I hope this isn't all too much for you to address, but thanks in advance!
I am in a dispute with my builder regarding my toilet installation and would like your 'professional' advise, if you agree with my position or the builder as a 3rd party observer.
Issue: My home was build new approx 9 years ago and we have maintianed it well. I perform most maintenace and repairs.
Our Mst/Bath toilet is in a separate enclosure in the bathroom. The entire bathroom floor is tiled including the camode room. I started noticing discoloration of the grout and belived I had a leak. This past weekend I removed the toilet. The first thing I noticed was there were two (2) wax rings used to install the toilet. I'm not a plumber, but I have installed a few toilets and have always been told never to use two wax rings, that they do not adhere to each other! Is this a correct?
So I continue with removal. Many of the tiles were not adhered to the floor and quickly cam up so a leak was an obvious problem. After all the tile was up I could see several things:
1) the underlayment was rotted all around the flange.
2) The flange was approx. 1" below the tile floor, which seems like a larger gap. The flange was flush with the OSB, but then add in underlayment and ceramic floor tile plus adhesive.
3) the wetness had spread out about 1' in all directions
I continued to pull up the underlayment (layer under the tile) and found the OSM flooring was also rotted. My 'wonder bar' I used went all the way through the floor into the crawl space.....frustration / aingst!
So I have a mess! The OSB will need to be replaced and I'm probably guessing i will need to cut off and redo the waste pipe stack and replace the flange.
My position with the builder is that the toilet was improperly installed (primarily based on the double wax ring) at contruction and they should make repairs. Their letter to me stated just the opposite and that the leak was my responsbility.
Anyone have any thoughts?
----------------------------
However, assuming this may be a futile battle with the builder I need to start repairs. Can anyone provide some guidance on tackling this repair?
Being a home DIY'fer, and realtively compitent...I plant to do this myself.
Help me on correct terminology:
1. Is the OSB flooring called the subfloor?
2. Is 'undermayment' the correct term for the plywood layer on top of the OSB?
I know the OSB must be replaced, or rather "patched in" replaced. I have a crawl space underneath with "I" beam floor truss. My guess is that I need to cut out the rotted stuff back to the center of a truss so the new patch has structural strength....correct?
Other questions:
* Do I need to cut the waste pipe off to replace the OSM? Am I correct the the repaired area will need to have a cut out for the waste pipe, but the flanger is larger than this cut out and is installed afterwards? So I should not make the cut out to over the flange, but cut it off first.
* What is the relationship, does the flange fit into or around the waist pipe?
* Is this a simple matter of cutting and then using a female/female connector for new PVC?
* How do I address the toung & grooving of the OSB?
* Is the OSM flooring nailed to the I beams?
* I'm also thinking of some sort of bottom support from the underside up...for the 'patch'....do you agree?
* I will have three levels...OSB flooring, underlayment, tile floor. Should the toilet mounting flange be flush with the tile level or underlayment?
Well, I know this is a lot, but tanks
I am in a dispute with my builder regarding my toilet installation and would like your 'professional' advise, if you agree with my position or the builder as a 3rd party observer.
Issue: My home was build new approx 9 years ago and we have maintianed it well. I perform most maintenace and repairs.
Our Mst/Bath toilet is in a separate enclosure in the bathroom. The entire bathroom floor is tiled including the camode room. I started noticing discoloration of the grout and belived I had a leak. This past weekend I removed the toilet. The first thing I noticed was there were two (2) wax rings used to install the toilet. I'm not a plumber, but I have installed a few toilets and have always been told never to use two wax rings, that they do not adhere to each other! Is this a correct?
So I continue with removal. Many of the tiles were not adhered to the floor and quickly cam up so a leak was an obvious problem. After all the tile was up I could see several things:
1) the underlayment was rotted all around the flange.
2) The flange was approx. 1" below the tile floor, which seems like a larger gap. The flange was flush with the OSB, but then add in underlayment and ceramic floor tile plus adhesive.
3) the wetness had spread out about 1' in all directions
I continued to pull up the underlayment (layer under the tile) and found the OSM flooring was also rotted. My 'wonder bar' I used went all the way through the floor into the crawl space.....frustration / aingst!
So I have a mess! The OSB will need to be replaced and I'm probably guessing i will need to cut off and redo the waste pipe stack and replace the flange.
My position with the builder is that the toilet was improperly installed (primarily based on the double wax ring) at contruction and they should make repairs. Their letter to me stated just the opposite and that the leak was my responsbility.
Anyone have any thoughts?
----------------------------
However, assuming this may be a futile battle with the builder I need to start repairs. Can anyone provide some guidance on tackling this repair?
Being a home DIY'fer, and realtively compitent...I plant to do this myself.
Help me on correct terminology:
1. Is the OSB flooring called the subfloor?
2. Is 'undermayment' the correct term for the plywood layer on top of the OSB?
I know the OSB must be replaced, or rather "patched in" replaced. I have a crawl space underneath with "I" beam floor truss. My guess is that I need to cut out the rotted stuff back to the center of a truss so the new patch has structural strength....correct?
Other questions:
* Do I need to cut the waste pipe off to replace the OSM? Am I correct the the repaired area will need to have a cut out for the waste pipe, but the flanger is larger than this cut out and is installed afterwards? So I should not make the cut out to over the flange, but cut it off first.
* What is the relationship, does the flange fit into or around the waist pipe?
* Is this a simple matter of cutting and then using a female/female connector for new PVC?
* How do I address the toung & grooving of the OSB?
* Is the OSM flooring nailed to the I beams?
* I'm also thinking of some sort of bottom support from the underside up...for the 'patch'....do you agree?
* I will have three levels...OSB flooring, underlayment, tile floor. Should the toilet mounting flange be flush with the tile level or underlayment?
Well, I know this is a lot, but tanks