Home & Garden Columns

I just love aphorisms. They’re so … so … one-size-fits-all. No bother with versatility or adjustment for circumstances, just “Time and Tides wait for no man” (but they do wait for women as we all know), “Cast not your pearls before swine” (I like the idea of “casting for swine” although it may not be the right season for swine and I think you need a second set of tackle). “Never throw good money after bad” (now which was the bad money? Let me think). Actually, I think I can say something about the last one. 

When I think of throwing good money after bad, I think of bathroom remodels and specifically of those that I’ve seen over the years in which a select group of repairs were made by in accord with the items seem in a pest report. Now, I have a lot of respect for the folks in the pest control business and some of our local pest guys are quite skilled but even they will generally agree with the argument I’m going to make, so let’s not make this about them when, as usually, it’s really about ME. 

Bath remodels are all too often a “reaction” to one or several specific failings in the bath. Usually, water has gotten into framing from any of several joints in the finishes. Let’s run them down. The first is the shower shell. This may involve a tub (most commonly) but can be just a shower. This most often involves ceramic tile, but can involve any of a wide range of alternative finishes such as cast polymer panels, hardboard or plastic. 

For each of these finishes, there are layers which are built up in the installation. There is also quite a spectrum of quality in these installations that will affect their longevity and their vulnerability to moisture intrusion. Tile is the worst, in many ways because of the many joints involved and the many common misconceptions regarding acceptable installation among installers (including highly paid professionals). That said, tile can absolutely be well installed and last for decades without failure if good practices are observed. It’s also my personal favorite so don’t get me wrong when I seem to be picking on tile. 

Tile needs to be installed over a solid backing so there is almost no potential for flexion on the surface. The materials behind need to have some tolerance for moisture themselves since grout does tend to hold and transmit moisture to some extent and everything leaks, at least a little, over time. This is why sheetrock (AKA drywall) is not rated for tile installation. We tried this a couple of decades ago with a special “marine” grade (or green) sheetrock and almost no municipality will now allow it. The paper surface would eventually get wet through the grout or the edge of the tile and the paper would get all icky and fall apart (that’s the technical terminology) taking the tile with it. 

Tile needs to be affixed to a cementitious or other water retardant substrate to stay in place for more than a decade (though I’ve seen bad jobs fail much sooner than that). 

Also, the substrates need to be “papered” or “flashed” so that water that might penetrate these substrates can leak down into the pan of the shower or the tub (most of which have a lip at the edge for just this purpose). This is sometime referred to as a “belt & suspenders” approach. If one thing fails, another acts as backup. When dealing with water, you might want a belt, suspenders and a wetsuit. You just can’t assemble these systems carefully enough. 

I don’t want to get too bogged down with the details here but the point is that putting a bathroom together involves many layers that integrate together in a complex assembly. This is one very good reason never to do a PART of a bathroom remodel. It’s the same with roofs. It’s a bad idea or part of a roof because you violate the principle of layering involved in proper assembly. 

Also, there are both the financial and the design aspects to consider. Economies of scale dictate that one should do a large enough job to take advantage of the benefits that come with adequate scale. The smaller the job, the more expensive it becomes. This is true with many things but, boy, let me tell you. It’s way true with construction. It is nearly always more economical to “gut” a bathroom to the studs than to try to do it by half measures.  

This necessitates that you care, at least a little, about the quality of the bath as a whole, but nearly everyone likes a nice bathroom. When you do the entire bath you can easily expose all the damage that may have occurred over time, such as fungal decay (rot) caused by moisture finding its way under the flooring over behind the shower enclosure. When you’ve exposed everything in this way, it’s quite easy to remove and replace a few sticks of wood or a plywood floor. What seems as though it might be quite daunting is actually quite easy when you can easily reach it all.  

Once you’ve replaced the damaged wood and exposed the rest to the drying air, you can easily install new pipes and wires. Again, everything is open. This is where things get really good. You now have the chance to do a number of things that would almost certainly not get tackled if you simply “cleared” the pest report or fixed the one thing that the plumber or tile person has pointed out. Now you can look at the proximity of fixture. Many older baths lack a nice comfy spaces around the toilet. Try for a 30” space, side to side, with the toilet centered. Also, see if you can get 21” in front of the toilet. With the sink try for a similar standing space. See if you can get a shower to be at least 30” by 30”.  

If you have a sloped wall on one side of the bath, try a “test fit” so you know that you won’t bump your head when you shower or approach the toilet. City inspectors vary in their leniency on these last matters. Most are somewhat forgiving of a slope or bump as long as the primary clearances remain healthy. 

Changing a sink cabinet to a pedestal may give you the room you need but consider where the storage will go. A cabinet over a toilet might be the answer. An open set of shelves can hold rolled towels. 

Think about light and air. Every bath needs ventilation and good airflow can literally mean the difference between replacing tile in 10 years or 30 year (No joke). Allowing things to constantly dry out is key in a bath. Despite the value of windows (and I suggest keeping them out of the shower if you can manage), I heartily endorse the use of vent fans. Cheap fans aren’t worth the money saved (they start around 30 bucks) but a really great fan may move 3 times as much air while actually being quieter. The Panasonic fans (which start around 70) are pretty great but better than these are the in-line fans that hide in the attic or some other hidden recess of the house while a 3” duct connects to the ceiling or wall of the bath using a cute little trim-plate (these start around 160). This makes them even quieter (because the fan is further away) and eliminates a foot-square THING on the wall or ceiling (for we aesthetes). By the way, when you put in your fan, how about a timer so the thing gets turned off after a while. Electronic timers are really cool and don’t cost much. 

Now, let’s talk about heat. It’s nice to get out of the bath and put your feet on a warm floor. When remodeling, it’s easy to add a small electric wall heater and it may also be a simple matter to run a small duct from your existing heating system (talk to your HVAC gal (that’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning)). If you want to go wild, try one of the new radiant heating pads that mount under the tile. The materials cost for a bath are probably under $700 for a bath and your GC should be able to manage the rest. This is one where careful consideration for the manufacturer’s guidelines is a must.  

A ceiling mounted heater makes less sense and I don’t care at all for heating bulbs over my head. Makes me feel like the meatloaf special waiting to be taken to table 12. 

As with fans, a timer on heaters is strongly advised and costs only a little. Actually both of these are designed to save you money. 

When you rehab, you can also ask yourself bigger questions such as “Do I really want a bathtub?” Many folks (once the kids are older) prefer a big shower that they can just step into. This is also better for those of limited mobility, where stepping over the tub gets to be tough. I for one, love a big shower. 

Be sure to replace ALL the piping in the bath when you rehab. There’s nothing more likely to make you bang your head against the wall than to realize that you have to tear out your 1 year old tiled shower because the pipes have begun to leak. If you want to leave the old pipes in the crawlspace for a while, that’s O.K., You can get to them later. 

So the message is, don’t hold back. The savings on a partial bath (fixing the bad floor and shower tile the pest guy found) just isn’t that great and the cost of getting a groovy bathing environment can be a few grand more. This may not lead to Godliness but if you do it right, it’s close enough. 

Got a question about home repairs and inspections? Send them to Matt Cantor, in care of East Bay Real Estate, at realestate@berkeleydailyplanet.com.