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We have no wings- cant hover over this mess to fix it. Help!

WeQ have a 50 yo year old house. Found plumbing has been leaking behind walls. Plenty of mold and rotted wood. We are taking up tile and concrete off the floor so that we can remove bathtub. ( Tri level house -we are on the top floor) We need to make sure the wood holding the cast iron tub is not rotted as well and find all the water damage. We started chipping out the tile and concrete only to find what used to be a wood subfloor. Its like old paper now. Scary when you are on the second floor. So moved closer to the door thought we would start there. The concrete there is completely soaked and the wood at bottom of framing in the corner is rotted. Unsure how to stay on the second floor while we remove the tile and concrete. Any safety hints?


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1306 answers
291 helpful answers

THAT WHICH DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER.

Bull. Reality is, it will usually hurt like hell and leave you with a permanent limp.

Is it concrete ?  or is it a bed of mortor laid over a wire lath ?  How thick is it ?
Posted 2009-05-31T04:00:04Z
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Rated #3 out of 10
 

 looks like the layers are wood bottom then some kind of (looks like weed block ) cloth then mesh and concrete -could be thick morter. Overwhere the tub is cant find cloth the wire -nothing but the concrete layer and  the plywood subfloor is like crispy burnt paper. I am assuming the laters were there at some point. Its completely rotted and I dont know the condition of the wood holding up the cast iron tub or joists under the rotted subfloor.
Posted 2009-05-31T13:36:36Z
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Rated #4 out of 10
 
1306 answers
291 helpful answers

THAT WHICH DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER.

Bull. Reality is, it will usually hurt like hell and leave you with a permanent limp.

OK.  If the house is 50 years old, the normal porcedure back then was to place a moisture barrier ( most likely tarpaper - the "weed block" ), then a wire lath, then a bed of mortar mix (anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 inches) and lay tile on that.   If you think there is a danger of the floor collapsing, go to the room under the area you are working on and support the ceiling from there:  just a 2 X 4 flat against the ceiling with a 2 X 4 down to the floor every 3 feet should be plenty.  Then you can start tearing the old flooring/tile/mortar out of the bath - start at the door and work to the tub replacing the subfloor as you go.  Those old cast iron tubs can be amazingly heavy - you may end up having to shatter it with a sledge and remove it in pieces.
Posted 2009-05-31T14:25:08Z
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So make like a T brace like when doing ceiling sheetrock? That may work considering I already had to tear the ceiling out downstairs because of a flooding type leak- Laughing May be able to actually support the tub right underneath it. The only prob is there is a tub directly underneath it Im not sure how to keep the two by four tight at ground level with the slope of the tub and all. I may be able to brace it against the back of the tub downstairs -Ill just have to try it. Thanks for the tip. This is a nightmare! Cry How far apart shouls the floorjoist be - I was also thinking that where the plywood is like paper even if the joist are damage spreading the load by putting plywood or board of some type across the span might give us a place to stand until we can see how bad it is and how far it goes. Thanks so much for answering me. Lori
Posted 2009-05-31T14:47:11Z
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Rated #5 out of 10
 

So make like a T brace like when doing ceiling sheetrock? That may work considering I already had to tear the ceiling out downstairs because of a flooding type leak- Laughing May be able to actually support the tub right underneath it. The only prob is there is a tub directly underneath it Im not sure how to keep the two by four tight at ground level with the slope of the tub and all. I may be able to brace it against the back of the tub downstairs -Ill just have to try it. Thanks for the tip. This is a nightmare! Cry How far apart shouls the floorjoist be - I was also thinking that where the plywood is like paper even if the joist are damage spreading the load by putting plywood or board of some type across the span might give us a place to stand until we can see how bad it is and how far it goes. Thanks so much for answering me. Lori
Posted 2009-05-31T14:47:50Z
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Rated #6 out of 10
 
1306 answers
291 helpful answers

THAT WHICH DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER.

Bull. Reality is, it will usually hurt like hell and leave you with a permanent limp.

Yes, like a "T" brace  -  only with more than one leg -  maybe more like an "M" brace.   Joists should be 16" on center but may be 24" on center:  if you have to replace them - go with 16"oc.
Posted 2009-05-31T14:56:39Z
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Just wanted to say thanks! Got it all up and out! The joists are damaged but still solid enough - so we will be getting the plywood subfloor out soon. In the meantime the tub is gone the tile morter bed and wire lathe all gone as well. Yea! Your answers and knowledge of what I was looking at gave me enough confidence to keep going! I appreciate it! Now what do you know about mold?
Posted 2009-06-05T12:09:57Z
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Rated #7 out of 10
 
1306 answers
291 helpful answers

THAT WHICH DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER.

Bull. Reality is, it will usually hurt like hell and leave you with a permanent limp.

How wet are things ?  How bad the mold and what color ?
Posted 2009-06-07T02:37:57Z
Helpful?(0)
Rated #8 out of 10

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