Improper plumbing & trying to remodel bathroom/laundry

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I went looking at old photos and see you have 2 windows back there, should plan on both while you are there.

I think you have two starting points.
1. do the new plumbing under the house except for these two rooms, just cap them off so they can be hooked up when ready.
2. replace the 2 windows and the door maybe and if the kitchen window is close by do that too . So a whole bunch of work with the siding is done at the same time.

Then I would gut the bathroom and fix up the laundry room a then move the machines.
 
Yeah, I was planning to do the two adjacent windows at the same time. If the Plygem ones are ok, I can get two of them (but one with tempered glass). I'll have to make sure the store properly marks them so I can tell which is which.

Kitchen window is on the other side of the door so its siding doesn't touch the windows. I will probably do the kitchen window the same time I'm doing the door (unless I can just figure out how to repair the kitchen window so it will stay open).

One problem with the kitchen window is that they did the vent around it-- interfering with the siding. I'm going to want to either eliminate that and use an AAV (which I am weary of doing) or use bends to put the drain and vent outside the exterior wall (but try to put it on the side of the window instead of under). I'll have to cover the hole where the S-trap currently goes down. If I go with AAV, I'll just remove the exterior vent pipe. If I don't, I'll paint the vent pipe to prevent sun damage.

New plumbing for the rest of the house is going to be tricky. I need to go back and look at some of the diagrams Frodo drew for me. Both tubs need vents and proper slope-- and need to be re-routed. I need new wall surround for my bathroom tub, and I probably should fix the S-trap under my sink. The adjacent bathroom needs the floor redone and to have an ADA shower put in. Both tubs currently have right-hand drains. I thought about switching one to left-hand, but I realize that wouldn't leave space for a grab bar where my mother will need it. I'll be able to put the exterior grab bar and shower seat on the left. I believe I have a thread about that remodel on the plumbingforums (or maybe on this site-- I can't remember). But I will need to tear out some walls to access plumbing. There is a small linen closet between the tubs (with access from the hallway). I'm thinking of cutting some access panels inside the closet where there will be water shutoff valves in case of emergency-- and so I will be able to check for leaks in there.

I know Mom would prefer for me to fix my bathroom floor (the botched self-leveling job), get a toilet installed, and make it so my bathroom is accessible while hers is out of commission. She hasn't really been receptive to listening about the S-trap situation (I think she doesn't quite understand).

I've put a lot more planning and focus on the laundry room/bathroom.

But I think you are right that I should get the other plumbing straightened out. I'm just not sure what to do with it. I haven't been able to break up the botched self-leveling stuff. I'm going to need to replace the vent/light/heat fixtures in the ceilings.

Mom is not quite sold in replacing all of the windows yet, but I'm working on it-- it would save us some $ on electricity I think.

To break down what I need to do (in no particular order):
  • Repair/replace disconnected kitchen sink drain (the horizontal run came apart at the joint under the house)
  • Get rid of S-trap under kitchen sink
  • Repair subfloor and level it in my ensuite (B3)
  • Repair scrape on cast iron tub in B3
  • Replace tub surround in B3
  • Finish sealing sheet vinyl (already in place loosely) in B3
  • Install toilet in B3
  • Fix S-trap in B3
  • Replace vent/light in B3
  • Add moulding/trim to floor & walls in B3
  • Replace ugly ceiling in B3 (maybe take down and paint existing wood or put up beadboard ceiling, or peel & stick floor tiles)
  • Take furniture and tools and other stuff out of tub in B3
  • Put new one-handle shower/tub lever, Moentrol valve, tub spout, overflow cover, and new showerhead (hoping to get Moen Kingsley) in B3
  • Replace window in B3 and fix trim around vanity
  • Install new towel bars, toilet paper holder & backplate (after painting backplate), & install new shower rod.
  • Replace faucet in B3
  • Put faucet from B3 in adjacent ensuite (B2)
  • Take out fugly green one-piece tub/shower unit in B2
  • Remove furniture and vertical part of shelving unit (that touches floor) from B2
  • Paint vanity, shelves, and walls in B2
  • Replace or re-finish fugly green sink in B2
  • Tear up damaged subfloor and replace in B2
  • Install new shower unit & put up grab bars in B2
  • Put down vinyl sheet in B2
  • Install moulding & trim on walls in B2
  • Put new one-handle shower/tub lever, Moentrol valve, tub spout, overflow cover, and new showerhead in B2 (possibly with slide type shower arm to allow easy reach for showerhead)
  • Fix S-trap in B2
  • Possibly re-finish counter-top in B2 (might not need to do that)
  • Replace vent/light/heat in B2 ceiling
  • Replace window in B2
  • Check ductwork in attic
  • Install ladder to attic
  • Have electrical inspected, add whole house surge protector, & upgrade/replace some of the breakers in breaker box (need to figure out why electrical near front door is not working)
  • Re-point chimney & repair damage to edge of roof
  • Install gutters and downspouts
  • Make french drains on ground near downspouts
  • Level & fill in dog & armadillo holes in driveway
  • Pour pea gravel in driveway
  • Fix car port & electrical to it
  • Fix front gate and add automatic opener
  • Cut down trees overrunning workshop yard
  • Repair exterior porch area of workshop (water damage)
  • Fix pump house up (doors broken and has holes)
  • Install vent fan in side of pump house to pull hot hair out during summer
  • Repair broken waterlines around yard
  • Put ball shutoff on waterline for cow waterer
  • Fix gates and fence around yard
  • Replace windows on bedrooms, living room, and front room
  • Replace back steps

Obviously, I'm not going to tackle it all at once. I will need help with quite a bit of it. I can do painting and gluing PVC. The pros will have to fix/replace the car port. For the rest I should be able to enlist the help of friends. I can do a little bit of woodworking.
 
I think you and frodo had a pretty detailed plan going. I think the way to do this would be to run the new main line for the sewer with all the Ts and Ys and cap them all and tee it in to the old line out closer to the tank so you would have both and as each room gets hooked up the old could be removed and capped. It wouldn't matter which room you did first.
 
I think you and frodo had a pretty detailed plan going. I think the way to do this would be to run the new main line for the sewer with all the Ts and Ys and cap them all and tee it in to the old line out closer to the tank so you would have both and as each room gets hooked up the old could be removed and capped. It wouldn't matter which room you did first.

True, and I suppose I could at least take care of the drain part and do the vents later. Given that I don't currently have vents anyway, it wouldn't really change the status quo.

I need to find the sketches and supply list again. Can't remember which page it was on. LOL.
 
True, and I suppose I could at least take care of the drain part and do the vents later. Given that I don't currently have vents anyway, it wouldn't really change the status quo.

I need to find the sketches and supply list again. Can't remember which page it was on. LOL.

post #348.............
 
post #348.............
Thanks!
I'm also still pondering what to do about the back door-- particularly the floor part. I need to see if Tumblr will let me pots the pics now. It was being a pain. But the sill (or whatever it is called) underneath is rotted very badly.
More pics of the door.
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Just measure the height and width of the door slab itself.

It's 36x80.

And now I'm going through the posts and my saved images to see if I can find the list Frodo came up with for the plumbing for the whole house. He had diagrams of how to do it all. One of my cats is getting in the way of the screen. LOL.
 
I decided to do some modified sketches of the current plans. I changed the tub in one of the bathrooms to a shower since my mother has trouble lifting her legs high enough and just wants to be able to sit in the shower.

I decided to move the kitchen drain direction because it ties in with the other two bathroom groups-- which is a pretty long run. I think it is a shorter run to the new laundry/bathroom group.

I'm temporarily planning to use AAVs for the sink and lavs (except for the new bathroom) because adding vents would involve opening up walls that I'm not planning to open soon. The shower walls are going to be opened to do the surrounds, so I should be able to add vents there. I'm thinking that I could tie the toilet vents in with the tub & shower vents, but then I need to figure out how to vent them out of the house. I'm not sure if I would want to put a hole in the roof. I do have a new friend who does roofing, but I don't know his level of expertise and I absolutely do not want leaks. But, it would be a pretty long run for a vent pipe to go through the attic and I don't know if ductwork would be in the way or what obstacles might be there.

I'm also trying to figure out how to determine if some of my sinks/lavs have 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" drains. I think the reason my kitchen drain came apart (and had to be held together with a rubberband) is because I think the new P-trap might be 1-1/4" but I'm not sure. I'm going to replace it since it is currently an S-trap.

Additionally, I want to make a list of all of the plumbing fittings I will need so I can price them out. I know Frodo previously made a list for me, but I've changed some things up since then. And I want to be clear on some of the terms used. I know he mentioned "bushing" a few times.

myhouseplumbingdiag1.png

housefloorplanroughplumb1.png
 
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Thank you so much, Frodo!
One modification though: I could run the trap arm for lav in B2 north into the interior wall shared with lav in B3. I just looked inside B2 cabinets and the drawers are not boxed in-- they are just sort of floating in there and they don't go all the way to the back. There is enough space to fit the trap arm behind the drawers. I could have my skinny friend climb in there and cut a hole in the side of the cabinet which would come through the back of the cabinet in B3.
It would be a lot easier and simpler than furring out that wall. The vanity is built-in-place and the wall is actually part of the backsplash. Also, there are shelves that go all the way to that wall so I wall and I don't want to mess with them. I couldn't move the vanity without breaking something, but I could easily pull the drawers out of the way. That way none of the visible walls would really be affected.

I'm trying to avoid cutting open walls unless I have to- so the only places I could cut open that would not be visible would be the wall under the lav and the shower walls. Which makes me wonder if I could just run the toilet line to either the nearest tub or lav (I believe the tub is closer) and then go up in the attic from there.

If I did that, how much would it change the overall plans?

Thank you for the links to the parts-- I admit that I am not sure how the bushings would fit on things (which direction they would go).

I was thinking I would have to use something to adapt from the twist-on fittings to the glued PVC. I saw two products but am not sure what the difference is.

One is this: 1-1/2 in. PVC DWV Trap Adapter

And the other is this: 1-1/2 in. PVC DWV Hub x SJ Trap Adapter

The latter one is smaller, but I don't know if they function differently or what.

For further clarification on the fittings list:
To go from 1.25" to 1.5", this washer http://www.supplyhouse.com/Korky-724A-1-1-2-x-1-1-4-Slip-Joint-Washers-Flexible-TPR-20-Pack
#4. Did you mean like this? http://www.supplyhouse.com/Spears-P300-030-3-PVC-DWV-90-Elbow
#5. Is it this? http://www.supplyhouse.com/Spears-P429-338-3-x-2-PVC-DWV-Double-Sanitary-Tee
#6&7. http://www.supplyhouse.com/Spears-P329-342-3-x-4-PVC-DWV-90-Closet-Elbow ?
#9. http://www.supplyhouse.com/Spears-P401-251-2-x-2-x-1-1-2-PVC-DWV-Sanitary-Tee
#11. http://www.supplyhouse.com/Spears-P401-241-2-x-1-1-2-x-1-1-2-PVC-DWV-Sanitary-Tee
#12. http://www.supplyhouse.com/Spears-P300-015-1-1-2-PVC-DWV-90-Elbow

Edit: I saw this thing and was wondering how it is used http://www.supplyhouse.com/Spears-P327-015-1-1-2-PVC-90-Double-Elbow (It's not on the list, but I'm wondering WTF the application of that thing is).

Also, for tying vents together, if I want to have a vent tie in to another and then have both move along, what would I use to merge them? Would I just use an upside-down tee and go up a little and have a 90? or is there an appropriate fitting?
 
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zannej: those two fitting are the same one goes on the end of a pipe the other fits in the end of a fitting.

If you are doing a list, don't forget you have to tie new into old somewhere with a fitting and then caps for any lines that are going to be started and left for later use. Maybe some couplings to join to those lines and some more caps for the old that will be disconnected.
 
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returning unused parts to the big box stores is pretty easy. Get a few more than you think you will need, and a few "just in case" parts. Return the extras after the project is done. Nothing sucks more than a shopping trip right in the middle of a project because of something stupid that was forgotten.
 
zannej: those two fitting are the same one goes on the end of a pipe the other fits in the end of a fitting.

If you are doing a list, don't forget you have to tie new into old somewhere with a fitting and then caps for any lines that are going to be started and left for later use. Maybe some couplings to join to those lines and some more caps for the old that will be disconnected.

returning unused parts to the big box stores is pretty easy. Get a few more than you think you will need, and a few "just in case" parts. Return the extras after the project is done. Nothing sucks more than a shopping trip right in the middle of a project because of something stupid that was forgotten.

Thanks, Neal. I'm a very visual person, so I struggle to understand the line drawings because my mind needs to put it in 3D and visualize the parts. I will have to look up pictures that might show those parts going together and how they fit. Hopefully I can find some instructions. The site Frodo linked me is very helpful since it has little pictures that show what the parts look like.

Slownsteady, good idea on the extra parts. I have some extra water supply repair parts in a plastic bin (and lying around in a tool closet as well as in the pump shed). I think if I bought the parts, I don't know if I would return them. I'm a hoarder so I would likely keep extras just in case. I've got a fairly large workshop with plenty of storage space. Plus the big box stores are an hour away and I usually only go to that town once a month or every other month.

I wonder if I can keep in my budget of around $5k for the laundry room and bathroom area-- I hadn't planned on replacing the door, but that will be an extra cost. And I will probably get Henry Blueskin WD door & window wrap-- which is not sold in local stores but is on Amazon. It needs Henry He572110 "blueskin" Spray Prep, so I'll need a can or two of that-- unless I can use 3M spray or something instead.
 
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The distance is one of the reasons I mentioned getting extras. But since you mentioned hoarding stuff, take an inventory of what you have before you shop. Instead of having two of 'this or that', you don't want to end up with four of them.

Also, there's this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Grace-Vy...Roll-Fully-Adhered-Flashing-5003105/203057405
Yeah. I remember one time my dad started doing a concrete pour job (for a shed) and ran out of concrete so we had to make a mad dash to HD to get more bags. We told them what we needed and that we needed to load the bags in a hurry and get back. They said they would run the barcodes and we would pay and then they would load us up. We stood there for probably 15 minutes waiting for someone to come load the bags we'd already paid for when I said "screw it" and started picking up a bag myself-- suddenly employees stopped chitchatting with one another and rushed over and said I wasn't allowed to pick them up and that they would handle it, so they started loading them and then we had to rush back home.

I don't know if I have any spare DWV parts laying around-- mostly PVC supply stuff. I will have to go and take an inventory of lumber and stuff. There is all sorts of stuff down in the workshop. One day I'll take pictures of the workshop and post it on the garageretreat forum. I need to get some sort of stepstool out down there and look through some of the little bins on the walls. Dad was a bit taller than me and had longer arms so he could reach stuff. I also want to do some stuff to fix the place up a little more. I need to patch the roof on the workshop's porch area, but I've gained a LOT of weight since I last went up there and the reason there is a hole is bc my foot went through when I was mopping Coolseal up there.

Thanks for the link to the wrap. A related link pulled up this pre-made corner thingy. I saw a video where someone used a similar product under the wrap. I wonder if that stuff is actually any good.

I've been watching videos about window installation-- leaving gaps to let water drain, using flat plastic shims, etc. I forget the name one of the people used for the shims-- but he said it was a plastic kind that would not compress and would not rot.

I'm currently watching a video on electrical installation-- but it's over an hour and 40 minutes long. I have about 20 minutes left, but I started drifting off so I paused and will resume watching in a bit. Lots of cool things I didn't know about-- like making loops of extra wire in case more is needed to be pulled into the box later on, the different types of things to hold the wires on to the studs, what the different colors are, wrapping the wire around the screws clockwise, etc. Wish I'd known that last bit when rewiring a replacement jack after the old one got fried by a power surge. I'm taking notes. Heh.

And I'm going to watch videos on door installation and stuff later.

I wanted to watch last night but internet went out from storms-- we had a tornado watch in effect.

Meanwhile, I'm going to take some measurements of the other two bathrooms so I can get a general idea of the distances in them for running the vents.

I plan to install a light fixture above the vanity in my room, so that means I will have to open up that wall. I was thinking of pulling that whole wall panel and putting up beadboard.

I already plan to run the trap arm from the adjacent bathroom's lav in to that wall, but I'm debating on where to run the toilet vents. I could run them both to that same wall (and I've got probably 4 feet of space to work with there) or run the toilet vents to the nearest tub wall-- since I'm going to pull that wall back-- but it is a smaller space and I have the water lines and tub's vent in that one. Although, I could potentially access it from both sides if I cut an access panel in the adjacent hall closet.

On one hand, if I run it to the tub wall, the drain will line up more with the next tub. On the other, I'm not sure there is enough space in there and it is above a joist. If I run the toilets to the lav wall there will be more space and I can run them all together to the main sewer line. I'm trying to figure out if it would be shorter to run the other shower separately to the main line or tie it in with the other fixtures.

Edit: I threw together an ugly sketch.
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Lav from B2 wet vents under Lav from B3. on the toilets, one will wet vent under the other.
 
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Thanks, Frodo! I somehow thought that the toilets couldn't wet vent like that but I wanted to be sure.

Ok. So, could I run the toilets drains west until they were under the vanity wall, then use long sweeps to have them hook to that cross?

They are not quite back-to-back. One of them is closer to the west than the other, but I was having trouble trying to get the measurements. So I'm concerned about getting the right slope for both of them.

For the shower, it is a right hand drain so it would be 5' away, but that is still within acceptable limits, so that might be easier.

For the lavs, I was going to comment that one of the lavs will have a much longer trap arm, but that just means I will have to figure the slope and I can bring the other one down to match it. The vanity in B2 is 72" wide with the lav right in the center. The drop is very small. The vanity in B3 is perpendicular and is about 48" wide. Distance from the closet wall to the side of vanity in B3 is around 59" (I had trouble with my measuring tape so I will have to go back and measure again to be certain). I'll have to remove the drop cloth from the floor to find where my flange is and figure out the center.

I went in and did some rough measurements last night but my measuring tape kept twisting and trying to cinch back up even after I locked it. There were a coupe inches difference in the sizes that should have been roughly the same-- so either it's really askew or I just fail at measuring. LOL.

I have some pics of the fugly green bathroom (aka B2).
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Probably going to paint the walls. Not sure what to do about green sink.

The open shelves are pine and my father built them-- including the little shelf to hold stuff like reading glasses, pencils, etc. There is a magazine rack on the floor that holds the fill-it-in puzzles (but I didn't take pics of the floor bc it's horrible).

That shower is 59" wide so when I replace it, I will have to notch in to the closet about an inch.

When I get better measurements of the location of toilet drains, I'll post them and some diagrams.
 
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