Fixing the Leak

If you recall, we recently had a major leak from the upstairs bathroom tub/shower and into our living room below. The bathroom is out of commission as a result. In order to find the problem, the plumber does damage the floor. To see that post, click here.

My very reliable tile guy, Rick, said he could patch it but it would look like a patch job. And the floor is over 20 years old. Instead, we decide to pull off the old tile and add a new floor. The subfloor around the leak damage also needs replacing too.

Selecting the Tile

Fortunately, we do have a Floor and Decor in town. Floor & Decor is a leading specialty retailer of hard surface flooring, offering a large selection of tile, wood, stone, and flooring accessories at everyday low prices. A big box store, I can touch and feel the product before buying it. And they let you return leftover tile!

The tile we selected I am now seeing everywhere I go. Not realizing its popularity, the timelessness of it is perfect for our bathroom. We try to make selections that are classic and appropriate for our 110 year old house.

Here is an older photo of the bathroom, taken when I painted our daughter’s bedroom black and white. See that post here. Notice the tile on the floor was installed in a rather crooked fashion. Overall this is a poor installation job.

The new marble tile goes quite well with the existing Carrera marble countertop.

Demolition

Rick tears out the existing tile~which is a messy job. Being a second floor bathroom, it takes lots of trips up and down the stairs to dump the debris.

Naturally, all the fixtures need to be removed first~the tub, faucets and toilet. Fortunately there is space in the nearby bedroom.

Installation

The original Hardy board backer on the floor is in great shape. And only the section near the tub’s drain pipe needs repair.

Here is the finished floor. While the tub is out, it is a good opportunity to scrub down the baseboard!

Since this floor is marble, we will more than likely add a penetrating sealant for protection.

The total cost of this unexpected leak is:

Plumber: $895.00

Cost of tile: $500.00

Tile Installation: $700.00

Now this is a good reason to have a Rainy Day fund! Thankfully, there is resolution to the problem and we are happy with the results.

Happy Wednesday!