Ripped out soft bathroom floor...advice needed on rebuilding it please..

[OldMarine]

Ok, howdy all, so i finally got tired of the soft spot in the bathroom, and began the project. Got the wet flooring mostly out,(not going crazy and gutting entire bathroom), but the wood panel underneath is wet too, and is above the septic tank....some questions, what would be the best way to rebuild this? spray in expandable foam to take place of old Styrofoam? Should I bother with the under flooring? If so, do i have to drop black tank? any advice is appreciated. this is a pretty solid unit, except for the bathroom floor, and I will only have the unit,(2010, 24 Jay feather Hybrid) for a few more years. At least I have an aluminum frame! lol...

 

[Rene T]

Before you do anything did you find the source of the leak?

 

[OldMarine]

not yet, not sure I can yet, still winterized. Before I button up the shower trim boards, I will de-winterize and then turn on water pump and shower to see if I can see any leaks in plumbing.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Generally speaking if you don't address rot, it will address you. To schlup over rotten underlayment will only guarantee this issue will be repeated. Not sure about the exact methods as it will depend on specific construction details of your unit, but it would start with tearing out the rot as far as it goes.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[OldMarine]

Pump never runs though when water outlets are off, so I don't think the intrusion came from any plumbing leak. Only had the unit a year, so this may have been something that was once a problem, then was fixed sometime during it's life. Hard to tell.

 

[Freeman]

Is there anything on the underside of the unit giving you any hints of how extensive the damage is? Like water stains, drooping cardboard or insulation/cover material? How about spongy walls or flooring (on the inside) or the outside at the floor level (don't press hard enough to damage your exterior material).

You may even be able to rent a moisture meter from Home Depot, Lowes or local rental company. That would be my first choice.

Once you know the extent of the damage... it's decision time. If it's isolated to the bathroom, it should be a fairly easy fix, even if you have to drop the black tank. If the damage is isolated to the floor and not too high up the wall/s you may be able to throw up colored vinyl material and a molding around the walls to make it look good. Hope that helps. Good Luck!

 

[Freeman]

If your bathroom has a roof vent make sure it's dried in and the chalking/silicone/butyl is in good shape. As Rene said, if you don't find the source of the leak it will revisit you and it's only going to get worse.

 

[OldMarine]

yes...pretty sure i found the problem. When I removed the toilet, I found the wax ring was slid down the black tank threaded pipe section, intact. I do believe it should have been "squashed" between the flange and the floor. There was a thick rubber gasket that sits in a groove in the bowl, but no wax ring between flange & floor. I am making some decent progress though. This floor will be 3x stronger than originally when done!

 

[NY_Dutch]

RV's do not use a wax ring as a toilet seal. Instead they use a rubber gasket. Wax rings do not hold up well to the vibrations inherent in RV travel.

Amazon.com : rv toilet replacement seal

 

[OldMarine]

Thanks Dutch....it did have the rubber gasket under the toilet...I have to look closer at the lower gasket that I thought was a wax ring,....maybe what I felt when I touched it wasn't wax....YIKES!!

 

[Rene T]

Thanks Dutch....it did have the rubber gasket under the toilet...I have to look closer at the lower gasket that I thought was a wax ring,....maybe what I felt when I touched it wasn't wax....YIKES!!

The only real way to know is to taste it. It will answer your question right away

 

[Old_Crow]

The only real way to know is to taste it. It will answer your question right away

Not sure if this is a valid test. Pretty sure even a new wax ring would taste like crap, too.

 

[OldMarine]

no more soft floor for me! Kind of happy how it's turning out. Super strong now.

 

[sajesak]

Is there anything on the underside of the unit giving you any hints of how extensive the damage is? Like water stains, drooping cardboard or insulation/cover material? How about spongy walls or flooring (on the inside) or the outside at the floor level (don't press hard enough to damage your exterior material).

You may even be able to rent a moisture meter from Home Depot, Lowes or local rental company. That would be my first choice.

Once you know the extent of the damage... it's decision time. If it's isolated to the bathroom, it should be a fairly easy fix, even if you have to drop the black tank. If the damage is isolated to the floor and not too high up the wall/s you may be able to throw up colored vinyl material and a molding around the walls to make it look good. Hope that helps. Good Luck!

Need some advice on repairing a soft spot in the rear bath of a 71 international. Spot is aproximately 6" x8" located in the center of the floor between the sink and the closets. Reading some of the other posts sounds a bit intimidating on the challenges of floor repairs. Would patching it be the best plan?

 

[John From Detroit]

When I did mine I dug out all the wet rot. Layed in some basic support and poured in the Water Putty. (Durham's Water putty) it's a powder you mix with a bit of water and .. well he hardens only a little softer than concrete. And water proof once hardened.

 

[garyb1st]

Generally speaking if you don't address rot, it will address you. To schlup over rotten underlayment will only guarantee this issue will be repeated. Not sure about the exact methods as it will depend on specific construction details of your unit, but it would start with tearing out the rot as far as it goes.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Love it when I learn a new word. Not sure how I'll use this one. Actually it may apply to me. Not that I'm lazy, but I have ADHD and have so many projects going at one time I often forget what I started doing in the morning .

 

[sajesak]

When I did mine I dug out all the wet rot. Layed in some basic support and poured in the Water Putty. (Durham's Water putty) it's a powder you mix with a bit of water and .. well he hardens only a little softer than concrete. And water proof once hardened.

thanks for your help