Old 1950s half bathroom floor help

[zeetwo]

My diy half-bathroom project isn’t going the way I had planned. First, it was the rock lath wall. And now this:

looks like the used cement to do the floor and the pipe is sticking out. I’m not even sure what that pipe is for. Am I way over my head? Is it possible to DIY this? Im thinking new plumbing and a new subfloor

 

[bud16415]

The large pipe sticking up looks like a toilet flange and the other smaller pipe running to the large pipe was the sink drain.



I have no idea why they filled in between the joists? What is below this area? What was the floor and what supported it before you ripped it up?



This could be a DIY job depending on what skills you have. Ether way you did a good job on the demo and that will save you some money.

 

[zeetwo]

Yes the large one is where the toilet was. The second pipe just attaches to another pipe, not the sink drain. Most likely a wet vent. As for the floor, there were two layers of tiles. The bottom layer of the tile had almost 2 inches of mortar/cement underneath. There really is not much holding the floor, it seems. Underneath is my basement with full access to the bathroom floor. As I did the demo, a lot of debris fell through the floor. I did cut out a little opening from the basement and debris fell. I’m adding pictures from the basement up and the second layer of the tiles

 

[bud16415]

I would keep going and bust the rest of that out and get down to just wood so you can inspect it and then start building back up the correct way.

Are you leaving the toilet in the same location?

 

[zeetwo]

Yea, leaving the toilet as is for this bathroom. I got a little worried so stopped digging. The issue is where the toilet main is, there’s no wood. It’s all open. I can see it from the basement. Thinking if I should redo all the plumbing, bring them lower and then install a 3/4 plywood/OSB or or build up the floor by leaving the pipes as is. Pipe aren’t doing that good it seems

 

[zeetwo]

I would keep going and bust the rest of that out and get down to just wood so you can inspect it and then start building back up the correct way.

Are you leaving the toilet in the same location?

In your opinion, what would be the correct way?

Go with cement again or plywood/cement board route instead?

 

[bud16415]

Without a doubt plywood and cement board etc.

With all the build up you removed was there a step up into the bathroom? Will you need to pad the structure up to get a flush floor with the next room?

 

[zeetwo]

Without a doubt plywood and cement board etc.

With all the build up you removed was there a step up into the bathroom? Will you need to pad the structure up to get a flush floor with the next room?

It was flushed with the kitchen that’s because they did the same thing (now, it makes sense) where they tiled over existing tiles. Kitchen and this bathroom was on the same level but there was a step up from the dinning room wood floor to the kitchen. But I will be redoing the kitchen soon so I can redo the kitchen floor as well and all can be same level

 

[bud16415]

I think you are doing a good thing getting all that weight out of the house.

Over the years lots of crazy ideas floated around. It is a big DIY project. You know what you have to do now.

 

[zeetwo]

I think you are doing a good thing getting all that weight out of the house.

Over the years lots of crazy ideas floated around. It is a big DIY project. You know what you have to do now.

the issue now is the went vent: it sits on the joist as it goes to the left and connects to the line from upstair bathroom. If I use plywood, I would have to leave that part open. Is that okay? What does that do for my tiles?

Also, a plumber is suggesting to replace the galvanized pipes with PVC another said Cast Iron… and one said if it’s not leaking then why change… any thoughts?

 

[bud16415]

I'm of the last plumbers school if it aint broke and working fine leave it alone. If the sub-floor will be thick enough to get above the vent pipe I wouldn't mess with it also. Maybe .75" sub floor and then .25 cement board over it all then tile if that's the floor you want.

 

[zeetwo]

I'm of the last plumbers school if it aint broke and working fine leave it alone. If the sub-floor will be thick enough to get above the vent pipe I wouldn't mess with it also. Maybe .75" sub floor and then .25 cement board over it all then tile if that's the floor you want.

I measured it this morning it’s sticking out about 7/8th to 1” — is there a way to build up the joists?

 

[bud16415]

I measured it this morning it’s sticking out about 7/8th to 1” — is there a way to build up the joists?

You can add strips to the top of the joists to make them higher or you can sister new joists to the sides of the ones you have and let them be higher.

It all depends where you want the finish floor height to end up. If you can stand the height then bring the surface up. If you cant then you need to redo the piping lower.