Bathroom Remodeling in Burbank, CA
Bathroom remodeling for older Burbank houses: cast iron drains, old supply pipe and soft framing found and fixed before any new tile goes down.
A hairline split along the top of a cast iron drain is the kind of thing that hides under an older Burbank bathroom floor until the tile comes up. Water seeps out with each flush and shower, softening the subfloor and the joists around it. Once that crack is found, the job grows to include a new drain run back to a sound fitting, framing repair and a fresh plumbing inspection.
When the drain is the problem
Cast iron rusts from the inside, and the top of a horizontal run thins first because it stays damp and exposed to sewer gas. A camera pushed down the line from a cleanout shows scale, cracks and any root intrusion farther along. If the pipe under the bathroom is failing, it is cut out and replaced with new drain line, with transition couplings joining what remains. The closet flange under the toilet is renewed at the same time and fastened to solid wood so the bowl cannot rock.
What changes in the scope
Photos of every finding are attached to the written scope with a note on why it matters. A cracked drain adds pipe, couplings and a test. Soft subfloor adds new plywood, and a weakened joist gets a full-length sister bolted alongside. Galvanized supply pipe found in the same wall is normally replaced while it is open, since closing new tile over old pipe leaves the weakest part behind. Burbank city inspectors see the new pipe and any framing change before the walls are closed.
About our Bathroom Remodeling serviceEverything we do in Burbank
Bathroom Remodeling in Burbank: common questions
Under an older tile floor there is often a thick mortar bed laid over wire mesh, and below that wood planks or plywood. The drain could be cast iron, joined to the toilet by a lead bend, with galvanized steel feeding the fixtures. Soft or dark spots in the wood show where water has been getting through.
Keeping the old tub works when its enamel is sound, whether it stays put or comes out and goes back. It is very heavy, so moving it is planned around the hallway and doors. New drain, overflow and valve parts go in behind it while the wall is open, and worn enamel can be refinished in place.
Behind the tile, a waterproof membrane is applied over the backer board and the shower floor, lapped into the drain so water has nowhere to go but down. Before tile, the drain is stopped and the pan filled for a day to prove it holds. Grout and tile are the finish, while the membrane is what keeps water out of the walls.
Bathroom Remodeling in other cities
Other work we do in Burbank
Talk to us about your house in Burbank
Send the details and we will set up a walk-through and a written scope.