I’ve got a ranch style house built in 1955, it’s a pier and beam foundation. The bathrooms have tiled floors and tiled walls (midway up the wall except in the showers, to the ceiling). The floor tiles are original, some or most of the wall tile looks to have been replaced at some point in time. Behind the tile is about 1″ to 1 1/2″ of concrete with a wire mesh.
My problems:
1. One bathroom has had several wax ring leaks over the years, and as a result most of the 1×6 subfloor is gone, or doing nothing worthwhile because of water damage. Interestingly, the concrete is largely levitating, not touching the 2x4ish joists. The smaller joists are to accomodate the concrete, as they are 2×6 everywhere else in the house. So with no subfloor under the concrete, should the concrete be busted out or should it be shimmed and kept? The floor and tile appear to be perfect, no significant cracking.
2. The wall of tile behind one of the toilets has been detached from the wall since we moved in, 2 1/2 years ago. Rather abruptly, the tiles have buckled outward, with the grout holding everything together. My wife hears pieces of grout falling every time she goes in there (I know, I told her to stop going in there!). We’ve got foundation issues in this very spot in the house. We are thinking of doing away with the wall tile and using beadboard or something. How in the world would I safely remove this concrete backing in the walls?
Much thanks in advance!
Replies
We've got foundation issues
I Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
I agree with firebird -- the buckling tile sounds like it could be a foundation problem. Either that or the wall joists may have completely rotted out at the bottom and the roof is falling in.
Sounds like you can keep the floor and replace the joists (piecing in new subflooring), if you can figure out how to do that.
I'm thinking maybe that wall is just a partition wall sitting only on the subfloor..... which is now rotting away. That's a pretty heavy wall with all that wire, mud, and tile on it. Maybe the wall is just settling because of the weight and lack of support from the subfloor. I'm assuming it's not the exterior wall, of course.
Sure sounds better than the settling foundation scenario anyway!
Without being able to see it from here.... my first instinct would be to gut it and see what the heck is really going on..... if it can't be seen from the basement. Gotta love that old time thinking though...... "we'll make the floor joists smaller in this room cuz we're gonna be covering it with concrete!".