# step by step help: bath subfloor/plumbing.



## loizier (May 12, 2009)

please help me with steps and materials. im not rich and cant afford to pay someone else to fix my problems. i really need help fixing my bathroom. so far, iv ripped out the entire bathroom. subfloor, walls, plumbing and all. everything was leaking. mold was horrible. i actually had a 2" tall MUSHROOM growing on my bedroom carpet (house was sold "as is").
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steps:

1.tear down. done.

2.replaced molded/rotted/termite ridden joists. done. i replaced and sistered as needed.

3.replaced molded/rotted/termite ridden studs. done. same as above.

4.leveled joists with plane and belt sander. done.

5.installed 3/4" ply (whatever the water resistant stuff is called) from corner to corner.

6.cut holes for plumbing. bath drain, toilet, and extra -middle of the room-drain...(i like to overdo things.)

7.got all necessary plumbing fixtures sized and ready to be glued.
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now heres where my knowledge fails me. i already cut holes in the ply but not the cement board that i have yet to install. i need help with the steps that come next.

im at a loss from here. i need help. iv searched for a many o' hours on the net and here, but nothing seems to fit my needs or maybe there is just too much info in a thread to put the steps together in my head.


please help me. i beg of you's!!!


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## loizier (May 12, 2009)

oh yea...

i will be tiling over cement board with 12" tiles and also in bath. will be putting 1/2" cement board probably in the WHOLE bathroom as it has small sq footage.

tar paper between cement board and ply, on floor.
tar paper between studs and cement board, on walls.


will be posting pics with more questions soon.

ps. only bathroom in house. i havent showered in 4 days. bathroom has been inop for 1.5 months.


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## loizier (May 12, 2009)

anyone?

iv went through the search function and cant find anything specific.

a link would be helpful......please


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

we'd be happy to help you i'm sure, but we need a more specific question. necessary materials vary as to what your desire is.

DM


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## 12penny (Nov 21, 2008)

loizier....really not a question so I'll just comment on what you wrote. You state you have your plumbing parts ready to be glued. I'm hoping you did your plumbing rough in before you layed the plywood. I wouldnt use paper on the floor but instead would lay my backer in a bed of thinset and then screw down. This helps level the floor further. When you put backer in the shower, lay on a couple coats of Redgard, this helps keep moisture from the backer. You can also use it on the floor. Make sure electrical is up to code and correct now if not. Next step would probably be drywall, tape and finish. Then, lay your tile, paint, install fixtures and youre done.


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## loizier (May 12, 2009)

12penny said:


> loizier....really not a question so I'll just comment on what you wrote. You state you have your plumbing parts ready to be glued. I'm hoping you did your plumbing rough in before you layed the plywood. I wouldnt use paper on the floor but instead would lay my backer in a bed of thinset and then screw down. This helps level the floor further. When you put backer in the shower, lay on a couple coats of Redgard, this helps keep moisture from the backer. You can also use it on the floor. Make sure electrical is up to code and correct now if not. Next step would probably be drywall, tape and finish. Then, lay your tile, paint, install fixtures and youre done.


 
awesome! i got a response!

i didnt do a rough in w/plumbing 'cause everything pretty much stayed in the same place. once i layed half the subfloor ply down, i cut holes for the drains where the joists allowed.
mortar base support for fiberglass shower pan. im also putting a shower pan liner under the mortar and another showerpan liner under drain in middle of floor (overkill, i know).
im not putting backerboard up anywhere (i dont like it) ill be putting cement board on walls and floor after i put up tarred felt and will be putting thinset on top of that on floor.
elec will be a whole nother issue. i know what it feels like to get shocked by 110 and dont want to do that anynmore than i already have.

is there anything wrong with what iv told you so far?


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

You would need more than 3/4" plywood on the floor. Minimum wood substrate would be 1 1/4". You could then put 1/4" cement board over the top. The cement board needs to be screwed down and thinsetted. The plywood needs to be exterior ply. "Water resistant", is not a term used for plywood.
You need to be a little more specific in your questions for us to aid you.
Ron


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## loizier (May 12, 2009)

ok. first off: thankyou for your reply!


so your saying that i need 2 layers of ply before the cement board? using those measurements the floor would be around 2+'' thick after the tile. wouldnt that be too much? so i cant get away with just the 3/4" ply then 1/2" durox then tile? im assuming there would be too much flex with what i would have put down?

if i do go with 2 layers of ply, do i stagger the 2nd layer of ply, or does it matter? would i felt between the ply? or thinset? or adhesive?

thanks in advance.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

Yes, you would have too much flex with your stated plans. You also need the correct joist size and a minimum span between the ends. You didn't state what you had, so I guess you know it's okay? Between laters of ply, I use construction adhesive and screw it down.
Ron


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## loizier (May 12, 2009)

Ron6519 said:


> You also need the correct joist size and a minimum span between the ends.Ron


joists are 12" to 15" off center, 2"x6".


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

loizier said:


> joists are 12" to 15" off center, 2"x6".


 The span is the distance the 2x6 goes from support to support. Floor joists will go from the foundation wall to a main support in the middle of the house. This main beam would be supported by metal lolly columns. The span would be from foundation wall to lolly column.
A 2x6 joist is very small and it has a short distance it can span. You might have issues with a 12" tile with a 2x6 joist, unless the span is short
Ron


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## ldc (May 17, 2009)

any one there


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## loizier (May 12, 2009)

Ron6519 said:


> The span is the distance the 2x6 goes from support to support. Floor joists will go from the foundation wall to a main support in the middle of the house. This main beam would be supported by metal lolly columns. The span would be from foundation wall to lolly column.
> A 2x6 joist is very small and it has a short distance it can span. You might have issues with a 12" tile with a 2x6 joist, unless the span is short
> Ron


ok. i get it.

when i had the floor out, i didnt notice any metal "lolly columns" (?). all i remember seeing are larger wooden beams being supported by cement pillars (in between the larger beams and the cement pillars were pieces of the hardwood flooring. it looked like someone jacked up the house to raise the height of the pillars...not very neatly.)

i do remember seeing the cement pillars about 6' away from foundation. _AND _there is a pillar right under the bathroom floor. would that help with flex???


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## loizier (May 12, 2009)

also, iv already spent most of my savings buying materials to fix up my bathroom (very small savings) and cant affor to fix anything else thats wrong with the house. ESP something that would involve hiring a contractor to do. if i cant do it with my circular saw, drill, or hammer, i cant do it.

what im trying to say is: if the span is inadequate, im still not going to fix it (not that i dont want to, though).


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## purplewg (May 19, 2009)

I agree a 2x6 is not really a good floor joist. Have you considered a linoleum flooring rather than tile? I think you might have problem with tiles cracking or the grout cracking.

I am in the process now of repairing/replacing subfloor and joists in the adjoining laundry room to my bathroom. I finally investigated what kept cracking the grout in my shower and it was the spongy floor in the laundry room allowing the washer to virtually shake the grout out.


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