What did you do today?

[BlueSkyHigh]

As for builders, they may be cheaper than you are! Most don't give a rat's $#@ about the homeowner after the fact. These things should be CODE for goodness sake. More accidents happen in bathrooms than anywhere else in the home. Look it up.

If your tile doesn't go up to the ceiling you can generally find the studs above the tile and below the ceiling and follow them down.

I have two stud finders and they aren't worth %$#@ on tile.

I use a small carbide bit, and then will switch to larger, and then diamond bits. CHEAP on Amazon. I go slow with my drill and wet bits. The last three bars I installed were less than three hours labor.

If you miss a stud, no big deal. Look up "WingIts" or the Hillman Toggle bolts.

I've had to admit to myself that I am at the point in my life where I wobble like a Weeble but, unlike a Weeble, I am pretty sure that one day I will fall down so I guess it's time to stop relying on the handles on the bypass shower doors for support (they move and I've accidentally removed one of the doors from the track by lifting upwards). I have a pretty good stud finder (variable depth model) but am not sure how it works on tile. In case I can't find the studs I may have to employ the Wingit or Hillman toggle bolt approach to fastening the thing to the wall. Based upon your findings, what brand of safety bar do you find the best with respect to strength, ability to grab without slipping (I don't like the idea of rubber inserts but, maybe, a knurled finish) and ease of cleaning?

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

I would love to visit Sicily but I only speak a couple of words in Italian. Communication might be an issue and I wouldn't want to be one of those people who expects the natives to speak English.

Unlike France and the French, the Sicilians won't fault you for not speaking their language. Learn a few words from a travel guide and you'll be fine. You'd be surprised how many shop keepers and restaurant workers know enough English to help you out.

There are more UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sicily than anywhere else. At any of them, and other places, you'll often find "Guida Touristica" waiting to be hired to help you understand what you may be looking at. For example, the mosaics at Piazza Amerina or the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento have long complex histories. $25 or $50 on a tour guide for a couple of hours is money well spent. If you are enthralled with Greek ruins, you don't go to Greece. They are in Sicily. Many museums have audio tours in English that you rent, and most signage in tourist destinations is in multiple languages. I don't speak but a few words of Italian, and we got by. The Americans liberated Sicily in 1943, and the memory is long. They are a friendly bunch. My father speaks a few words of the old Sicilian dialect and whenever he heard some old man speaking it, he started a conversation. Always with friendly smiles and handshakes.

There's always Google translate on your phone which is pretty amazing, too. You can use it around the world in dozens of languages.

Bottom line, Zanne, if your budget and time includes trips to foreign lands, don't let the language be a deterrent.

 

[havasu]

Here is a lady who still appreciates the sacrifices of the American soldiers while in a small village in France a few years back.

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

I've had to admit to myself that I am at the point in my life where I wobble like a Weeble but, unlike a Weeble, I am pretty sure that one day I will fall down so I guess it's time to stop relying on the handles on the bypass shower doors for support (they move and I've accidentally removed one of the doors from the track by lifting upwards). I have a pretty good stud finder (variable depth model) but am not sure how it works on tile. In case I can't find the studs I may have to employ the Wingit or Hillman toggle bolt approach to fastening the thing to the wall. Based upon your findings, what brand of safety bar do you find the best with respect to strength, ability to grab without slipping (I don't like the idea of rubber inserts but, maybe, a knurled finish) and ease of cleaning?

I'm not brand sensitive on these items. They are all, without exception, made in China. The ones I bought for my own home were narrow diameter and not super-polished; they seem to be easy to grip. I have a 42" long horizontal model. The vertical one to assist one in stepping out (it's a shower in a tub, all tile) has got a knurled finish so absolutely no issue in slippiness there. Amazon is a handy source.

The ones I have purchased for local installation have been Kohler, American Standard, Moen--the usual gang of bath fixture manufacturers. I get them based on finish, size and availability. Brushed or knurled stainless seems to be the easiest to grasp, but doesn't seem to match every bath decor.

When mounted properly into studs, or with a Hillman toggle or a Wing-It, they all seem to be exceptionally strong. I would not try to do chin-ups on them, or step on them, but that is NOT what they were designed for regardless of how affixed; they are meant to provide a means of support and assistance only.

Using your stud finder, maybe a magnetic one too, you will probably get at least a 50% hit rate on the studs.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Here is a lady who still appreciates the sacrifices of the American soldiers while in a small village in France a few years back.View attachment 37136

Amen to that and God Bless her.

 

[Zanne]

I heard tales of people in France watching the WTC destruction on their local news and going over to American tourists to hug them and cry with them & buy them wine.

I wish my budget and time permitted me to travel abroad again. As an aside, Mitchell, your English is excellent. I would have pegged you as American from your grammar & word choice. That's no easy feat with English being as complicated as it is.

Blueskyhigh, some of the Moen HomeCare grab bars have grips on the back to make it easier to hold. We got that kind for my mother.

I'm currently pondering plumbing codes involving where to tie in washing machine drains. I know Frodo talked about Suds relief. I found it under UPC (but not IPC, which is the code where I live).
Found this:

From the 2015 UPC Illustrated Training Manual

711.0 Suds Relief.
711.1 General. Drainage connections shall not be made into a drainage piping system within 8 feet (2438 mm) of a vertical to horizontal change of direction of a stack containing suds-producing fixtures. Bathtubs, laundries, washing machine standpipes, kitchen sinks, and dishwashers shall be considered suds-producing fixtures. Where parallel vent stacks are required, they shall connect to the drainage stack at a point 8 feet (2438 mm) above the lowest point of the drainage stack.
Exceptions:
(1) Single-family residences
(2) Stacks receiving the discharge from less than three stories of plumbing fixtures

It would seem I fall under both exceptions. One story house with single-family residence. So long as the suds don't block vent pipes in a single story house and it doesn't cause suction to drain traps, I wonder if having the washing machine be the first fixture would be a problem.

Also, did my thread on true pipe sizes get deleted? I could have sworn I edited it the other day to add Sch 80 PVC and I looked for the thread but it is gone. Or maybe it was on a different forum? Am I hallucinating here? NEVERMIND, I found it. LOL. I'm a derp.

Slept until 5pm. Thought mom was in bed all day but apparently she got up and saw I was out and made herself some sandwiches and then had me cook for her later (coincidentally, I was getting out of bed to go check on her when she called).
I need to get the vinegar and baking soda into my bathroom to see if it works to clean my sink.

 

[Zanne]

I'm testing out a paste of white vinegar and baking soda to see if it will get the stains out of my sink. I have it sitting- gonna let it sit an hour and then check it. it didn't want to spread and stay where I wanted it to. Probably needed more powder. If it works on the areas where the stuff sat then I will try again on spots it missed. I'm also testing it on the underside of the foam cover for the toilet seat.

Cleaned in the hallway and kitchen a bit but felt a little dizzy so I'm sitting down. I helped mom set up her laptop to use on the TV. Now she can play her hidden object games on a 55" screen. LOL.

 

[havasu]

Z, are the stains under the porcelain, or on top of it?

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Z, are the stains under the porcelain, or on top of it?

I was thinking that maybe the sink was a composite like one of mine. I can't imagine porcelain being that "stainable".

 

[Ole Dodge]

Well, the plumbing because it’s a plumbing forum, and sufficiently different to raise interest. You ought to see the electric situation. Each home is limited to a maximum capacity of 3kw. Cannot run more than one thing at a time. Fun, huh?

Have yet to see any wildlife but stray dogs…

I need help! I'm installing water line to shop. Always used PVC. Love it because the 20' sticks are easy to install. Considering PEX but it will be difficult to unroll and get to lay down in ditch. Minimum of fittings. How much can you curve ditch without damaging PEX?
Thank y'all

 

[Zanne]

Havasu, the stains seem to be on top. In fact, there is some stuff that I can actually feel sticking up on top. Not sure what the hell it is, but it doesn't want to come off. I managed to get a little bit of it off with a plastic scraper thingy. Got some of the stains to come out closer to the front of the bowl but am struggling to get the stuff toward the back where it is more vertical and around the drain. I really put in some elbow grease and its starting to come off but still being stubborn. I let the stuff sit for an hour and it didn't really do anything. So I let it sit over two hours (power went out so I had no light and had to wait) and then tried again. Only a little progress at this point. It's frustrating.

The sink is cast iron coated in porcelain. It sat for a decade with stuff in it and its an old sink from the 60s or 70s. Some of these stains were there before we moved here in the 80s. I can't peg what the substance is that is definitely on the surface that I can feel-- its reddish like rust. Apparently some pennies were in the sink the entire time and the corrosion from them stuck to the sink surface. I'm going to replace the drain so I'm not worried about the chrome part so much, but I want it off the parts that should be white. I'll have to get pictures later. Right now I have the paste soaking on the surface and added some salt to it for extra grit. Next time I make the mix I'll add salt into it.

Ole doge, pics or sketches of your plan might help. PEX can be a pain to get to lie flat, but I find if you straighten it out (usually takes two people) before trying to set it in, it works a little better. Worst case they sell horseshoe type stakes (croquet stakes?) that you could temporarily use to pin the pex in place (don't even have to get it tight, just enough to hold it down where you want it). I know I've seen something in the gardening section that is horseshoe shaped and used for holding stuff down but I can't remember the name for it. Ground anchors? I hope this makes sense.

 

[Ole Dodge]

Havasu, the stains seem to be on top. In fact, there is some stuff that I can actually feel sticking up on top. Not sure what the hell it is, but it doesn't want to come off. I managed to get a little bit of it off with a plastic scraper thingy. Got some of the stains to come out closer to the front of the bowl but am struggling to get the stuff toward the back where it is more vertical and around the drain. I really put in some elbow grease and its starting to come off but still being stubborn. I let the stuff sit for an hour and it didn't really do anything. So I let it sit over two hours (power went out so I had no light and had to wait) and then tried again. Only a little progress at this point. It's frustrating.

The sink is cast iron coated in porcelain. It sat for a decade with stuff in it and its an old sink from the 60s or 70s. Some of these stains were there before we moved here in the 80s. I can't peg what the substance is that is definitely on the surface that I can feel-- its reddish like rust. Apparently some pennies were in the sink the entire time and the corrosion from them stuck to the sink surface. I'm going to replace the drain so I'm not worried about the chrome part so much, but I want it off the parts that should be white. I'll have to get pictures later. Right now I have the paste soaking on the surface and added some salt to it for extra grit. Next time I make the mix I'll add salt into it.

Ole doge, pics or sketches of your plan might help. PEX can be a pain to get to lie flat, but I find if you straighten it out (usually takes two people) before trying to set it in, it works a little better. Worst case they sell horseshoe type stakes (croquet stakes?) that you could temporarily use to pin the pex in place (don't even have to get it tight, just enough to hold it down where you want it). I know I've seen something in the gardening section that is horseshoe shaped and used for holding stuff down but I can't remember the name for it. Ground anchors? I hope this makes sense.

 

[Zanne]

Oops, its Ole Dodge and I typod. Sorry. I think it failed to show what you put after the quote. I couldn't get to sleep because the sink thing kept bugging me. I got it a little better, but still needs work around the drain. Discovered there is a gouge in it but nothing I can really do to fix it.

 

[Ole Dodge]

Havasu, the stains seem to be on top. In fact, there is some stuff that I can actually feel sticking up on top. Not sure what the hell it is, but it doesn't want to come off. I managed to get a little bit of it off with a plastic scraper thingy. Got some of the stains to come out closer to the front of the bowl but am struggling to get the stuff toward the back where it is more vertical and around the drain. I really put in some elbow grease and its starting to come off but still being stubborn. I let the stuff sit for an hour and it didn't really do anything. So I let it sit over two hours (power went out so I had no light and had to wait) and then tried again. Only a little progress at this point. It's frustrating.

The sink is cast iron coated in porcelain. It sat for a decade with stuff in it and its an old sink from the 60s or 70s. Some of these stains were there before we moved here in the 80s. I can't peg what the substance is that is definitely on the surface that I can feel-- its reddish like rust. Apparently some pennies were in the sink the entire time and the corrosion from them stuck to the sink surface. I'm going to replace the drain so I'm not worried about the chrome part so much, but I want it off the parts that should be white. I'll have to get pictures later. Right now I have the paste soaking on the surface and added some salt to it for extra grit. Next time I make the mix I'll add salt into it.

Ole doge, pics or sketches of your plan might help. PEX can be a pain to get to lie flat, but I find if you straighten it out (usually takes two people) before trying to set it in, it works a little better. Worst case they sell horseshoe type stakes (croquet stakes?) that you could temporarily use to pin the pex in place (don't even have to get it tight, just enough to hold it down where you want it). I know I've seen something in the gardening section that is horseshoe shaped and used for holding stuff down but I can't remember the name for it. Ground anchors? I hope this makes sense.

That is a good suggestion. They are designed for holding down landscape fabric. I like the neatness of pvc, but seems PEX is pipe increasingly becoming the pipe of choice.

Havasu, the stains seem to be on top. In fact, there is some stuff that I can actually feel sticking up on top. Not sure what the hell it is, but it doesn't want to come off. I managed to get a little bit of it off with a plastic scraper thingy. Got some of the stains to come out closer to the front of the bowl but am struggling to get the stuff toward the back where it is more vertical and around the drain. I really put in some elbow grease and its starting to come off but still being stubborn. I let the stuff sit for an hour and it didn't really do anything. So I let it sit over two hours (power went out so I had no light and had to wait) and then tried again. Only a little progress at this point. It's frustrating.

The sink is cast iron coated in porcelain. It sat for a decade with stuff in it and its an old sink from the 60s or 70s. Some of these stains were there before we moved here in the 80s. I can't peg what the substance is that is definitely on the surface that I can feel-- its reddish like rust. Apparently some pennies were in the sink the entire time and the corrosion from them stuck to the sink surface. I'm going to replace the drain so I'm not worried about the chrome part so much, but I want it off the parts that should be white. I'll have to get pictures later. Right now I have the paste soaking on the surface and added some salt to it for extra grit. Next time I make the mix I'll add salt into it.

Ole doge, pics or sketches of your plan might help. PEX can be a pain to get to lie flat, but I find if you straighten it out (usually takes two people) before trying to set it in, it works a little better. Worst case they sell horseshoe type stakes (croquet stakes?) that you could temporarily use to pin the pex in place (don't even have to get it tight, just enough to hold it down where you want it). I know I've seen something in the gardening section that is horseshoe shaped and used for holding stuff down but I can't remember the name for it. Ground anchors? I hope this makes sense.

that's a good suggestion. They are designed to hold down landscape fabric I believe. I'm partial to PVC because it is easier to install. However, In the past I may have put too much stress by bending too much to fit curving of ditch.I had a leak somewhere in that curve. Water was coming to top of ground in that area. However, over the years privet bushes had overgrown the area and my wife didn't want to remove them so I just installed new line. Shelia (wife), says I over think things. Ha!

 

[Twowaxhack]

Oops, its Ole Dodge and I typod. Sorry. I think it failed to show what you put after the quote. I couldn't get to sleep because the sink thing kept bugging me. I got it a little better, but still needs work around the drain. Discovered there is a gouge in it but nothing I can really do to fix it.
View attachment 37155
View attachment 37156

Replace it, they cost about $35. 19” round lavatory 4” centers.

 

[Ole Dodge]

That is a good suggestion. They are designed for holding down landscape fabric. I like the neatness of pvc, but seems PEX is pipe increasingly becoming the pipe of choice.

that's a good suggestion. They are designed to hold down landscape fabric I believe. I'm partial to PVC because it is easier to install. However, In the past I may have put too much stress by bending too much to fit curving of ditch.I had a leak somewhere in that curve. Water was coming to top of ground in that area. However, over the years privet bushes had overgrown the area and my wife didn't want to remove them so I just installed new line. Shelia (wife), says I over think things. Ha!

Y'all bear with me for posting twice...please.

 

[Zanne]

I'm starting to wonder if I can fill in the chip with something but I have to look into it. I suppose it depends on the size. I've put so much elbow grease into this I'm not ready to fold yet. LOL. I'm super picky & if I was going to replace it, I'd get the same kind Mom got-- a Toto sink that is deeper than the cheap sinks.

I checked Facebook marketplace and laughed because this faucet is very similar to one of the color variations for the faucet that I have. Too bad it has those big bumps and isn't round. I don't mind seashell shape but the big lumps would be annoying.

Ole Dodge, no worries. It happens sometimes.
I need to take my allergy meds and motivate myself to do more cleaning in the kitchen.

 

[Twowaxhack]

That’s a Delta Neo style faucet with lever handles. The spout swivels.

One of the best faucets ever made. I put them in the first house I built and they are still in operation 30 yrs later.

I sold the house and built another one next door, so I saw them a few weeks ago when I was over there hanging out.

 

[Zanne]

My faucet is an Aquasource and had problems with the cartridges within 10 years. They did send replacement cartridges for free though. Mom would probably like that faucet. But its waaay too far to drive to get a sink we don't want just to get the faucet on it. LOL.

I cleaned in my bathroom a little more (around the sink but didn't get the crud off the caulk) and swept the floor. I have a red stain from the handle of brush or tool on the vinyl sheet and am trying to figure out if its possible to remove it without damaging the floor. It will be in a spot that is covered by a bath mat so I might just try soaking a paper towel in vinegar and leaving it on the spot for a few hours.

I was going through Youtube watching cleaning videos and one led to a series of short videos and this one made me laugh really hard.

 

[Zanne]

Packed up Mom's laptop- tripleboxed and mailed it. $96 for priority mail with tracking + insurance. Still cheaper than buying a replacement screen (which is out of stock). Unfortunately, while bending to put bubble wrap into the box (not even bending very far) I managed to pull my back. Not sure how even. It just popped. Hurts all the way through my hips. Alternating heat and ice. Heat is going right now along with massage. This sucks. I was going to clean the pantry today.