Updating 1950s bathroom
I live in a co-op built in the early fifties. Two different plumbers have told me that both my shower and sink plumbing should be replaced because they are in such bad shape they can’t be repaired very well. (In the shower, the diverter no longer works, and in the sink, the faucet drips and…
I live in a co-op built in the early fifties. Two different plumbers have told me that both my shower and sink plumbing should be replaced because they are in such bad shape they can’t be repaired very well. (In the shower, the diverter no longer works, and in the sink, the faucet drips and one handle leaks.)
So, like many people here, I am looking for a contractor–but one who is not going to try to convince me to rip out all my pink tile and install beige travertine. I just want to put in new plumbing, a new sink (old one’s also badly worn), and patch tile as necessary (not just where the shower is fixed, but also a few small areas where the existing tile was patched at some point with the wrong color). Any recommendations of someone who is very sensitive to restoration? (BTW, I have some extra matching tile from when neighbors gut-renovated their bath.)
Final question: Is it true (as one plumber told me) that if I replace the shower plumbing, I must install a one-handle control rather than the two handles I now have?
Wonderful! Such a good idea to keep a 1950s bathroom in a 1950s apartment. That’s what belongs there.
I have three key resources for you:
*Alfano Plumbing in Queens. They will have the exact replacement parts you need — not just the washers, but the worn-out stems. You need to bring in the whole assembly. They have weird hours. They are incredibly helpful and can tell you how to put it together, alternative workarounds, and if all else fails, they will re-machine the parts for you at a very reasonable price.
http://www.alfanoplumbingparts.com/
*Nick, very old and very experienced tile guy, knows how to put in all the old-style fancy work like coves and corners, will re-do your grout, very inexpensive. His wife answers the phone, she speaks only Italian. You might have to call several times. Highly recommended. 718-497-8857. He used to do all the tile in my coop in Queens, big building. He re-did the grout in my shower for $200.
*If you are having any trouble finding the exact shape and color of tile, send a sample to American Restoration Tile and they will reproduce it exactly. No minimums. Prices are very reasonable for replacement tile, although they wouldn’t be your cheapest option for miles of new tile.
http://www.restorationtile.com/
Don’t delay — the drip will destroy your sink. Good luck!!!!!! I wish you well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks, brucef. Just to be clear, I am *not* trying to retain the existing plumbing. I am more than happy to get new plumbing in the shower/tub and sink. Plus two plumbers have told me I need to. (Fortunately, the toilet is fine.)
I am open to replacing all the tile. My reasons for trying to keep the original tile were (in order of most to least importance) 1) I like the classic “old tile” look; 2) I thought the disruption/downtime (being unable to use the bathroom) would be shorter; 3) cost. If I can preserve a mid-century ceramic tile look and if the downtime for complete retiling isn’t much different than it is for trying to do it the way I was imagining, then the only hurdle is cost. I would need to investigate the costs further to see if I could manage it. (I am just starting to think about this project, so I have not looked into the costs of tile or retiling at all, but I have been assuming it would add several thousand dollars to the job.)
I urge you to reconsider your desire to retain existing plumbing and tile. Unless there is unfettered access to rear of shower body, any repair will have to be from the front.
Tiles that look firm, over time conceal long term water damage to underlying substrates. Time and expense chasing the intended saving of money will in the medium run be unsatisfying – I speak of 3-5 years. You claim to prefer the pink tile – do it right and replace with pink tile.
Partial upgrade you describe is wishful thinking. Wanting it to be so does not, however, change reality. These surfaces have a lifetime, yours has already lived that long, and any disruption kicks off an irreversible failure of surfaces. No I don’t want the job, I am telling you this to save you from learning the hard way.
Thanks for the additional comments!
Brooklyn Plumber: “Also, is there access from the back of the shower to do the replacement so that the tiles don’t have to be broken? I know you don’t want to open too much, but coming from a Plumber’s point of view, we like to replace as much of the old Plumbing as possible.” I hadn’t really considered that, but yes, I think the plumbing could be accessed by knocking a hole in my bedroom wall. Not too thrilled about that idea (I wonder how long it would need to be open?), but maybe that would be worth doing if it meant the tile damage could be minimized.
And thanks for the support, BHS. I will check out George Taylor. I also clearly need to find out more about pressure balancing and temperature control!
Stick to your guns on keeping the look of the bathroom. I personally like those old colored tile bathrooms, some of which are as early as the mid/late 1920s. Much better to have a nicely maintained/restored period-appropriate bath than than latest trend in my opinion. You may be able to find something very similar to the faucet you currently have if that’s important to you. I’d look at Kohler and American Standard models. Talk to George Taylor Specialties–they repair antique and vintage plumbing and may have plumbers to recommend who have experience with sensitive restorations.
Also, many 1-lever types have a built-in temp. control, which is useful if water pressure/temp varies when others open faucets or flush as you’re showering. Otoh, there’s kind of a pleasant annoyance as the temp changes if you don’t have it…do you adjust the taps? will it revert just as you do so…but then, I’m easily amused at times.
ps: The worst setup is my bro-in-law’s, where the two taps turn in opposite directions to turn off (European I think) and its SO easy to turn them both “off” (you think,) and the cold shuts off and the hot goes full. I thought of suing him (joke).
Working on old Plumbing and old tiles can get tricky. Once you start removing some of the tiles, there’s a possibility, not matter how careful you try to be, that they’ll start coming off the wall on their own. We’ve had success with this kind of work and we have relationships with Contractor’s that will attempt it as well, but there are no guarantees. We believe in preserving whatever is “important” to a client, not only what’s valuable. As far as the shower body and only being allowed to install a single lever, there are other options. You can do a two or three handle shower as long as there is a pressure balancing unit connected to it to prevent scalding. They have remote units that can be installed somewhere else (closet, etc.) which can be adapted to any type of shower. Also, is there access from the back of the shower to do the replacement so that the tiles don’t have to be broken? I know you don’t want to open too much, but coming from a Plumber’s point of view, we like to replace as much of the old Plumbing as possible. Once we touch a part of the system, we tend to be responsible (as sometimes blamed) for the functioning of everything else.
Thanks, cmu. I was pretty clueless about the various controls when I looked at those things online, so that’s very helpful.
If you do replace with a 1-handle, make sure you get the type with adjustable volume as well, unlike those horrible hotel types which have only hot-cold adjustment.