moving bathroom window, caulking, flashing

I made a mistake in … I was going to say in my drafting, but the mistake was from lack of drafting.  The window opening was 1-1/2″ too low.  This, after flashing it all in Blueskin butyl flashing tape – expensive stuff to waste!  HFT and I talked about whether to fix it or just live with it.  I, in my stubbornness, decided to fix it.  Because of the framing style, it wasn’t too difficult to fix.  New window opening: 

After moving & reinstalling:

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insulation, Stucco, flooring, vapour barrier

Installation of the insulation.  Say that five times.  Anyway, no one likes a cold shower.  This Rockwool insulation is so easy to work with.  It cuts like a loaf of bread.  It is fire retardant and soundproofs really well.  Plus, it doesn’t make the installer itchy like that fibreglass stuff does. 

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2x4s, shower base, flooring

One doesn’t usually get too excited about 2x4s, but these are actually 2 by 4, or close to it.  Plus, they’re fir, not just SPF.  What do I need these heavy monstrosities for?  I need to replace four tie beams (bottom chords) tying my rafters together.  Some crackpot notched one badly, two more are split and compromised, and one more has been drilled through it so many times that there’s no way it is actually holding structurally anymore. 

 

Thank you, Windsor Plywood, or bringing these in!

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shower drain

YouTube is not always my go-to as there are so many opinions, regions with different building code, lines of products, regional variations within products, etc.  But this was helpful. 

more plumbing and waterlines

The vanity & shower plumbing is in.  The shower will be vented (not wet-vented as previously planned) the same place as the vanity.  The shower now drains through 1-1/2″ pipe (shower drain assembly reduced from 2″ to 1-1/2″ with a collar), toward the vanity, and on to the 2″ drain that runs from the kitchen sink.  Slope: 1/4″ per foot, as per normal except for after the first elbows and before the wye-joint, which has a slightly higher slope (3/8″ per foot). 

 

Or did you already see this picture?  Maybe you did.  Segway to the toilet plumbing.  That’s all installed.  See the laundry waterlines? 

 

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plumbing begins today

Plumbing begins today.  This is the part of the project we’ve been working toward for the past few weeks – or more.  It’s the age-old issue – before plumbing, this has to be done.  Before this, that must be done.  Before that, … etc.  Well, now the plumbing can begin. 

Toilet plumbing: 

 

Lining everything up wasn’t the issue.  Gluing everything in place was because of how rigid 3-inch pipe is and because it is such a short run to the drain / vent stack. 

Vanity, shower plumbing: 

 

Note on floor structure:
Drilling through the double floor joists wasn’t an issue as these blocks were added, keeping the compression on the top, tension on the bottom scenario to a minimum; that is to say that adding 50% more material over 18 inches or so helps to spread the tension / compression around.  Plus, it also improves rigidity to the double joist system, almost eliminating movement.  There are no herringbone struts to stabilize the joists because they are only 7-1/2″ deep (very little room to add stuff).  Plus, the house never had it before, and ‘officially’ changing the structure is not what I had in mind – only replacing s*** that others had done to this poor, old house. 

shower arrived

Yay!  The shower arrived!  It was supposed to be sometime next week, but it arrived today. 

HFT and I opened it up outside and took each part up separately.  We put the drain on the shower pan to see the final elevation of the drain. 

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