Federated Handy People

I know, I know; potty talk is always unacceptable.

In this case, the new owner bought an under-priced home in a higher-priced area as a “fixer-upper”. Before moving in they wanted a few things done. The “wet rooms” (kitchen, bathroom, laundry), are the type of things that need to be right for it to be habitable.

They didn’t know exactly how to go with the bathroom remodeling. The tile floor had cracks because the last DIY attempt was ill-advised on appropriate substrates. They were overwhelmed with a feeling of gutting it all and starting anew. They also worried about the budget and time requirements of each option. This toilet helped them understand that not all was lost.

Regretfully, I did not take the before photos of their toilet. It was in a sad state, and they assumed it was about 30 years old. When I noticed it had a slow-close seat properly installed, I began to wonder if their assessment of it was correct.

With my reader glasses on, I looked closely at what they thought was a cracked bowl. They knew the bathroom had suffered perennial leaks based on the inspector’s report, but it didn’t indicate where its source was.

The bowl was fine. It turned out that poor cleaning skills allowed the build-up of lime scale and other materials to simulate a cracked bowl like Halloween makeup can simulate gore.

A really good cleaning with the right sequence of chemicals and “elbow grease” brought this commode back into a brand-new state.

In the end, the floor, paneling, and sink got replaced, but the cast iron shower/tub & surround tile got the cleanings they deserved and lived on with the commode in the new bathroom.