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To plumb or not to plumb

cutawooda | Posted in Construction Techniques on October 9, 2002 05:23am

I am doing a bath room remodel and I must say that the walls are way out and there isnt a level board in there. Now, I have to put a whirlpool tub in there and it has to be level. The shower doors have to be plumb. But the rest of the bathroom is WAY out! It is noticeble on the ceiling as my new “level” line slowly climbs up the wall.

Should I try to hide it. The time spent on hiding it would break me! I know the tub and the shower have to be correct, but I cant do those right and adjust the rest….where would it end?  What is your technique in these older homes?

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  1. r_ignacki | Oct 09, 2002 05:41am | #1

    "old house charm" scribe it to fit... and just wait till you find out the house settlled and there's no more grade on the drain pipes, maybe even going the other way.

    listening for the secret.......searching for the sound...

    1. noone51 | Oct 09, 2002 06:43am | #2

      LOL..... good one... Run plumb from the ceiling. If the floor is out no one will notice as long as the sightline is correct. If you dont believe me, stand on one leg and see which plumb line you think is incorrect. I know, you're on the floor laughing your butt off but I'm actually serious about this... Try it, you'll be suprised. Shim the shower doors to match the ceiling instead of the floor. Trust me, it works!

      1. User avater
        JeffBuck | Oct 09, 2002 08:16am | #3

        build all your new stuff plumb and level.......like you said..the tub/shower/door....all depend on it........as to the rest...all depends....sometime leave it....sometime demo and start fresh.....sometime.....and most often.....split the difference and cheat it all the way around.

        All depends what looks best...what they want/expect...and mostly.....what they wanna pay for.

        Old houses.....each one's different.....usually each room's different. That's why the older..and more fun.

        Jeff.......Sometimes on the toll road of life.....a handful of change is good.......

  2. andybuildz | Oct 10, 2002 10:49pm | #4

    Cut

         Jeffs answer is real good.

     Its kind of like when I finish a basement and the homeownwer wants to know why I'm not using a level to hang the ceiling. I tell them that the floors so off that I've decieded to just use a tape measure. The floors already been carpeted and theres no room to change it (sleepers shimmed etc etc). so....I hang the ceiling so the room "appears" level. In my earlier years I use to hang a ceiling level and the floor was so off it felt like I was in the house of crooked mirrors when I walked in. YA gotta do whatcha gotta do that it "looks right". Splitting the difference is often the best route to follow. the house I just bought (322 years old) is soooooooooo crooked that even splitting the difference would probably make the tower of Pizza lol look like a ham sandwhich. Do what you can afford....do what looks best within those numbers and your comfortability. Bathrooms usually are small so I wonder why you cant straighten it all out if it so concerns you.

    Be well

            Namaste

                      Andy

    It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

    1. cutawooda | Oct 11, 2002 03:57am | #5

      I fixed  90% of everything. Level and plumb and square.  But I will take into consideration all that was offered to me. In all honesty, she should have had someone fix her foundation before she called me in to do the framing. But after the rock goes on everything will appear in order. Lets just hope she doesnt drop one of those "soap balls"  on the floor. It'll roll right to the wall.

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