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The Roughins

The framing and sub floor can now be examined for dry rot. Damage is most likely in two areas: around the closet bend (the toilet drain) and by the bath tub or shower.

The framing and sub floor can now be examined for dry rot. Damage is most likely in two areas: around the closet bend (the toilet drain) and by the bath tub or shower. We can treat minor damage with wood preservative to forestall further decay. We review any structural damage with the homeowner before making the repairs. We also make any framing changes that are called for in the plans and scope of work. As well, blocking is installed wherever towel bars will be installed.
Shower Roughin
The plumbing rough-in is the next step. This consists of any modifications in the hot and cold water supply lines and the drain-waste-vent lines. It also includes the installation both the tub/shower fixture and faucet because these items need to be installed before the wall finishes.

If the house has copper water supply lines these are probably still okay and can remain. Often though, we need to tune these up with additional support and the installation of water hammer arrestors on the faucet supply lines. We still encounter galvanized steel water lines in some older houses and replace these with copper when accessible. This will usually result in increased water flow to the newly remodeled bathroom as older galvanized lines are often quite restricted with corrosion.

If the tub is being replaced the new tub, drain assembly and tub faucet are installed next. The tub faucet consists of two sets of parts: the finish are the parts that you see in the finished bathroom and the rough-in are the parts that are in the wall behind the tile. They are best purchased at the same time as a complete system.

There are some very critical dimensions involved in setting the bath tub faucet rough-in. It needs to be set center on the drain, plumb, aligned and at a depth that corresponds to the total thickness of the shower wall. As well the faucet needs to be set at a convenient height for access during both bathing and showering. We find a range between 36 and 40 inches from the tub floor works best for most people. We like to set shower heads at about 78" from the finish floor of the tub or shower to provide enough clearance for most shower users. Hand-held showers, either bar mounted or hook mounted, need to be set much lower to be useful in bathing. It is therefore advisable to have these items on hand early on in the remodel process.

Houses built before the 1930's often used lead pipe for a closet bend. These items do not meet current building code and need to be changed as part of the rough-in.

After the plumbing rough-in is complete it is usually necessary to install blocking around the perimeter of the tub or shower pan to provide support for the wall finishes. As well, blocking needs to be installed where wall mounted and pedestal sinks will be located.

The electrical rough-in can go ahead. This work consists of all the electrical wires and the boxes for lights , plug ins, and switches. In also includes the housings for any recessed light fixtures and fans. This work is installed after the plumbing rough-in and blocking are complete because it's easier to bend a wire around a pipe than vice versa. It's also less likely that the wiring will be damaged by any nailing.

A lot of care must be given to the layout of the electrical rough-in. The placement of the installed devices must relate well to the other elements in the room. Switch plates should not conflict with door trim. Outlets should not fall across an edge of a back splash. Wall sconces are particularly fussy to properly place and it's often necessary to allow for a degree of fine tuning to be done at a later stage in the remodeling process.
Bathroom Sink Counter Lights
The National Electric Code specifies the particulars of wire sizes and boxes, types of clamps and absolutely every detail of electrical installations. It's been continuously updated since it's inception in 1897 and it's standards and uniform construction practices, when followed, make for safe and convenient installations. it's likely that very little in the bathroom to be remodeled meets current electrical code standards. Items like knob and tube wiring need to be replaced. As well older electrical boxes tend to be undersized for today's requirements. The code also requires that the outlets in a bathroom be on their own dedicated 20 amp circuit as well as being ground fault protected. Other electrical issues include the need that the primary lighting source is energy efficient and that bathrooms without operable windows have appropriately sized exhaust fans, vented directly to the exterior.

An inspection by the local building department is a requirement after all the rough-in work is complete and before the ceilings and walls are covered up. Depending on the jurisdiction, these inspections can be performed by the general building inspector or by separate building, plumbing, and electrical inspectors. However all of the work must be complete so that the inspector can verify that the structural integrity of the building has not been compromised by plumbers, cutting through structural members in the process of placing their pipes or by electricians, unduly weakening structural members by drilling excessive holes for their wires.

A separate inspection is also usually required for site fabricated shower pans and shower wet walls. As well some jurisdictions verify that the exterior walls get insulated before allowing them to get covered up.

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