Help! My Bathroom Renovation Turned Into a Nightmare!
Asked by ReneesDIY44
I'm renovating my childhood home, which was built in the 60s, and it's proving quite challenging. Today, while repainting the main bathroom, I discovered that the old linoleum flooring was wet underneath. As I peeled it back, I found a leaking toilet and even roots growing through the pipes! After ripping up multiple layers of linoleum, I also found cracks in the foundation. Now the floor is a mess of paper and glue, and I need to replace the toilet because of hairline cracks. I'm feeling really overwhelmed and unsure of my next steps, especially since I'm new to renovations and on a tight budget. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Answers
I feel for you! A wet floor and a leaking toilet are definitely not what you want to find during a DIY project. For the glue and paper, try wetting it down a bit; it should scrape off easier that way. Just be ready—those roots could be a bigger headache and might require a plumber to deal with.
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If it were me, I’d just rip everything out and start fresh. It sounds like you found a lot of underlying issues, so it’s better to fix it all now rather than patch things up and have more problems later.
ReneesDIY44: Thanks for the advice! Starting fresh might be the best route, even if it feels daunting.
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Honestly, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, it might be worth considering hiring someone to help. There’s no shame in recognizing when a job is too much, especially with the plumbing problems you're facing.
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HomeRepairHero: Good tip! Also, if the roots are in the sewer line, definitely don’t try to handle that yourself.