Bathroom Remodel Trials and Tribulations

[human]

So, I've been going through some trials and tribulations with the little master bath in my house. I had some tiles falling off of the shower surround, and I contacted a tile guy about putting them back. He had me send him pictures and said there was probably moisture damage behind the tiles and the whole surround needed to be redone. With the price he quoted me, I decided to go ahead and do a tub-to-shower conversion, which had been on my 'eventually' list. I don't have any mobility issues now, but I'm planning on staying in this house as long as I can, so it would be beneficial down the road. With that in mind, it made little sense redoing the tile now, only to rip it out in a few years to put in a shower stall. It isn't exactly a cheap proposition, but it's doable.

The installers came today and completed the demolition in a little more than an hour, only to discover a hidden obstacle. The dryer vent line ran from the laundry room, which is in the very center of the house, with no exterior walls, under the side of the tub and out the back wall of the house. Now, I've got to spend even more money to reroute the vent line up through the roof!

I have to say, the way the did that vent was a very elegant solution that worked for almost 55 years, but it prevented an easy install of the shower. The installers will be back in the morning and will remove existing vent line to complete the installation, but we'll also be catching the fringes of Helene tomorrow, so it will be next week before someone can get out to reroute the vent. Meanwhile, I'm going to have a gaping hole in the side of the house where it used to be. I'm going to have to figure a way to cover that up. I'm thinking I'll just put the old vent cover back and secure it into place with screws or something. I guess it's just one more pain in the ass that comes with home ownership.

 

[human]

Day Two...

The day started early this morning with the dryer vent guy showing up at 7:30 to reroute the vent line up to the roof. What he did took about an hour and will cost considerably less than I was anticipating. We're just getting moderate rainfall from Helene, but it was enough that he will need to come back next week when the sun is out to finish up. It's interesting that this guy's whole business is dryer vents. Meanwhile, the vent line is out of the shower installers' way and they should finish their work up in a few hours.

 

[human]

Well, the bathroom project is officially finished and everything looks great, although there are still some unofficial loose ends. The dryer vent guy still needs to come back and finish running the vent line through the roof; that is, if he wants to get paid. Right now, the dryer is out of commission until he finishes the job.

Also, the shower has no water pressure. It has one of those stupid valves that controls only the temperature and not the water pressure, and everything is so flow restricted, the water does little more than dribble out of the shower head. Fortunately, I can fix that one myself. I still have my old Shower Massage on a hose (makes for easier shower cleaning, too), from which the flow restrictors have long been removed, so at least I'll get the maximum benefit of whatever water flow the one-speed valve is capable of delivering. It won't be as pretty as what's up there now, but it will definitely be more functional. I've also got to fix the damaged wall and reattach the towel bar I took down. I've got the spackling to fix the wall damage and the toggle bolts to put everything back up. It's just a matter of finding/making the time to get it all done.

I will be happy when this is all over and done with; although then I've got to pay the whole thing off.

 

[human]

Writing the above motivated me to swap the shower heads. The wimpy, flow-restricted Moen they gave me is gone, replaced with my old WaterPik Shower Massage. Having no flow restrictors, it's got the pressure, almost too much. I think it's absolutely ridiculous not to be able to control the water flow beyond on and off, but hell, I'll take too much over too little any day.

 

[kirbyklekter]

shower controls

Human,it sounds like this repair project is going a lot smoother than the central heating replacement a few years back went! Assuming the dryer vent guy comes through. I don't get why these shower controls like you describe are so commonly used. The control I'm speaking of has a single lever that turns clockwise going through the cold setting and around to hot. You can control water pressure as you start turning the dial from off and continue turning through the cold,and before you have reached the hot you're at full pressure.

You can blend the hot/cold but only at full force.There are a lot of designs for shower controls,and this one I'm staying away from.

Have you ever considered a walk-in tub with shower. They've got a wide range of models to choose from. For people with problems with back pain or similar,this could bring some relief. I think most come with whirlpool jets too. Just a thought.I see a lot of discounts for seniors so if you wait long enough...

 

[justjunque]

I don't know if they're still made this way. Ours is a little older. But, we have a tub control that sounds like what you're describing. I want to say ours is a Symmons Temptrol.
On ours, below the thing that you turn to adjust the temperature of the water, there's a lever to select between tub and shower. That also serves as a way to adjust the water pressure.

 

[human]

So the vent guy came back today and finished putting the dryer vent through the roof. Now, the project is completely done, except for my towel bar repair. In the end, it did go smoothly, except for having to reroute that dryer vent.

Taking a shower this morning, I had more water pressure than I really needed, but it beat the heck out of yesterday's wimpy dribble. The water also got hot in about 20 seconds, instead of taking several minutes, as it did with the shower head they supplied. Speaking of which, just for principle or spite, take your pick, I took a pair of needle-nose pliers and extracted the flow restrictor from their shower head, even though I have no immediate plans to reuse it.

I wish they had gone with one of those spherical one-knob Delta valves that have been around since the '70s and offer water flow adjustment by moving the knob up and down and temperature adjustment by rotating it left and right. I've also used one, Moen perhaps, that was a pull/push to adjust the flow and left/right for temperature. Either of those would be preferable to what they installed.

I don't think I'll be doing a walk-in tub. The walk-in shower is quite sufficient for my needs, and I still have a tub in the other bathroom, should I need it. I did salvage the grab bar the previous owner had installed in the master bath and will install it in the other bathroom to help with tub access.

For your viewing pleasure, I am including a couple of photos of the finished product. Note that these were taken before yesterday's shower head swap.

 

[tolivac]

In my new house the master bedroom bathroom has a very large bathtub and a booth style walk in shower.The second bathroom has a bathtub with a shower-but no shower curtain pole got one from WalMart use a curtain with it.Its fine.Can use either one.

 

[human]

I think I've found a solution...

...to the water pressure issue. I was doing an online search, mostly out of curiosity, to determine if the different colors of flow restrictors have any meaning. It turns out they do. The green one I pulled out of the shower head supplied by the installers limits water flow to two gallons a minute. But even better, I discovered that variable flow controls are also available. I just ordered one from Temu, an Amazon competitor I've never used before, for just over $7 with shipping. It screws on between the hose and the base of the shower head, and provides a sliding control to adjust the water flow. If it works as advertised, it will be a fairly elegant solution and money well spent. The best part is installing it is well within my level of expertise. It just screws in between the hose and the shower head. I've included a link to the item, if you want to take a look at it.

https://www.temu.com/goods.html?_bg...hannel=shopping&_x_ns_prz_type=-1&_x_gmc_cata

 

[texaskirbyguy]

I HATE modern shower valves. Full on or full off. Stupid. I like a gentle shower, not a pressure wash. It has to do with the gooberment mandated temperature balancing function. Not sure why engineers cannot make a better valve with that function. And they often fail, mixing hot water into the cold like at my lady's house. I do not want to drink from her tap..
There are modern controls out there with a separate flow control and that is what I will get for my new house. If I do not like that I will install some new in box mixit valves I have been hanging on to since my current house was built in 95. I do not set my water heater to scalding levels anyway.
And those hideous delta pull-push valves I remember from cheap hotels long ago... Pull hard - bam - full on. Try to push in to slow it down - pop - it is off. Pry on it to get a lower flow... Those things never seemed to have a smooth action.

As for your dryer vent, does the roof cap have a bird screen on it? If so you will need to go up there 3-4 times a year to clean the lint from it. I have to do this twice a year but we do not wash a lot of cotton or other lint producing fabrics.
If applicable, you may want to install a separate lint trap between the dryer and the vent to make your life easier.

 

[human]

Yeah, I've experienced those push-pull knobs that are so stiff they're effectively all or nothing. Some work well and some don't. I much prefer the spherical Delta knobs that move up and down for pressure and side to side for temperature. Some of them have a lever instead of a spherical plastic knob, but they work exactly the same way. To me, that design is the ultimate expression of a single-control valve, regardless of which handle it has.

I was a little frustrated to find that overnight, Temu had canceled my order and issued a refund for the inline flow control valve, with no explanation. I won't be ordering from them again. I just hopped over to Amazon and ordered the same thing for for about 80 cents more--with overnight Prime shipping, were Temu was going to take up to a week. I'm now looking at having just one more shower at full water pressure, feeling like I'm inside a submarine that's been torpedoed, before I can bring this situation under control.

All that said, I feel like this inline valve, if it works as advertised, will be a great solution. I should be able to set the water flow to my preference and just leave it. I've already figured out visually that the handle on the main valve needs to be at about the 11 o'clock position to achieve my preferred water temperature, so this will all make for a nice, easy setup, once all the pieces are in place. As an added bonus, I should be able to momentarily pause the water flow without losing my temperature setting, should the need arise.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

nice job!

Enjoy!!!!!


 

 

[suckolux]

Yes, enjoy

 

[human]

The Valve is Installed...

The inline variable flow valve arrived a few minutes ago and is now in place. It took all of three minutes and no tools to install, giving me the flow control that should have been built into the knob on the wall. I only ran it a few seconds to determine that it works and doesn't leak, and to make a rough pressure adjustment. I'm looking forward to fine tuning it in the morning. The nice part is I can just set it and forget it.

I've included photos of the shower head with the valve in place, as well as the roof vent for the dryer. The latter does not have a screen, just a flap like a conventional dryer vent. The guy who installed it suggested I should have it professionally cleaned every three years. I haven't done any laundry yet to determine how well it works, but I do love finding novel solutions to vexing problems, especially when I didn't even know those solutions existed.

 

[kirbyklekter]

stupid shower controls

I'm glad you got that fixed. Texaskirbyguy mentioned what I said about all or nothing with regards to the water pressure. The set up I referred to was in a stand up shower stall,no tub. So not having a hand held sprayer just the spray head could make for a testy start for a morning shower in the cooler winter mornings!

I've been using the same Waterpik shower wand for 25+ years and still works great. I had to replace the hose at some point. Every now and then I take it off the hose and pour a little CLR or vinegar into it and let it sit for a few. I work the adjustment ring a few times then brush with toothbrush. A sewing needle can be used to open up clogged pores if your water is as hard as where I used to live. Enjoy!

 

[human]

This morning was definitely the most pleasant shower yet, since the remodel. It was nice to be able to get the water pressure dialed in just the way I want it. The action of the valve's adjuster is very smooth, with just enough resistance to allow for precise adjustment. Those valves will work on a conventional shower head as well. The threads are all the same. Just attach it between the wall pipe and the shower head.

Fortunately, the water here is fairly soft, so while I did clean the Shower Massage before putting it back up, it didn't really need all that much work.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Those smooth walls look like they would be easy to keep clean. I like to use a squeegee on the walls after shower to dry them. Does this bathroom have an exhaust fan?

 

[human]

I just got a squeegee yesterday, for that very purpose. The shower walls are acrylic, designed for easy maintenance and resistance to mold. Honestly, I don't miss the tile one bit. Since the bathroom has a window, it doesn't have an exhaust fan. Building codes around here only require one if the bathroom is windowless.

 

[human]

This bathroom remodel is just the gift that keeps on giving. I did a couple of loads of laundry yesterday and was excited to see how the new dryer vent would work. Imagine my disappointment when my first load didn't dry after two and a half hours! The heating element had gone out yet again. It seems to happen every year or two. It's a pretty cheap fix for the kit--heating element and all the associated fuses and sensors, and it's pretty easy to install, but what is a perpetual pain in the ass is the dryer vent. The vent guy replaced what I had with a cheap piece of ducting made of tin foil and wire that was barely long enough and tore up when I tried to put it back into place after fixing the dryer. So, off I went to Lowe's and got another one that feels more substantial, but I have yet to be able to get it to stay in place. It has nice, rigid collars at each end, but they're exactly the same size as the ducts on the dryer and in the wall with which they're supposed to couple. I'm not sure how that's supposed to work. I'm catching my breath right now, then I'm going to make vertical cuts in both collars with my tin snips so I can more easily cram them into the ducts.

In other news, I got a call from the company that did the bathroom remodel, in response to my complaining about the lack of flow control on the shower on a feedback survey. The lady who called wanted to schedule an appointment for one of their people to come out and pull the flow restrictor out of the shower head. I told her that wasn't necessary, as I'd already fixed it with the variable flow valve. She was very interested to hear about that, saying they frequently get complaints about the lack of flow control. She even said she wanted one for her own shower. She was very appreciative, saying they seldom receive such detailed and useful feedback.