Our son James was in Florida visiting some friends and was asked to look at a toilet in a home built in the 1920s. There was something wrong with the toilet as it wobbled. After looking at the bathroom, all 30 square feet of it (5ft X 6ft), he determined the floor under the toilet was gone. Apparently water had been leaking for several years under the ceramic floor tile rotting the sub floor wood and the floor joists away. The only thing holding the toilet in place was the front of the toilet and the toilet bowl leaning against the wall.
When James removed the flooring and discovered what was going to be involved, it was decided that he would remodel the bathroom by removing the almost useless pentagon shaped shower (less than 2ft across) and relocating the toilet to the other side of the room.
The original configuration was such that the toilet was under the stairs and there was very little headroom. Some additional easy cleaning options were desired and incorporated. A floor drain was added as this room is near a pool. New easy to clean ceramic floor tile was installed and he installed a pedestal sink and a new elongated bowl toilet.
Demolition of the floor confirmed that the floor needed some extensive repairs. There was just enough room to add the new plumbing. The cast iron pipe with lead sleeves was removed and PVC was installed. Copper was installed for all the supply lines.
The existing walls were plastered using techniques of the 1920s and were several inches thick, not to mention very heavy. James decided not to remove any unnecessary material and re-plaster any areas that needed to be repaired. Saving time and money.
The damaged floor joists were repaired using pressure treated wood to help ensure no future damage would occur. New 3/4 inch plywood covered the floor joists and 1/2 inch Hardiboard covered the plywood. The Hardiboard will keep the floor from flexing and keep the ceramic tile from cracking. This was very important as he was using 16 inch ceramic tiles.
After the floor was installed, the walls were leveled with new stucco. Then floor tile was installed. A economical way to do the floor tile edging is to cut 4 inches off the side of the 16 inch tile and use it for the baseboard. This way the finished edge shows and the cut edge is hidden.
Since this was a very small bathroom remodel, the waste is of little concern. James placed the floor tile and then the baseboard. The sink and the toilet were installed next. He grouted the finished floor with un-sanded grout. Then he saved some grout to go under the toilet and the pedestal sink.
NEVER use caulk or plaster around the toilet and pedestal sink as these materials break down over time.
The final finish would be applied after the plaster dried. Depending upon thickness, it may take several days for everything to dry. Then all the homeowner needs to do is paint.
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