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Talking to my plumber uncle made me rethink my whole bathroom reno plan
He was over for dinner last week and said, 'You're putting a freestanding tub on that old subfloor? It'll sag in a year.' I was planning to just tile over the existing floor in my 1950s bathroom. Should I really tear everything up and reinforce the joists first, or is there a simpler fix?
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michael8953mo ago
Oh man, that's the worst kind of advice. He's probably right though, better safe than sorry.
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oliver_ward141mo ago
Yeah I read an article a while back about how people ignore what's underneath their tile work and then wonder why grout cracks in a year. That subfloor sag is no joke it shifts everything above it. Smart call to just tear it out now and put down some 3/4 inch plywood or at least sister the joists. Saves you from that sinking feeling in more ways than one.
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rileyjones3mo ago
Yikes. Listen to your uncle.
That old floor is not built for a heavy tub full of water and a person. The sag is real and it will crack your new tile. Tearing it up now is a pain, but fixing a collapsed floor later is a nightmare. Just do it right the first time.
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