Contractor woes, an update

I talked to the plumber today before leaving for work. He explained that he was unable to obtain a straight vertical pipe (I forget the technical term) that goes between the tank and the bowl that is long enough. He said that he'll be fabricating an extension, so that it will sit at the right height.

He further stated that he had attached it to the wall so that he could figure out exactly how high it needed to go. When I pointed out to him that this was one more unnecessary hole in the wall, he said that it would be covered by the tank and that he would caulk it in. I countered that this was an unblemished tile that could have been used for a repair elsewhere in the room, and that this was a hole in the wall that didn't need to be there.

I don't know what to ask for at this point. While there may be manufacturers out there that make white tile that the same shape and has a flat glaze, matching the color will be close to impossible. I don't think it's reasonable to ask him to cover the cost of a custom color match for one tile - that would be excessive.

What would you do? What would you ask for?

Looking for subway tile vendors

I'm looking for replacement tile for repairs for both of my second floor bathrooms. Like many of the projects I discuss here, this one awaits sufficient funds. However, being who I am, I want to complete as extensive research as possible.

The existing tile in the two second floor bathrooms is white, 6x6 ceramic, with a flat glaze profile. The floors are comprised of a round "penny" tile.

There are several areas where replacement tile is needed. The most notable is in the shower in the master bathroom, where the bottom 4 rows of tile as well as the floor were replaced with a bad match at the time that the shower pan was replaced. Another large section was replaced with a slightly better match behind the door in the non-master bathroom. Further, several of the trim pieces around the door to the shower stall broke and were replaced somewhere along the way. There are also some other assorted trim pieces here and there in the bathroom which have been clumsily repaired. I'm unsure as to whether I would want to repair or replace them.

The only vendor I've seen thus far that meets my needs is Subway Ceramics. They have several shades of white and all the trim pieces I need. Clay Squared lists the basic tile at $20 a square foot and the trim pieces between $15 and $25 each.

Does anyone know of other vendors who might have similar tile available? I'm especially interested in seeing other manufacturer's tile so that I can compare the color, to find the closest match to the tile that I have.

What was where in the shower?

I'm trying to determine the original plumbing configuration for my shower. I don't plan to do anything about it in the immediate future, mind you, it's just that it doesn't quite make sense and perhaps a few more pairs of eyes can help.



The shower head and needles are almost certainly in their original location. I feel it is reasonable (though don't have any evidence one way or the other) to assume that the knob for the needles is also in its original location. I strongly suspect (though again, without any evidence one way or the other) that the two escutcheons at the bottom were originally for the hot and cold water. The tile behind them appears to have been removed, presumably when the mixer was installed, so I cannot be absolutely sure of it.

The real question is as to what the remaining knob, the one directly above the mixer, would have been used for. Presently, it is fixed in place - I assume that the knob was placed there to cover the valve stem.

My only guess is that the remaining knob was to turn the shower on and off, so that one might be sprayed by the "needles" alone. I presume that it would have been labeled "shower".

The one remaining original handle was made by Republic, so I presume that the remaining handles would have also been made by them. DEA Bath Machineries has a Republic showerhead in stock, for a mere $145. That's not in the budget right now, but it's not utterly insane, either.

I welcome other ideas as to possible plumbing configurations or insights regarding the set up of this shower.

What is this? (part 2)

Here's a picture of the inside of the curious outlet I described in my previous post. Notable are the weight of the wiring, somewhere around 12 gauge, and that the wiring is in a box.

There are two of these outlets, one in the dining room and one in the front hallway.

Any new thoughts?

What is this?

Help! I've a few of these. I had assumed that they were old phone jacks, but then I noticed that they had five leads...

Light switches and electrical outlets

Virtually all of the electrical outlets and perhaps half of the light switches in my house are original. I find it curious that while the 1920s light switches all still have excellent action, virtually all of the outlets are so worn that a plug will barely sit in them. Did someone underspec the electrical outlets when the house was built? I can't imagine that many switchless items were used, and anyway, the deterioration of the outlets is too consistent - even those in underused areas don't want to hold a plug. Are electrical plugs thinner today than they used to be?

Almost there

Homeowner's insurance has been obtained, and at much more reasonable rates than we had previously been quoted. Now it's just a matter of the insurer contacting the bank and the bank contacting the title company and the title company contacting us.

There isn't any chance that we could close, say, after work tomorrow, is there? Or on Saturday?

I guess we will find out tomorrow, when I contact them.

Just how much paint do I have to strip?

Does the amount of paint on a radiator significantly affect its efficiency? It seemed that for a while everything I read said that paint negatively affected it, but now people don't seem to be so sure. This can't be too hard to test, can it?