Reddit mentions: The best flooring & tiling accessories

I just did this (minus the carpet/stripping) in my house a few months ago! I did two bed rooms (~11'x11' each), a small hallway (~3'X8,) and a large dining/living room (~14'x25'). We had light oak floors with a light stain/finish on it when I started.

One note with ripping up the carpet is to be prepared to replace boards if there is a bad spot on the floor. I've never done this, but I know from talking to other people that sometimes there are surprises under the carpet.

On to the floors, but first a warning!

You will have the vent covers removed from all of your vents- watch out where you are stepping! I was backing out of a room with the sander and sent me leg straight through the duct work. Luckily I didn't hurt myself or mess up the duct too bad. It could have been a lot worse if I stepped about 6 inches further back.

Sanding

Before you start sanding make sure all debris and nails are off the floor. I got an orbital sander from a rental store. The orbital sander is much easier to handle than a belt sander. I also got all my sand paper and other pads from them. They charged for the used ones and I returned the unused. I was also worried about sanding too much away from the floor, so I started out with a fairly fine sand paper. That did next to nothing on taking off the varnish/finish on the floor and I quickly moved on to using the roughest paper. My floors were about an inch thick and I did not even come close to working them down too far. In my case there were a few spots on the floor that had stains or places were the floor was a little uneven that the sander just couldn't get into easily. Technically, the places I looked at said you are suppose to use the roughest paper and work your way down to the finest sander paper. I did this in about 1/2 of a bedroom and said eff it because no one could tell the difference. The time/cost/benefit of me doing that just wasn't there, so I only did one really good pass with the roughest paper.

My dad had a hand-held belt sander that he used to smooth off the really uneven/stained spots and to get around all the walls. I hated doing this. It was time consuming and I just want to be done with it. Him doing that was a huge help and made a larger difference than me taking the time doing a second pass with the sander.

Sanding took me 1 weekend of working about 7-8 hours on Saturday and Sunday to get the floors sanded with the orbital sander and 2-3 hours Monday evening to help my dad finish using the hand sanders.

Also, get a good quality mask to wear and sand with the grain.

Picking a stain/finish

My fiancee and I also wanted darker floors. I went to Menards and pick out about a dozen sample packets (about $5.00 total) and we did a few sample spots in a closet. Honestly, we got down to a few we really liked, but could barely tell a difference between them. We ended up going with Golden Mahogany, which was much darker than he floors originally were.

As others have said here, we went with a semi-gloss polyurethane. It was a good in between of a too dull satin finish and the gym floor high-gloss finish.

We used Varathane brand for both stain and finish. I was very happy with the quality. I can't remember if oil-based or water based polyurethane was use, but my mom (who had done this before) said one was more durable. I'll try remember to look when I get home.


Tools for staining/finishing

My mom had a stick with two wood planks at the end that were held together with wing nuts. We used this to attach the applicators to for the stain and finish. I'm sure you can get something similar. Not sure what the proper name is.

We used an applicator similar, if not exactly like, this one. Wasn't the best you could by, but I was happy with it. Also, follow directions and wash with mineral spirits!

Get plenty of pan liners if you want to keep your pans.

Tack cloth is a must for cleaning, especially after sanding!

Cleaning/ prepping floors for staining

Sweep and shop vac the floors. After that we instituted a strict no shoes on the hardwood rule. No Shoes were allowed until the job was completely done and the floors had 2-4 days to sit

We wiped down the baseboards/bottom part of the walls and window stiles.

Next, we wrapped the tack cloth at the end of the applicator stick (again, not sure what the proper name to use) and ran the tack cloth over the floors. We also did some of the patting/wiping by hand. One thing that happened with the tack cloth is that pieces got suck into a few spots on the floors where it caught the wood. Get all of those up the best you can.

Staining

Just like sanding, go with the grain. You want to move the applicator in one smooth line from wall to wall the best you can. You do not want to pick up and set down the applicator in the middle of the floor while doing a line. Watch for bubbles/pooling in the stain. It really helped me to have a second set of eyes watching for this. A few passes with the applicator is all that it took for each line. It took me a bit to get the hang of it, but it wasn't too rough once I got the hang of it. I had a hard time with pooling by the walls, especially when I was leaving a room and couldn't walk sideways with the applicator.

Make sure you plan how to get your of the room so you don't work yourself into a corner, not that I almost did this....

We did 3 coats of stain, waiting a day in between each coat. The smell was pretty bad. We left windows cracked each night and had the heat turned up to about 65 (this was in December in the midwest, USA). Before each new coat we ran over the floor with tack cloth. As you are staining the floor you might find somethings you need to pick off the floor too. Don't be afraid to pick something out of an area you already did, but once you get too far away it is there. I would not walk on the stain once it is down. I noticed after about 3-4 lines were done (likely about 3') I could not reach another spot. Stop and really give the floor a good look every now and then to make sure the stain/finish is even, no bubbles, and no dirt/hair/or what have you in it.

Take your time and don't rush. Each coat took me 3-4 hours for all the rooms.

Finish

I hope you didn't think the stain smell was too bad, because this shit is even worse.

Basically, you do exactly the same thing you did with the stain. Remember, wall-to-wall swipes that go with the grain. Bubbles became more of an issue for me with the polyurethane.

In between coats get the lightest sandpaper you can and lightly run it over finish with the applicator stick. Then tack cloth the room really well. You will see some imperfections in the finish, especially after the first coat. If I had bubble that the sand paper made stand out I just picked at them so you couldn't seem them. Likely not the right/best way to do this, but it did make it look better.

I did 3 coats and a 4th in the living/room dining room.

Wipe up the finish if you drip any on the floor as you are moving from pan to spot on floor you are working on.

I again had some problems with pooling at the walls where I was exiting the room. Don't rush. It took me 3-4 hours for each each coat.

Finished product

Let the floors sit 3-4 days before you put shoes and especially furniture on them.

The smell lasted about 1-2 months in my house. It sucked- bad. All of my clothing smelled like finish. I smelled like finish. I eventually had to keep all clothes in the basement.

You will notice some spots were you messed up for sure. I can show you every spots that isn't perfect on my floor, but no one else can see them unless I really point them out. Overall, I was beyond thrilled with how it turned out.

Remember, you aren't a professional, but you also aren't paying someone $1000-2000 (estimates I got) to do the work for you. I ended up spending $350-400 when it was all said and done.

Refinishing a floor sounds intimidating, but it isn't as hard as I thought it would be. I would do it again house without hesitation.

Sorry to write you book, but hopefully you and others will find this helpful. I'll try to get some before and after shots up tonight for you. If you got any questions ask away and good luck!

Edits: For typos, formatting, and all that fun stuff.

Not so sure I follow everything you laid out here but I'll give it a shot.

Noted as layer #1 is 1/4" plywood? Are you sure it isn't 3/4" plywood? If it's only 1/4" plywood your 2x4 support spacing would need to be like 6" on center. Even then I would place 3/4".

What you're looking for is self leveling concrete. I just used this in my bathroom renovation so I know all about it! They sell it at Lowe's/Home Depot in 50 lb buckets. You'll have to figure out how much you'll need based off of the average depth etc.

Steps are basically:

1. Clean the area
   
2. Tape/seal all areas that may come in contact with concrete
   
3. Apply primer
   
4. Pour self leveling concrete (pay attention to mixing guides on product but make sure you mix it on the wet side so you don't have to work it as much). When it hardens enough to walk on you may have to work it a bit.
   
5. Let it cure
   
6. Continue with hardie backer install (mortar and hardibacker).
   
   https://www.lowes.com/pd/High-Performance-Cement-by-Quikrete-50-lb-Cement/50146060
   
   If you are using large format tiles on uneven walls/floors I also am using a leveling system to help make sure the tiles don't have lippage. They say that it's to only "help" with imperfect tiles and minor differences, but honestly these things have saved me from some truly crappy uneven surfaces.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/T-Lock-TM-Complete-lippage-leveling/dp/B01D2FQ3SM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1524001767&sr=8-4&keywords=perfect+level+master+1%2F8
   
   Pictures of my install:
   https://imgur.com/a/chvIG
   
   Note that I did my self leveling concrete above the hardibacker. It was only where the shower pan was to be installed though.
   
   Good luck!
   
   
   

Tell your pops I used this stuff on my tub and it came out nice.

• Gross
  
• After
  
  Couple tips: The directions say to use like 400 grit sandpaper, screw that, I tried that for almost 20 minutes and it wasn't doing a thing. I went down to like 150 grit. Real rough stuff. And it gouged the surface right up. I would periodically wipe the dust off with a damp cloth, then dry the surface and start sanding again. I think I sanded for just over an hour, taking a lot of short breaks to catch my breath since it was a pretty good workout. Once most of the gloss was gone and it was pretty well gouged up I applied the epoxy. People in the reviews complained about the vapors from the epoxy. So I setup two fans, a box fan blowing out the window and another fan blowing right at my head (the toilet's at the perfect height for this ;-)) And I felt completely fine breathing normally. It's been about a year and it's holding up great. Though we have babied it, just cleaning it with soap and water and a soft sponge, but it stays clean fairly easily and still looks great. Highly recommended easy DIY job for an old tub.

First off, i seriously doubt it is caulk (in the traditional sense). I t is most likely a contruction adheasive. From the looks of it, probably Power-Grab. This is a polyurethane adheasive that is pretty much permeneat. You could try a caulk remover, but it may not do much. The one I linked is water based so it's probably a bit milder than some of the other (more effective) removers like McKanica. Realistically, those adhesive can be dissolved though. The manufacturers basically recommend using a thin wire to 'cut' the adhesive free. I would try the plastic razor and heat. You MIGHT be able to soften it some with mineral oil which will also give the benefit of lubricating your razor. Good luck!!!

I used two kits of this on my dark pink tub about a year ago and it doesn't show any wear yet. http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7860519-Refinishing-2-Part-White/dp/B000PTSBKW/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426613305&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=rustoleum+bath+refinder

I realize it may begin to wear eventually - but we will probably sell the house later this year. If I knew I was going to be in a house for more than ten years, I'd go for professional resurfacing - but for my purposes the DIY worked great. Just be sure to ventilate and follow the directions to a T. Read the amazon reviews and understand the process before you jump in.

Good luck!

Mostly polishing! The pumice is for a more matte finish for varnish, and the rottenstone for a much more glossy finish! Either I mix it with water or a small amount of to produce a thin paste and rub it on! You can get pumice here and rottenstone here
I'd recommend just trying out the pumice first though, since if it doesn't work you won't be stuck with a pound of rottenstone!

Pumice has a bunch of uses, like for soap making, gentle abrasives, or if you spill a bit of oil sprinkle some on and makes clean up a lot easier. Hope it works well for you!

In the Barefoot Running Step by Step book, Barefoot Ken Bob talks about a friend who uses Plasti Dip to coat the bottom of his socks. Plasti Dip is just liquid rubber so once it dries the socks will have a light layer of protection/padding on the bottom.

Apparently these allow for a more barefoot-like feel of the road as compared to VFF or Minimal shoes and they allow you to run in the winter while still being as close to barefoot as possible. The best part is you choose the socks that fit you best or that you want to use (can even use toe socks). The book suggests wearing the socks when you coat them (use a foam paint brush) which means hanging out in a well ventilated area for 45 min. or so.

For less than $10 you can get a jar of Plasti Dip and a pair of socks, and the jar will last for multiple pairs of socks. Sounds like a good deal to me, I've been thinking about trying it.

EDIT I missed the part where you can't wear the VFFs at work and are looking for a replacement. The rubber coated socks probably aren't a good solution for your problem.

There is a product, still expensive in the states, called hard wax oil:

http://www.amazon.com/OSMO-Polyx-Hard-Wax-125L/dp/B0055T61H2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404454077&sr=8-1&keywords=hard+wax+oil

I feel you want something really special in the finish; this stuff gets in the wood and leaves the surface very un-coated feeling visually; it is rich in tone but not slippery in sheen.

I would really -- for you specifically -- recommend finding a piece of the wood your existing floor is, bleach it, stain it gray, and use this on top. I believe you will find something very special, and you will still save so much money and time over buying into a blank-slate engineered solution.

Finish examples (your tone would be far more consistent after bleaching and staining):

http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/originals/c8/6b/1a/c86b1a352cd7dcd45aed6d1489786eac.jpg

http://www.restoremyfloor.co.uk/media/gfx/gallery/31.jpg

http://www.pollmeier-flooring.com/pollmeier_e/bilder/p_waxoiledfloor.jpg

It's probably not that big a deal. Get a board, sand it like you sanded your floor, put on the sealer you used and apply the stain and finish you want. In other words, reproduce what you've done on something you can throw away. Or use the floor in a closet, if you're that lucky. Before you think about sanding, contact the manufacturer of the finishing products you plan to use. Some things to consider:

Changing solvents (in this case water to something like mineral spirits) sometimes matters and sometimes doesn't. In this case, it probably doesn't matter very much, but it would be good to test it in limited area before you comit to the whole floor. If you're switching solvents, it's generally important to let it dry completely. Wood will always have some moisture. If you leave it for a day and have good ventilation in your house, it should be as dry as it's going to get, but you can test it by taping a piece of clear plastic down and leaving it overnight. If there's condensation, it's still drying. A moisture meter is more reliable, but really, if it feels damp or surprisingly cool to the touch, it's still too wet, and if it feels the same temp as everything else, it's probably dry enough.

It's very hard to prevent uneven absorption of stain around knots. How you apply the stain matters. I made a dining room table out of pine and did a lot of stain testing beforehand. Using a wood conditioner or shellac (which can also be used as a wood conditioner) mostly just made the stain lighter, and didn't substantially prevent uneven staining. The problem was wiping the stain. Any grain that was slightly more open, like around knots, collected a lot more stain as I moved the stain over the surface. Spraying with an HVLP gun made a huge difference, since all of the parts got the same amount, regardless of the grain. I used a TransTint dye stain diluted with alcohol, but there are alternatives. You could put TransTint on your floor, but if you were going to spray you'd have to mask off the lower few feet of your walls even with an HVLP gun. TransTint dyes are extremely concentrated, kind of like pen ink, so you can tint without significantly diluting finishes.

One option is to seal the wood so it doesn't absorb any stain, and then use a toning approach like is used in mass-produced furniture. Basically, you can tint the finish itself, and then as you add layers, it gets darker. It's not splotchy, because the floor is already sealed. The downside is you lose some clarity, since you are looking at the wood through a tinted film (polyurethane or whatever).

I'm not sure what brand you're using, but I'm not a fan of the Home Depot and Lowe's finishing products. I've been repeatedly disappointed by Minwax stains in particular. Their floor finishes are okay, but you can do better. Something like Bona.

My opinions are based on this book and experience, some with refinishing floors, more with woodworking.

Just a heads up, type a persons name like u/cursedsun or u/djinnisequoia in a post if you want them to be tagged in it, or ensure you're hitting a reply to one of their comments.

Home depot apparently doesn't stock epoxy grout (may have it in store but the website doesn't list it). Lowes does.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/MAPEI-Kerapoxy-CQ-1-Gallon-Charcoal-Sanded-Epoxy-Grout/1000128021 - I've used Mapei's kerapoxy in the past and it's good stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/Laticrete-SpectraLOCK-Premium-Mini-Parts/dp/B00FAU3YH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525066258&sr=8-1&keywords=kerapoxy - offering from Laticrete, just a forewarning though I seem to recall a thread on the john bridges forums (tile specialist forums, basically) where tilers were having issues off and on with this product. Can't remember exact details though to be honest.

Alternative option, find a tile supply specialist store in your area (a lot of tiling specific vendors will have a range of products, but big flooring firms/companies that have a "tile section" may not, or their products may not be suitable, and I definitely would be hesitant to tell you to listen to any advice from a place where they don't specialize in tiles). Go in and ask them about epoxy grout offerings, and they may have some other useful advice for you too.

That's hardwood, my man! Refinish that floor!

Rent a drum sander and a floor edger, start at 60 and sand in line with the boards, 80 diagonally across, then 120 in line. Stain it up (I prefer Old Masters - avoid Minwax), wait 72 hours, then seal with a catalyzed two-stage sealer like StreetShoe NXT. Anything from General Finishes is also great stuff (both their stains and sealers are great).

After you do your first pass with 60 grit, fill any gaps, nail holes from the tack strip, or imperfections with a trowelable wood floor filler like Bona Pacific Filler or Rust-Oleum Parks (NO PLASTIC WOOD ON FLOORS). If you need to plug holes where wiring may have been passed through in the past, use corks.

Also a good time to refinish or replace baseboard. The whole project will add good value to your home and will look so much better than carpet.

even with double layered 5/8 ply while its structurally meets the strength you need for tiling. it will expand and contact every winter/summer season. those movements will cause the grey thinset he used to crack and come apart. even with flexible grout. One type of solution is to use a flexible mortar base like http://www.wayfair.com/Custom-Building-Products-VersaBond-Flex-Fortified-Thin-Mortar-Set-50lb-MTWS50WHT-L6911-K~YFY1086.html?refid=GX54801249780-YFY1086&device=c&ptid=80545458060&gclid=CNr8jrOuu8oCFQ8taQod8DQCFA
or using an uncoupling membrane like schluter ditra in place of hardibacker http://www.amazon.com/Schluter-Systems-Ditra54-Underlayment-54sqft/dp/B003VKYKWA/ref=sr_1_3/185-3466943-4132966?ie=UTF8&qid=1453395109&sr=8-3&keywords=schluter-ditra

Food Grade 85% .. insanely strong when not diluted.. you can dilute 5 to 1 water to acid or 10:1 water to acid easily. I have put rusty bolts in the undiluted and they come out like they were sandblasted in about an hour.. the threads all cleaned out like new.

https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Grade-Phosphoric-Remover-Clean/dp/B06XZSW3QX

or you can buy a quart of rustmort which i always use to use as an autobody tech .. its great .. I would say its probably a 10:1 dilution

https://www.amazon.com/SEM-69504-Rust-Mort-Quart/dp/B000HI690U/

this is why I will never drink cola drinks again

https://jillcataldo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/cokeingredients.jpg

There are special 2 part epoxy paints that are used for this.

We used this paint to refinish a green bathtub, and it was easy to apply, and looked great until it started to scratch, peel, etc.

It is super smelly and requires proper ventilation and a respirator type mask.

Countertop guy here.

You may not have damaged anything yet.

First clean the entire countertop using StoneTech KlenzAll, Heavy Duty Cleaner

Then let your countertop totally dry. This could take a few days if there areas which have absorbed a lot of moisture, like around the sink and faucet. You can use a heat gun or hair drier to speed up drying around the sink but it still can take quite a long time.

If the entire countertop is uniformly dry and you no longer see a difference between the areas then no damage was done.

I would recommend you seal your entire countertop to help protect it and reduce the chance of the stone absorbing moisture or liquids. StoneTech also makes a great product called Buletproof sealer. If you follow the directions and let it soak in for 20min then do a second coat you should notice a considerable difference in resistance to moisture.

It’s important to note that granite countertops are just polished rock. Basically a hard sponge and even when properly sealed, they will still absorb liquids if left on the surface for longer periods of time. The worst thing you can do is leave a dishwasher matt or cutting board in the same place. The moisture between the countertop surface and the items on top cannot evaporate so the stone WILL absorb that moisture.

Good luck.

Something like this will work: Rust-Oleum kit That's a link to Amazon just because it's easy to find on there. You can probably find a similar product almost anywhere that sells home improvement stuff. As with most any paint type thing, preparation is key. Get the tub as clean as possible and carefully follow the directions.

Look at this stuff, it's cheaper on Amazon but they have it at Home Depot for a little more. Works nicely when done fully and should work just as nicely as a patch to keep the peeling down. Just make sure to take out the drain cover first since the flipper might not have done it correctly.

My home gym is in a room in my basement that's about 19ft x 13 ft x 9ft high. It was originally carpeted, but I put in a rubber gym flooring (on top of cement) about 6 months ago. I like the look and stability, but it's made the room really echo-y, which is noticeable when I have the tv on in the background when I'm on the treadmill.

Has anyone run into this problem, and if so, did you manage to fix it? I'm thinking of putting this underlayment down under the rubber flooring, but I'm wondering if it will do much good under the rubber.

thanks for the help. 12mm seems to be on the larger side of what I can find. do you think a 3.2 mm rubber or 6 mm cork would work? any feel for what you'd prefer out of those, or if there is something that is better than those two options?

My fiance recently did our toilet and tile with no experience. We did take a free tiling class at a local store. It was a nice hands-on class and they gave us 20% off of all of the equipment. Borrow equipment (float, trowel, mixer) from friends and family if you don't plan on tiling again in the future.

We bought a really nice Toto toilet from homeclick.com for less than $200. There was free shipping and no sales tax. My dad has purchased two toilets from them (both Toto) with no issues.

If you can't afford a new tub now and the issue is mostly cosmetic, Rustoleum makes a tub and tile paint that works pretty well. I purchased from Amazon here. It's a good way to put off the really large purchases (tile and the needed supplies can be expensive). To give you an idea of cost, we tiled the floor of a 30 sf room with high-quality tile and it was over $400 for the cement, mat (we used the mat instead of backer board), grout, tile, and supplies.


We put the tile in before placing the toilet. We didn't replace our tub, but there isn't any tile under it, it just goes up the edge and there's a line of caulk.

This really depends on the dimensions of the room you'll be moving into. Honestly, less clutter is better, and the ideal layout maximizes the amount of useable space. If you really need something to spice it up, just get a single piece of wall artwork or some smart RGB LED bulbs.

anyone thinking of a similar job should look into DITRA. Truly awesome subfloor product. It might cost more, but you will NEVER have cracked tile or grout with a proper subfloor and DITRA. The subfloor and the tile are allowed to move independently.

I am amazed at how straight your lines are.

I do have to say the layout is strange. But if the product had that much variable, what can you do.

Yes, you can put poly before stain if you prep the poly properly.

• sand the wood to 150G evenly
  
• apply a thin coat of poly
  
• sand to 220G evenly
  
• apply stain
  
  you need to apply more coats of stain than on bare wood, don't rush, make sure the previous coats of stain are dry (or use water based Saman stains, very nice and easy to apply by wiping on)
  

What sander are you renting? It's most likely an ez-8 which are absolutely useless. 110v machines are not aggressive enough and will take forever. Also if you cant get your hands on a multidisk or trio or even a varathane sander you will want to buy screens and rent a buffer. Finish big machine at 80 grit. Then finish all edging and then palm sand anywhere you edged making sure to get all scratch out. I would not suggest staining as that is extremely difficult for a beginner to pull off with no scratch and no lap marks etc. Also any imperfections you made with the drum sander or edger will show up way more. Don't use any stain or finish found at big box stores, it is honestly useless and not durable at all the minwax stains take like 3 days to dry and fine print on can says not for use on floors. The varathane stains have compatibility problems where if you use a water based finish on top it will peel. If you are going to stain do not do more than one coat, that will also cause adhesion issues with the finish and it will peel. This is a very good finish, extremely durable and will last. Use the basic coatings sealer underneath or you'll end up with aide bonding and get while lines everywhere with the movement of the wood. I would suggest some oil based finishes such as bona woodline or Sampson wood armour but those products can't really be shipped because of VOC issues. Itll cost a lot more. Your local hardwood distributor may sell some to you, but usually you have to be a flooring contractor with an account with them to buy products, but you may get lucky if you ask. If you can get some oil based finish I would recommend bona dry fast sealer and bona woodline or Sampson wood armour. Much much much tougher than anything home depot or Lowe's sells, but ultimately the streetshoe 275 will be the toughest finish without going moisture cure or UV cure.

I’ve tried 5 or 6 different products to clean the grout in our house and Aqua Mix Professional Grout Deep Clean is the best by far.

>can I just add new caulk on top of the old cracked painted stuff while the tub is filled with water and call it a day?

​

No you can't. If you try to add caulk on top of that, it'll look like absolute shit.

Use this to remove the old caulk: https://www.amazon.com/ALLWAY-TOOL-CT31-Caulk-Tool/dp/B004BGAER8/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_60_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0KXKZVQRM0Q7PMYDZSTD

If it's really hard to remove, you can use some of this to losen it up and make it easier:

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Caulk-Remover-8-oz/dp/B000H5VNG8

​

When you recaulk, make SURE that you use caulk rated for bathrooms (it'll say on the tube). It needs to be silicone caulk. Not latex. If it's not specifically rated for bathrooms, it WILL get mold on it.

​

>I am worried this won't be enough though. I have never seen a tub with just drywall above it like this. So my next question is what are my options if caulking is not enough?

​

It should be enough if you're not showering in the tub, or bathing kids in there. A grown up isn't going to splash the water up that high.

If you want to waterproof it more, and then tile, without making a height difference, use this:

https://www.amazon.com/CUSTOM-PRODUCTS-LQWAF1-2-Redgard-Waterproofing/dp/B000NZ73SE/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1535824995&sr=1-1&keywords=redguard&dpID=51Zf43NjFPL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

​

It's a paintable waterproof membrane. Just paint it on (two coats) and it'll form a layer of 'plastic' protrecting the drywall. Then you can tile right on top of it. Use actual tile set and NOT mastic glue for the tiles. Mastic will grow mold.

​

If it's not caulk, this suggestion won't help, but I recently used 3M caulk remover to get the gunk off after we removed (horrible, hideous, ugly) metal shower doors. You squirt it on, let it sit for awhile, and then come back and scrub it off. It took some elbow grease, but it worked pretty well.

Get the quart can of the tub and tile refinisher from Rustoleum. Plenty there to do the required three coats on a bathtub. It's a two-part epoxy paint which cures hard and looks like porcelain, kind of. I've used it, and it's really, really good. Check the reviews on Amazon, too. If you decide to go that route, PM me for a bunch of tips. It's easy to mess it up. It does take the tub out of commission for a couple days while it cures, so factor that in.

https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7860519-Refinishing-2-Part-White/dp/B000PTSBKW

Yes, I should be able to do it as a floating floor. I was hoping to. Here's a pic of where the floor meets my kitchen. Here's another from my front door to the wall. There is no difference in height. In the second picture... where the back of the couch lays is where the crawlspace begins... give or take a foot.

Is there any specific brand of underlayment that is better than another? they all seem to be about the same. The one that I was contemplating ordering was Robert's Blackjack.

You could do a repair, then after that put a coating of this refinishing stuff on it:](http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7860519-Refinishing-2-Part-White/dp/B000PTSBKW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1395774341&sr=8-3&keywords=bath+tub+paint)

I've used this stuff and it looks great when you're done, although granted now you're painting over a brand new tub. OP, you might be able to use this stuff to refinish only the top edge of the tub. A white coat of this stuff would likely blend in with no difference between the top edge and the rest of the tub.

Whizzy Wheel Car Decal and Sticker Remover with Drill Adapter Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FJF0O2K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9JqmDbXMBJMVK

I've had really good luck with these. You can get much more aggressive without damaging the finish.

Hue or LIFX will be your best choice but since you want to avoid a hub and I am assuming you are on a budget these wifi bulbs might do:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07471CG5Q/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I primarily use hue but I got a couple of these cheap ones to mess around with and haven't been too disappointed. They work with Alexa and Google Home. Will do all the colors and dim on voice command, no need to change any switches. In google or alexa you would just have to group them all into one room and you could say things like "turn on/off kitchen lights", "turn kitchen to 50%" to dim/brighten, "turn kitchen red" for color. Now being cheap these obviously don't work as well as hue or lifx, color control tends to be better controlled through their app or google home/alex app and not over voice. I haven't been dissapointed for 15 dollar COLOR smart bulbs.

I'm going to try this on my acrylic bathtub.
I have the same style sink as you in my kitchen, so I'm going to use that too. I think it's worth a try. Also, I would probably youtube a few videos before attempting it.

Edit: Seems like a few people have fixed cracks just like yours. (Check out the review pictures.)

You can go to Home Depot or online and buy an epoxy finish for your bathtub, I did it for mine. You just have to sand down your tub first to make sure it’s smooth. Then you paint it, wait 6 hours, apply a second coat. And then let it sit for 24 hours. (If I remember correctly, it’s been about a year) and then it will be good as new! We also used it on a window seal in our shower to keep it from molding. epoxy paint

Use a 2 part finish because it will last a whole lot longer and generally be better. Something like this

https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7860519-Refinishing-2-Part-White/dp/B000PTSBKW/

Take a look at this stuff, worked great on making our tub look new. You can probably just use it on those specific spots.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PTSBKW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I painted porcelain wall tile in our bathroom that was avocado green about 2 years ago and it's held up brilliantly.

I used this stuff

Whizzy Wheel Car Decal and Sticker Remover with Drill Adapter Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FJF0O2K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_sTNmDbM3E6BNS

This made the job on mine SO much easier.

Other than perhaps wanting to dilute a bit to get the sulfate down with some beers you can make that water work. My water is fairly similar (though I don't have quite as much sulfate) and my tactic is phosphoric acid to get my pH in line since it purported to be more flavor neutral than lactic. Due to how much I need to add I use 85% phosphoric. https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Grade-Phosphoric-Remover-Clean/dp/B06XZSW3QX

I use Bru'n Water for my calculations and after many brews of my mash pH being right on I trust it completely.

I used these to remove hundreds of square feet of decals off my 5th wheel, they are amazing and I wish I found them sooner. Doesn’t hurt the finish at all.

Whizzy Wheel

I've had good results with this, and it's waaaay cheaper than hiring someone: Epoxy Refinishing Kit

This one has good reviews and seems fairly simple to apply.

http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7860519-Refinishing-2-Part-White/dp/B000PTSBKW/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top#productDetails

You might be interested in this tub paint.

My vinyl guy gave me one of these: https://smile.amazon.com/Whizzy-Wheel-Sticker-Remover-Adapter/dp/B00FJF0O2K to remove my decals, but mine were older. Also, these: https://smile.amazon.com/Ehdis-Visibility-Plastic-Scraping-Windshields/dp/B01HLWB0BM for scraping. Acetone and/or alcohol to remove any residue. This will also remove wax, so re-wax when you're done.

If you do have a shadow, try Hops143 polishing, but I think I'd skip the Heavy Duty compound. Try a small area with just the Finesse-It first, and see if that's satisfactory. You don't want to create more work for yourself, and it doesn't look oxidized. Here's more than you ever needed to know about compound/polish/wax - https://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/52772-tips-compound-polish-wax.html

Did my tub using this - helped quite a bit with the scraping.

(Insert your own "big, hard caulk" joke here).

Hah, I like them but I understand that other people don't. The finish is really simple, just a few coats of this Osmo oil/wax.

I know it's a rental, but if you're feeling up to it, Rust-Oleum has those Tub refinishing kits for $25. Yellow tub gone. http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7860519-Refinishing-2-Part-White/dp/B000PTSBKW

You might try this It is supposed to allow the tile to float somewhat to prevent popped tiles or cracking.

https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Pinstriping-Removing-Diameter-Whizzy/dp/B00FJF0O2K

those will do the trick, just need to be careful so you dont burn the paint

Haven’t tried it, but saw this

Whizzy Wheel Car Decal and Sticker Remover with Drill Adapter Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FJF0O2K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WMXjDbNQSV8ZH

https://www.amazon.com/3M-2153DC-NA-Caulk-Remover/dp/B000H5VNG8

https://www.amazon.com/Whizzy-Wheel-Decal-Remover-Adapter/dp/B00FJF0O2K

Let’s see.

https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Grade-Phosphoric-Remover-Clean/dp/B06XZSW3QX

There we go.

I used https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7860519-Refinishing-2-Part-White/dp/B000PTSBKW/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486332059&sr=8-1-spell

Lasted 2 years... if that.

Rust-Oleum 7860519 Tub And Tile Refinishing 2-Part Kit, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PTSBKW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2jm1Bb4AAERTQ

I just did this, and I used this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PTSBKW/

Basically, it's a 2-part epoxy paint which you brush on (they also have a spray paint version). It comes in 3 colors, white, almond, and bisque.

It'll take a lot of prep work, you basically need to clean the entire bathroom several times over, and scrape off all old paint and such from the tiles. It also smells really bad, I had to take breaks every 5 minutes, and that was with a heavy duty rebreather mask. It will probably smell worse for longer if you go with the spray paint version.

It came out quite nice though, and it seems to be holding up well.

Found on Amazon

wonder if this would do the trick http://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Dip-Intl-18201-Plasti-Dip/dp/B000HE9VV8

You can buy this:
https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Grade-Phosphoric-Remover-Clean/dp/B06XZSW3QX

will last you a while (notice it's 85%), so 8.5 times more potent. Acid malt is also not that much more expensive than regular malt, about $2 per pound vs $1 for regular malt and I would usually use 1/2 pound for corrections, so comes to 50c per 5g batch - I don't think it's worth the effort with the sparging.

Ive used one a few times:

(https://www.amazon.com/Whizzy-Wheel-Sticker-Remover-Adapter/dp/B00FJF0O2K/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?keywords=3m+eraser+wheel&pd_rd_r=0a9f7541-1a45-45ff-b163-c6cfab173a0e&pd_rd_w=dQLT6&pd_rd_wg=DYqgw&pf_rd_p=7be70e42-b5c0-4077-873a-35a472a6fbd4&pf_rd_r=TN1R5CFFCVTP7YSH9NFG&qid=1569271761&s=gateway&sr=8-3-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzUEs2R1pMWkdYQ1o1JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjM0MTAxMkpLN1hVUFcyTlQxSSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODk5MDg0TkZNTzVXR0RSSVhFJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==)

They make a big mess (imagine using a pencil eraser x 1000), but get they job done. They mark up the wall a little, but not enough you should have to patch it.

Color match can be a bitch of a job (and pricey to get it done right unless OP can get a deal on a vinyl wrap), if they threw chrome centre caps on and blacked out the lighting it could work well with the chrome since he has the gloss black wheels.

The chrome/white lighting just never looked right on anything but the white and silver trucks imho.

Debadge +1! Get some fishing line with a blow dryer to remove them, then power polish. I used this thingy to get any glue residue off: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00FJF0O2K/

I took my time gathering a the parts etc. Painting was a pain and not really my forte. The decals were under a previous paint job so I used this

Car Decal Removal Tool - Whizzy... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00FJF0O2K?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
to strip the bike.
Worked awesome but made one hell of a mess. So I sanded and painted over a few weekends (at my GF's house) since I don't have the space for that in my suite. Took a few weeks to build everything back on the bike and add the electrical system (wire management OMG)
Pretty much everything was done in a 5'x8' storage space within my suite that I converted into a "garage" to maintain my bikes. Somehow I make it work, lol.

The solution.



You can tint it with colored acrylic. Paint with some of the base and mix some (blue?). No more twitching!

I was using this stuff: (http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7860519-Refinishing-2-Part-White/dp/B000PTSBKW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412731731&sr=8-1&keywords=rustoleum+tub+and+tile+paint) which requires bleaching as the first step. Just following directions, boss. Only issue is a distraction kept me from rinsing down a wall causing me to inadvertently mix the bleach still on the wall with the next step.

Assuming this is vinyl, I use one of these for decal removal at work. I then use this product for any cleanup. With those, i can strip off commercial truck door signage in just a few minutes with no paint damage.