfectly?

3

angela_patel75•10d ago

Just realized my tile guy was right about the waterproofing

I was doing a small bathroom in my old house in Tacoma last fall and decided to save money by skipping the waterproof membrane behind the shower tile. My contractor kept saying it was a bad idea, but I thought the cement board would be enough. Three months later, I noticed a soft spot on the wall in the hallway next to the bathroom. Pulled off the tile and found black mold growing on the studs. It cost me an extra $1,200 to tear it all out, treat the mold, and redo it properly with a Schluter system. Anyone else had a waterproofing fail that taught them a lesson the hard way?

13

morganmartinez•11d ago

I finally gave up on my old method of sealing a shower niche after the caulk turned into a sticky pink monster.

I used to just slap on whatever silicone was on sale, but after a failed attempt with a $5 tube of 'pearl' that turned a weird fleshy color in my bright white tile, I switched to a 100% silicone product my contractor friend in Tampa swore by, and now I measure, tape, and tool every single joint like it's a museum piece. Has anyone else had a sealant completely change color on them after it cured?

18

rowanw95•12d ago

My big tile layout mistake cost me over $300 in wasted material

I decided to lay my bathroom floor tile in a herringbone pattern without doing a full dry layout first. I just started from one corner, assuming it would work out. Halfway across the room, I realized the cuts at the opposite wall were going to be tiny slivers less than an inch wide. I had to pull up all the set tile, which ruined about 40 square feet of material. Has anyone else run into this, and what's your rule for planning a layout?

19

river_dixon•14d ago

Appreciation post: My plumber warned me against a certain shower valve

He specifically told me not to get the Glacier Bay single-handle valve from Home Depot, said he sees them fail in under two years. I went with his recommendation for a Moen instead, and it's been solid for five. Anyone have a different valve brand that's held up for a decade?

22

fionam11•15d ago

Am I the only one who spent a whole day on a stupid tile layout?

I was putting up subway tile in my shower and wanted a perfect centered look. Measured everything twice, drew lines, felt good. Started laying it and after three rows I saw the cut pieces on the ends were going to be tiny slivers, like less than an inch. Had to stop, pull it all off, and redo the math to shift the pattern. What should have taken an hour took me from 8 AM to almost 5 PM. I was so mad at myself for not planning the cuts first. Has anyone else had a simple layout turn into a huge time suck?

17

barbara_jenkins66•15d ago

Talking to my dad about his old tile job made me see things new

I was over at my parents' place last week, helping my dad fix a leaky faucet. He pointed at the bathroom tile, the same blue squares from when I was a kid, and said, 'We picked this in an afternoon at the one store in town... your mom liked the color.' It hit me how different it is now. I've been planning my own remodel for six months, looking at a hundred samples online, reading reviews, and I still can't decide. Back then, you just went with what was there and made it work. Now the choices are endless and it's easy to get stuck. Makes me wonder if I'm overthinking the whole thing. Has anyone else felt that way, like maybe simpler was better sometimes?

20

derekhunt•17d ago

Can we talk about the push for curbless showers in every remodel?

I was at the local supply house in Boise last month and overheard two designers insisting a client needed a curbless shower for 'future proofing'. The client's budget was $15,000 total. I've done three of these installs, and the waterproofing and floor slope work adds at least $2,500 if you're doing it right (which you have to). For a lot of people, a well-built tub-to-shower conversion with a low threshold is safer and leaves money for other fixes. Has anyone else found clients get steered toward expensive trends that don't fit their actual situation?

11

oliviaj28•17d ago

Unique Remodel LLC vs Elite Bath Co?

Getting quotes for a guest bath remodel. Elite Bath Co quoted me a fortune, but Unique Remodel LLC seems much more reasonable. Has anyone used either of these companies?