What is Wrong with this Bathroom?

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Hey! This place looks OK. It is clean, white and bright! Of course, it could use an update. I’m not much into lacy wallpaper, wood linoleum flooring, small tile countertop, or a wood bathroom accessories. It works, but it is just is not my personal taste. On the other hand, if the kitchen is gutted for a total remodel, the one and only bathroom should match, right?

What sells houses and rents properties? Kitchens and bathrooms.

I would rather do it right just once and make sure I know what is behind the walls. You want to know all your support systems (plumbing, electrical, the foundation, etc.) can stand up to continual use.  Eliminating headaches with long distance rental maintenance makes fixing the problems matter even more.

Queue up the next photo to start the “what is wrong with this bathroom” challenge!

What could possibly be wrong here?!?!

Hmmm…there is more (or less) behind the vanity and under the linoleum than originally expected.  Just like in the “What is Wrong with this Kitchen” post can you catch all the possible problems? Hint: there are four parts to answering what is wrong with this bathroom.

Issue #1: What is with all the patchy drywall?

Actually, issue #1 is why didn’t I take a photo of the drywall under the window prior to removal. It would make the drywall on the wall behind the toilet look good. My husband will attest (I have witnesses!), there were at least 20 pieces of drywall puzzle-pieced together. Key words: at least. How did we not take a photo of that “art”?!?! It was so good that it did not “need” to be taped and floated (/sarcasm)!

Also, why was there a hidden hole behind the medicine cabinet and why is there a gaping hole for the plumbing?  Both are calligraphy-written-gold-leaf invitations for a bug superhighway into the house.

Issue #2: Let’s look closer at the vanity drain plumbing.

In defense of the vanity sink drain line, it has nothing supporting it in the photo.  However, when it was supported, the drain line after the p-trap did not angle the correct way. It should have been level or slightly down towards the drain stack allowing for water to flow with gravity. Additionally, this setup strains the flexible coupling to the drain stack. This free floating drain line only begs for a plumbing problem at a later time.

The more curious feature of the drain line is the turn that goes from the white PVC to the line connecting the to drain stack. That’s a pretty sharp angle! Have you ever seen one like that in the plumbing aisle? Neither had the associates at Home Depot. They pointed us towards the electrical aisle…

Perhaps electrical elbows should be left for electrical projects, not plumbing? Just a thought from this uninformed, untrained and unlicensed DIY homeowner.

Yep, that is a 90° electrical elbow.

If the drain slope was not enough of a problem, the electrical elbow was a guarantee for clogging problems later.

Issue #3: Once the linoleum was removed, the flooring seemed a little squishy around the toilet.

Notice the water stain along the bottom left of the exposed subfloor.

<Sigh> More subfloor problems… I missed this one because my energy was 110% focused on the kitchen remodel. My dad noticed it on a return trip. Thanks, Dad! This is probably one of the few bonuses of Hurricane Ike.  I would have had an extra weekend flying out to the house had it not been for a hurricane preventing my parents from going to their originally scheduled trip to Austin from Omaha.

More subfloor and floor joist problems in the bathroom. My spidey senses say the missing two feet of floor joist next to the toilet drain should be there.

Seriously, thank you, Mom and Dad.

Issue #4: Why is there no toilet paper holder?

OK, OK, that was my own doing. 😉

Did you find all the answers to what is wrong with this bathroom?