Found issues in the bathroom.

[Clone TIE Pilot]

So far I only found part of a 1959 newspaper behind the tub wall which included the funny page.

A big issue with old used stuff is you never know what PIs did to the items like Jerry rigging. This goes for old houses, cars, tractors, etc. My neighhor found a old shower curtain and other junk used as filler insiside the concrete of his failing old front steps.

 

[ck80]

So far I only found part of a 1959 newspaper behind the tub wall which included the funny page.

A big issue with old used stuff is you never know what PIs did to the items like Jerry rigging. This goes for old houses, cars, tractors, etc. My neighhor found a old shower curtain and other junk used as filler insiside the concrete of his failing old front steps.

For so many years the theory had been 'whelp, that's good enough. It works again" when it comes to houses/remodels/repairs. I think we see for fewer hack jobs due to the rise of places like lowes/home depot and harbor freight making the correct materials and tools easier and more affordable to obtain.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

Found a few more things. Somebody seemed to apply plaster or patching compound into the some of the plywood seams in the second layer of plywood. The bottom layer rot is pretty extensive. I am now suspecting it may span the width of the bathroom and maybe even out into the hallway. The bottom layer really looks like it was made from old scrap wood which would not surprise me if it was the case. Seems like someone may have kept piling layers on top of the rotted bottom layer in an attempt to fix and reinforce it.

Probably need to stop the exploratory surgery so I can carry the heavy bathroom fixtures out which now includes the vanity. Also it looks increasingly like I can't save the nice cast iron tub. Gonna have to cut it up and remove it. No way I can carry out of the house and with the floor so compromised I don't even want to put that much of a load on it.

 

[Streetbu]

So are all of the floors like this, or do you have to step up into the bathroom? Doesn't the hallway and bathroom share the same floor joists?

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

So are all of the floors like this, or do you have to step up into the bathroom? Doesn't the hallway and bathroom share the same floor joists?

The house is a kit Rancher, all the floors are at the same level. Also have a full basement under it which will make replacing the subfloor extra fun.

From what I have heard of thd house's history, the hallway bathroom was refloored twice with tile after the original linoleum floor. From what I have read, subfloors originally built for linoleum are often not thick enough for tiles. Just a lot of hack work and who knows if the kit materials were even good in the first place.

 

[Streetbu]

I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around that many layers, same floor joists, and yet no height difference to the hallway. Which in turn, scares me for what might be in the hallway too 🤯

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

The top layer of plywood was only 1/4 inch thick, way too thin for tile. Probably chosen because it wouldn't lift the floor much for a easy fresh surface to adhere tiles to. The middle layer of plywood is 5/8 inch and has all the really weird stuff. Can't measure the rotted bottom layer yet, might have been at least 1/2 inch? Its possible whoever added the 1/4 inch layer added oddball filler on the second as an ad hoc way to level it. Likely a very clueless person or persons, perhaps a fly by night contractor.

I said before the shower walls are terrible too. they just used mastic to adhere tiles directly to plain drywall. It seems to be a very old style drywall with no top white paper skin, only a brown paper outer skin with no tape between the seams. No vapor barrier behind the drywall either. On top of that the tiles didn't go above the shower head like they are supposed to.