curbless shower (or almost curbless)

[Apt4C]

worth price charged:

[Houston Remodeler]

Tom,

I am sorry to tell you the classic way to get that tub out of there is to smash it with a sledge. Very few bathrooms give proper room to swing a sledge. Welcome to the club. Cover it with a towel to keep the flying bits from hurting anyone.

[Apt4C]

the tub is out!

i saw a program on pbs about a lever system that enabled the egyptians to move huge stones to build pyramids. the same worked for my tub.

i will clean up in there and take some photos so we can decide how to proceed with the floor. it looks like situation is a bit better than we thought...

thanks so much for being there -- i would be nowhere without this forum.

[Houston Remodeler]

Tom,

I know you live in New York City, but where did you manage to find some Ancient Egyptians ? And what is their going rate for tub removal?

[Apt4C]

good whipping will do.

although they said in that program that, contrary to popular belief, pyramid workers were not slaves. they said, masons and all sorts of craftsmen were actually highly regarded in society and lived well according to archeological evidence.

back to raising dust! pichers coming soon.

[Apt4C]

boy, would i like to take a shower, i smell like an ancient egyptian...

here are the pichers:

[Houston Remodeler]

Tom,

I am sure CX will chime in, but I would add as many new 2x8's as I could fit in there, even if it meant taking some of the old ones out (that were cut down)

[Apt4C]

looks like i can fit only one 2 x 8.

i don't think i can take out the cut-down existing joists. they are supporting the floor of my bedroom.

[Houston Remodeler]

With all the grey I am having trouble discerning joist heights and what is what....


So the joist going from the front of the toilet to where you took that last picture is the one supporting the perpendicular joists to your bedroom?

[Apt4C]

that is correct, paul.

only two joists are cut-down. they run in parallel with the rest of the joists in the apt that span about 20 ft between two bearing walls.

[Apt4C]

i entered data for the two separate areas with suspect support (right side of the bathroom where the tub was) into the deflecto and it said it is OK. i am aware that my situation is too exotic for deflecto but the results + the fact that the floor feels sturdy when you walk on it seems encouraging.

to what degree can i trust deflecto if i use it in this way?

[cx]

Tom, I'm still not at all sure I understand the support system under that floor. I see where the joists are (I think), and kinda what sizes are where, but I don't see what's supporting what, as it were.

I see your neighbor has a wall directly under part of it, which is a good thing, but that's the onliest support I see mentioned.

And I'm still much confused about the function of the iron straps we see above some of your joists. I see no such stickin' out the bottom of the upstairs neighbor's joists. Is just on accounta I'm old and blind, sorta?

All I'm lookin' for is:

1. Is there still enough structure under there to support the very substantial dead load of a very thick mud bed installation?

2. Is there enough support under the structure to make it a viable candidate for re-creating the very substantial mud installation it had before?

If yes to both, I'm still in favor of covering everything with mud to create a flat (and maybe level) plane and doing a reinforced mud bed on top of that.

[Edit]

And I typed all that before I saw mention of a joist spanning 20 feet unsupported. Would certainly wanna know more about that there.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Houston Remodeler]

[Apt4C]

here is a picher + drawing of the floor showing the problematic support below the floor boards.

[cx]

Think I've got that part, Tom. What I'm lacking is what's holding that whole mess up from below.