Shifting house - shower ideas requested

[MountainGirl]

To alleviate all possibilities of leaks and improper construction, you can always use a stand alone shower bench/chair.

Thanks, I bought one of those last year, to have on hand for later when we need it

That top ledge is only 6" deep, perfect for shampoo bottles & soap dish but waaaay too narrow for anyone's butt - especially mine.

 

[pronstar]

I’m not early as well-versed on this subject as others who have posted.

But my RE mentor told me that for foundation issues, hire an independent engineer to generate a report.

Then take this report to a foundation company to execute.

The purpose is to keep the foundation company from padding your bill.

Just something to consider.

 

[338winmag]

Our one-story house was built (by the seller) in 2020 on piers, we bought it in 2021, and a year ago, we had a big alcoved garden tub pulled out and a walk-in shower installed, with a narrow ledge along the back, and tile down to the new shower pan. Our mistake is that lower part was finished in tile, to match with the existing upper part of the alcove. Over this last week, there must have been major settling - because suddenly the lower part along the back is bowed, including the ledge, tile is off, total mess.

We have someone to come and do the repairs next Thursday - but I dont want to put tile back on because I know this house is going to continue to settle/shift - so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas about some other something? that we can 'line' the back wall bottom part of the shower alcove with... that wont wreck the next time the house moves. We cant afford a re-build/re-tiling every two years. I've looked on youtube but without success.

Thanks -

I built my house on piers also. The plans had a called for a garden tub in it also. Being single at the time I thought that was silly. So I had the framers just put a wall in, and I would deal with it later.
When it came time to deal with it, I had West U marble come out and install marble over the pan and the walls floor to ceiling. It’s worked great for the past 25 years, with no problems.
I would be more concerned about your house settling, since being on piers it shouldn’t do that.

 

[MountainGirl]

After they got all the tile removed from the box, it was found that the thin-set failed with the water on it and over time put enough pressure on the tile for it to eventually bow out. The cement board backing was not bowed at all and looks to be fine; no bowing, gaps or movement above the box whatsoever - and it's tiled up to the ceiling. The side tiled walls are fine also.

No more tile on the box. What we're gonna do - is have one single piece of granite/quartzite/etc run the length of the ledge top, and another below it across the front face.
....

Here's the end result - we're very happy with it. Thanks again everyone for your earlier input!

(p.s... some of the shifting issues weren't 'shifting' related at all... rather too much weight in husband's armory study, lol )

 

[Brains]

Looks great! Good thing y'all don't live on Guam, you might have ...

 

[baboon]

Slab foundations don't normally settle much at all. If they do, it shows up in tiled floors etc.

Subsidence is a big problem with many homes in parts of Texas. Foundation repairs is big business in Texas. Pier & beam is much easier to fix then a slab.

 

[benenglish]

Subsidence is a big problem with many homes in parts of Texas. Foundation repairs is big business in Texas. Pier & beam is much easier to fix then a slab.

I know nothing on this subject. So, from out of left field, I'll pose a question.

Is there such a thing as a pier foundation that supports the building on some sort of adjustable-height fitting analogous to a screw jack atop each pier?

The installation cost would be higher but it seems to me that levelling or even compensating for localized heavy loads would be easy and cheap in the future, potentially saving lots of labor and money.

Or is this just a really dumb question? Like I said, what I know about construction wouldn't fill a thimble.

 

[MountainGirl]

I know nothing on this subject. So, from out of left field, I'll pose a question.

Is there such a thing as a pier foundation that supports the building on some sort of adjustable-height fitting analogous to a screw jack atop each pier?

The installation cost would be higher but it seems to me that levelling or even compensating for localized heavy loads would be easy and cheap in the future, potentially saving lots of labor and money.

Or is this just a really dumb question? Like I said, what I know about construction wouldn't fill a thimble.

No idea, and I assure you your thimble is much bigger than mine.

Only thought is it would be a PIA to make constant adjustments, but again... I got nada.

That is an interesting idea, though.

 

[baboon]

I know nothing on this subject. So, from out of left field, I'll pose a question.

Is there such a thing as a pier foundation that supports the building on some sort of adjustable-height fitting analogous to a screw jack atop each pier?

The installation cost would be higher but it seems to me that levelling or even compensating for localized heavy loads would be easy and cheap in the future, potentially saving lots of labor and money.

Or is this just a really dumb question? Like I said, what I know about construction wouldn't fill a thimble.

I would think the weight of the house would still require a substantial jack to lift it before using your idea of a screw type leveler.

 

[bbbass]

Subsidence is a big problem with many homes in parts of Texas. Foundation repairs is big business in Texas. Pier & beam is much easier to fix then a slab.

Texas soil is special. ;-)

All that clay that swells/sinks with the soil moisture content.

I'm not a fan of slab homes anyway. All the plumbing is either in the slab or in the attic. Heating is another story altogether.

Now these are some nice piers:

 

[baboon]

Texas soil is special. ;-)

All that clay that swells/sinks with the soil moisture content.

I'm not a fan of slab homes anyway. All the plumbing is either in the slab or in the attic. Heating is another story altogether.

Now these are some nice piers:

View attachment 400160

One day while at work I was talking to an engineer and he said for our neighborhood foundation piling need to go 18 feet deep to hit something solid. As he said the area was all at the bottom of a bay at one time, and that's were the gumbo soil/clay came from.

Where I grew up outside of Chicago everyone had a basement or crawl space. Our was a cider block build with no rebar or concrete inside the blocks. We had a crack around rte basement that was freeze line deep. It was eye opening how much the walls actually moved with the seasons. At least we didn't have radon gas in our basement.

 

[MountainGirl]

No clay here. No slab house either.

 

[BigRed]

Damn...

Texas has some weak construction folks.

 

[Vaquero]

Damn...

Texas has some weak construction folks.

**** you.

 

[BigRed]

**** you.

Whatever

 

[cycleguy2300]

**** you.

Why is non-Texas ass even in here?

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

 

[TexasRedneck]

Whatever

You're #1......

 

[MountainGirl]

Hey you turds, go fight somewhere else and quit messin up my thread.

@BigRed
@Vaquero
@cycleguy2300
@TexasRedneck

 

[TexasRedneck]

Hey you turds, go fight somewhere else and quit messin up my thread.

I'm looking, but don't see your receipt of ownership of this thread.....lol When some yankee wants to come in and do a drive-by insult, it requires retort.......lol

 

[ZX9RCAM]

I'm looking, but don't see your receipt of ownership of this thread.....lol When some yankee wants to come in and do a drive-by insult, it requires retort.......lol

Well, she did start the thread.