Ok, so I have shouted and cried and OH says he will put a new bath in.

Now he is changing his mind. Is it better to have a new bath ( well new old
really - its got March 2004 on the box but the bath has never been used -
long story). I had convinced him to put it in. But now he is having second
thoughts.

He says its better just to repair the old bath. The old bath is cast iron.
Its circa 1983? Avacado. Its got white marks on it which go when I clean
it but return.
Is it better to have a new bath or should I agree to the old one?

Also , whilst on the subject, the new bath ( OH says) will be two inches
smaller than the old one ( that's width) and will leave the shower box
overlapping outside the bath which means he cannot put the bath shower
panel back. The shower fitting is well inside and will still be over the
bath.

I have said I will be happy with a shower curtain until or unless he wants
to shift the shower thing ( which means moving the water and electrics) . he
says shower curtains are not a good alternative. I think shower panels are
hard to clean.

he also says it will take ages to knock out and will leave a mess. he tells
me I wont have water for three days. Is this true? Or is he having me on?

Which do you think? Is it better to keep the old bath? Is it that hard to
fix a new one?
( He is not a stranger to plumbing by the way)

On 6 Apr, 10:34, "sweetheart" wrote:
Ok, so I have shouted and cried and OH says he will put *a new bath in.

Now he is changing his mind. Is it better to have a new bath ( well new old
really - its got March 2004 on the box but the bath has never been used -
long story). *I had convinced him to put it in. But now he is having second
thoughts.

*He says its better just to repair the old bath. The old bath is cast iron.
Its *circa 1983? Avacado. *Its got white marks on it which go when I clean
it but return.
Is it better to have a new bath or should I agree to the old one?

Also , whilst on the subject, the new bath ( OH says) will be two inches
smaller than the old one ( that's width) and will leave the shower *box
overlapping *outside the bath which means he cannot put the bath shower
panel back. The shower fitting is well inside and will still be over the
bath.

I have said I will be happy with a shower curtain until or unless he wants
to shift the shower thing ( which means moving the water and electrics) . he
says shower curtains are not a good alternative. I think shower panels are
hard to clean.

he also says it will take ages to knock out and will leave a mess. he tells
me I wont have water for three days. Is this true? *Or is he having me on?

Which do you think? *Is it better to keep the old bath? Is it that hard to
fix a new one?
( He is not a stranger to plumbing by the way)

Shower curtains are better than those panels. You can put them in the
washing machine occasionally. The screens need wiping down after every
use to keep looking good. Not to mention that they may leak, and that
you bump into them while having a shower, whereas a shower curtain
accommodates all sizes of people and elbows.
It is troublesome to remove a cast iron bath because it is so heavy. A
new bath may need new taps, but that is not a big job.

On Tue, 6 Apr 2010 11:34:47 +0100, "sweetheart" wrote:

Ok, so I have shouted and cried and OH says he will put a new bath in.

Now he is changing his mind. Is it better to have a new bath ( well new old
really - its got March 2004 on the box but the bath has never been used -
long story). I had convinced him to put it in. But now he is having second
thoughts.

SNIP

( He is not a stranger to plumbing by the way)

Well I think only you can decide if the condition of the present bath is
acceptable. Not really something someone else can decide for you !

If you do decide to renew and the replacement is narrower, then yes of course
the screen will require moving, but that shouldn't be a huge problem. Presumably
it would attach to the existing tiling !

If he wants to take a few days over the job, why not simply pin up a temporary
shower curtain or even take a good wash. I tend to like working that way these
days, rather than killing myself, but there's usually a workaround if everyoen
co-operates.

Whatever you decide to do, you need to sort the damp problem out, because wet
floors don't last very long.

Last resort, divorce him and get a flat ! ;-)

On Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:34:47 +0100, sweetheart wrote:
He says its better just to repair the old bath. The old bath is cast
iron.
Its circa 1983? Avacado. Its got white marks on it which go when I
clean it but return.

Sounds like someone cleaned it with something they shouldn't have and it
damaged the surface. I don't think that in itself causes any problems
though - it just looks a bit ugly.

Also , whilst on the subject, the new bath ( OH says) will be two inches
smaller than the old one ( that's width) and will leave the shower box
overlapping outside the bath which means he cannot put the bath shower
panel back. The shower fitting is well inside and will still be over the
bath.

Hmm, I'm not getting an exact picture of the layout - but if it's just a
2" gap between the new bath and some kind of shower wall / whatever,
can't you just bridge it with tile? As it sounds like such a small area,
measure it and ask around (e.g. freecycle) - you can probably get some
suitable tiles and backer board offcuts from someone elses' DIY project
for free that'll do the job.

I have said I will be happy with a shower curtain until or unless he
wants to shift the shower thing ( which means moving the water and
electrics) . he says shower curtains are not a good alternative. I think
shower panels are hard to clean.

I hate 'em both equally :-) Moving plumbing and electrics is a bit of a
pain if you can do something different, though.

he also says it will take ages to knock out and will leave a mess. he
tells me I wont have water for three days. Is this true? Or is he
having me on?

No water in the house at all? Not sure about that - if there's no shut-
off valves for the bathroom/bath now, I'd cut the pipes and put some in
first so I could work on the bathroom without impacting the rest of the
home. Shouldn't take long to do that at all, but of course I don't know
your plumbing layout (we've got a big basement at home with all the
ground-floor plumbing accessible, so working on it's dead easy).

Three days for everything in the bathroom might be possible though
depending on how fast he works and what horrors he uncovers that need
doing when he tears into everything. Sealant normally needs a good day to
dry (unless he gets the 3hr stuff, but I'm never quite sure if I trust
that), so maybe he's factoring that into the estimate.

As a DIY project I reckon I could have a new bath in place, levelled and
sealed and the shower moved in 2 days *if* everything went smoothly - but
sometimes there are unforseen things that a professional contractor would
anticipate or cope with more quickly, and of course DIY projects don't
always run from start to finish with no interruptions :-)

cheers

Jules

You're the "Snails in bath" woman on your last thread - on that your
hubby couldn't get the panel of the side of the bath - now "he is not
a stranger to plumbing". Though apparently fixing leaks isn't one of
his skills.

"Jules Richardson" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:34:47 +0100, sweetheart wrote:
He says its better just to repair the old bath. The old bath is cast
iron.
Its circa 1983? Avacado. Its got white marks on it which go when I
clean it but return.

Sounds like someone cleaned it with something they shouldn't have and it
damaged the surface. I don't think that in itself causes any problems
though - it just looks a bit ugly.

Well, the bath has gone ( almost) he knocked it all out in half an hour in
three pieces but he has left one section in place because it is attached to
the taps and he didnt want to turn the water off.

We dont have any isolation values in this place. We had them to every tap
in my last house OH put them in as he worked his way round the kitchen and
bathroom pipes. But all the pipes were easy to get at in that house, they
are all hidden here.

If he takes water off it has to be from the mains stop cock outside , so it
will mean no water. However, there is an old standpipe ( rising main) and an
old outide toilet ( nowadays rather poshly called a " garden loo" I think)
both of those are on a separate system , so there would be water and a
toilet.

I have spent the morning cleaning the cobwebs out of the loo. It has a new
toilet in it . OH put it in about five years back.



Hmm, I'm not getting an exact picture of the layout - but if it's just a
2" gap between the new bath and some kind of shower wall / whatever,
can't you just bridge it with tile? As it sounds like such a small area,
measure it and ask around (e.g. freecycle) - you can probably get some
suitable tiles and backer board offcuts from someone elses' DIY project
for free that'll do the job.


It is a small area. Its the length is OK, but apparently the old bath was
just two inches wider than modern ones . In fact the new bath will give us
two inches extra space between it and the basin. ( for me to clean and
elbow room).

So I have told him to put it in and get on with it.

I now have to clean all the dust / bits off the bathoom floor and put some
paint on the ceiling before he will continue.



I hate 'em both equally :-) Moving plumbing and electrics is a bit of a
pain if you can do something different, though.

I am keen on the shower curtain. As someone else said, it can be washed .
I dont like the panel anyway. Its smelly and harbours algae and slugs! Its
a posh panel ( not mine, got it with the bungalow)

I am happy to have a curtain and will be off to get the necessary tomorrow
or this evening , depending on timing. ( I have to get a rail and a
curtain)


As a DIY project I reckon I could have a new bath in place, levelled and
sealed and the shower moved in 2 days *if* everything went smoothly - but
sometimes there are unforseen things that a professional contractor would
anticipate or cope with more quickly, and of course DIY projects don't
always run from start to finish with no interruptions :-)

Thanks. He could work fast ( dare I say he was a plumber before he retired a
couple of years ago - aged 58 - got made redundant) but it seems he might
have been in the wrong job for forty years given he wont do me a baothroom
and tells me how ard it is. his record for a baoth - remove and fix - when
he was working was under three hours. They put the time and moteion men on
him to set the targets for his firm ( local authority).

But I will take three days.

he now says I will have to have a new basin and toilet ( cant have green
with a white bath).
Eco warrior moans about the costs! So I need cheapies. Who is best for take
away cheapi basins and toilets ( close coupled unit)? Anyone any ideas?

Thanks for all help and suggestions.

wrote in message
...
You're the "Snails in bath" woman on your last thread - on that your
hubby couldn't get the panel of the side of the bath - now "he is not
a stranger to plumbing". Though apparently fixing leaks isn't one of
his skills.

No, it isn't apparently. I can do better, OH is an indentured plumber.
Forty years in the trade! Its only me he wont do anything for. He tells me
how hard it is and I don't know whether he tells the truth or is just
unwilling and tight fisted or really cannot do it.

I know he is rubbish at carpentry. I know his tiling is limited. Wall
papering none existent. His electrics are very good.

wrote in message ...
On 6 Apr,
"sweetheart" wrote:

If he takes water off it has to be from the mains stop cock outside , so
it
will mean no water. However, there is an old standpipe ( rising main) and
an old outide toilet ( nowadays rather poshly called a " garden loo" I
think) both of those are on a separate system , so there would be water
and a toilet.

Unless it's plumbed in something very old or nasty, (like lead pipe, and
even
then there's a way) it is only a matter of five minutes to cut the pipes
and
fit isolating valves. Then the water can be restored to the rest of the
fittings.



Yes, but Sweatheart's (AKA whiskeyomega) OH is a dickhead.

DIY divorces are not expensive if done properly. One of my mates has done
that 5 times now. It costs him more on wedding rings than on divorces.

Adam

wrote:
On 6 Apr,
"sweetheart" wrote:

If he takes water off it has to be from the mains stop cock outside , so it
will mean no water. However, there is an old standpipe ( rising main) and
an old outide toilet ( nowadays rather poshly called a " garden loo" I
think) both of those are on a separate system , so there would be water
and a toilet.

Unless it's plumbed in something very old or nasty, (like lead pipe, and even
then there's a way) it is only a matter of five minutes to cut the pipes and
fit isolating valves. Then the water can be restored to the rest of the
fittings.

Or plastic pushfit pipe ends. Fit in seconds, remove in seconds,
watertight in between. Even a plumber should be able to cope with that!
Douglas de Lacey

On 2010-04-06 11:34:47 +0100, sweetheart said:


he also says it will take ages to knock out and will leave a mess. he
tells me I wont have water for three days. Is this true? Or is he
having me on?

It took me two years to fit a new kitchen after ripping the old one out
in our old house. SWMBO isn't so keen on letting me loose on this
kitchen yet ...

So 3 days sounds like far too short a time to do get a proper job done.

"Piers Finlayson" wrote in message
...
On 2010-04-06 11:34:47 +0100, sweetheart said:


he also says it will take ages to knock out and will leave a mess. he
tells me I wont have water for three days. Is this true? Or is he having
me on?

It took me two years to fit a new kitchen after ripping the old one out in
our old house. SWMBO isn't so keen on letting me loose on this kitchen
yet ...

So 3 days sounds like far too short a time to do get a proper job done.


Well I am still waiting for my bath. Have been minus water for two days. I
cant see why. He has moved the water pipes and blanked them off ( then
returned water) . He switched it off again today to allegedly finish . He
took the bath out again to knock plaster off the wall. I don't know why. It
was a perfect fit.

Anyway, my gripes aside. He claims that being a plastic bath he wont get it
to seal properly if it isn't right against the wall and with no plaster
behind. I cant see this - what's wrong with some no nails of grout to fix it
to the wall and then that white sealant stuff?
Is it true acrylic baths are " not stable" like he says?

How do you make there bath seal to the wall ( which is tiles by the way. He
hasn't split a single tile taking the old bath out so far and has the new
one sitting n the same exact position the old one was in.

I think he is messing me around but cant prove it.;-(

"sweetheart" @invalid
wibbled on Saturday 10 April 2010 14:34


"Piers Finlayson" wrote in message
...
On 2010-04-06 11:34:47 +0100, sweetheart said:


he also says it will take ages to knock out and will leave a mess. he
tells me I wont have water for three days. Is this true? Or is he
having me on?

It took me two years to fit a new kitchen after ripping the old one out
in
our old house. SWMBO isn't so keen on letting me loose on this kitchen
yet ...

So 3 days sounds like far too short a time to do get a proper job done.


Well I am still waiting for my bath. Have been minus water for two days. I
cant see why. He has moved the water pipes and blanked them off ( then
returned water) . He switched it off again today to allegedly finish . He
took the bath out again to knock plaster off the wall. I don't know why.
It was a perfect fit.

Anyway, my gripes aside. He claims that being a plastic bath he wont get
it to seal properly if it isn't right against the wall and with no plaster
behind. I cant see this - what's wrong with some no nails of grout to fix
it to the wall and then that white sealant stuff?
Is it true acrylic baths are " not stable" like he says?

How do you make there bath seal to the wall ( which is tiles by the way.
He hasn't split a single tile taking the old bath out so far and has the
new one sitting n the same exact position the old one was in.

I think he is messing me around but cant prove it.;-(

I put 4x2" battens under the lips of mine. Others here have left a small gap
between the plaster and the bath and rammed it full of silicone rubber (I
did that too). Others here recommend doing as your bloke did - cut a channel
in the plaster.

Sounds like the job is coming on - for all the wibbling, at least be glad he
can do it well Many couldn't...

--
Tim Watts

Managers, politicians and environmentalists: Nature's carbon buffer.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "sweetheart"
saying something like:

Is it true acrylic baths are " not stable" like he says?

They need to be braced properly, but once they are they are ok. The
cheap **** ones take more bracing.

How do you make there bath seal to the wall ( which is tiles by the way. He
hasn't split a single tile taking the old bath out so far and has the new
one sitting n the same exact position the old one was in.

Good going that. Now tell him to pull his finger out.

I thought I would update this. I have a bath. complete with hot and cold
running water and a shower. ;-) It still needs the bath panel on .
There are no leaks and all the tiles are in tact - so no re tiling.

Now dare I ask him to fit a white basin and toilet to match? ( the existing
ones are green ( avocado , 1980) . How long for those?


"sweetheart" wrote in message
...
Ok, so I have shouted and cried and OH says he will put a new bath in.

Now he is changing his mind. Is it better to have a new bath ( well new
old really - its got March 2004 on the box but the bath has never been
used - long story). I had convinced him to put it in. But now he is
having second thoughts.

He says its better just to repair the old bath. The old bath is cast iron.
Its circa 1983? Avacado. Its got white marks on it which go when I clean
it but return.
Is it better to have a new bath or should I agree to the old one?

Also , whilst on the subject, the new bath ( OH says) will be two inches
smaller than the old one ( that's width) and will leave the shower box
overlapping outside the bath which means he cannot put the bath shower
panel back. The shower fitting is well inside and will still be over the
bath.

I have said I will be happy with a shower curtain until or unless he wants
to shift the shower thing ( which means moving the water and electrics) .
he says shower curtains are not a good alternative. I think shower panels
are hard to clean.

he also says it will take ages to knock out and will leave a mess. he
tells me I wont have water for three days. Is this true? Or is he having
me on?

Which do you think? Is it better to keep the old bath? Is it that hard to
fix a new one?
( He is not a stranger to plumbing by the way)

On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:17:39 +0100, sweetheart wrote:

I thought I would update this. I have a bath. complete with hot and cold
running water and a shower. ;-)

Does this mean we don't have to keep upwind of you now? :-)

--
The Wanderer

Have I understood what the other guy is saying?
Have I meant what I said? Have I said what I mean?

"Owain" wrote in message
...
On 12 Apr, 09:17, "sweetheart" wrote:


Congratulations.

Now dare I ask him to fit a white basin and toilet to match? ( the
existing
ones are green ( avocado , 1980) . How long for those?

Do you have another toilet you can use? If not, be careful what you
wish for.

I have an outside toilet. But if he takes the water off, we can only flush
once. But we had that with the bath. But he did only take the water off
for one day and one hour on a different day.

If I'd known ... there's a complete avocado suite in my cellar.

Thanks, nut I think its better in your cellar. I can send you a basin and
toilet to keep it company if you like? ;-)

I desperately want a new bathroom.