I’m about to begin remodeling a second floor bathroom in my 1910 foursquare. It has a a nich tub with a ratty old three piece shower enclosure. I plan on tiling around the tub. The problem is that there’s a small window behind the existing enclosure. The previous owner just left the storm window in the outside and stuffed the opening with fiberglass insulation. It looks terrible from outside. I need advise concerning my options here.
I’ve considered a glass block unit (or loose blocks) as one option, or removing the window entirely. Also, the house had asbestos siding, so I’d like to minimize work to the outside…the stuff is brittle and very hard to patch.
Has anybody dealt with a similar situation??
Thanks.
Replies
Steve, a couple remodels w/window in the tub area. One, with a premade glass block "unit". The block are mortared together, no frame. I set the unit in a frame that I built for it. The new frame fit in the rough and up to the existing exterior casing. Inside, I ran the tile returned into the glass block unit. Another, installed a fibreglass replacement casement and again, ran the tile as a return to the fibreglass frame. Dealing with the exterior and interior exposure to water is the main consideration on either install. Done, it looks good. Done right, it lasts a long time.
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Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Calvin,
Thanks for the reply. How did you deal with the exterior trim? If the windows were existing ones, did you leave the trim in place and then add additional exterior trim? Did you make the glass block unit flush with the exterior casing? My problem is that the asbestos siding overlaps the existing exterior trim, so I can't easily bring the outside down to the rougth opening.
--Steve
Steve, in the one case (replacement window) I pushed the fibreglass unit to the exterior parting stop. The exterior casing didn't get touched. Inside, the interior stop, that which holds the unit in, became part of the tile return.
In the glass block unit, I cut away the old jamb leaving the exterior casing. I installed a new jamb up to the exterior casing. Returned the tile on the inside.
In both cases, the exterior casing, siding or original flashing was not touched.__________________________________________
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
I hadthe identical situation (except my house is 1884) in my house, asbestos shingle and all. We put plywood over the window opening, painted white, left the trim as is, put studs in the window opening, insulated it, and for the bathroom used a 3 piece fibreglass enclosure. I didn't want to worry about leaks. Then we took the celing up to the roof and put in a skylight. The bathroom looks nice - the outside, well, it looks ok. I've been tempted to get an artist friend to paint a window on to the plywood, but I hadn't done it yet.
Ben
steve.. ditch the window.. and put a skylight in... when you pull the window.. bet you find a lot of rot..
the asbestos siding can be nicely patched with cement siding .. they still make the cement siding in the ame patterns as the old asbestos.. striated / smooth & flat bottom / wavy..
most good roofing supply & a lot of HD carry it.. Mike Smith
Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore