Book Review - Bathroom Upgrades

This next review is on the book called Bathroom Upgrades by the editors at Fine Homebuilding. This book does not just centre around the topic of plumbing like the other books I have reviewed but they have one whole section (Part 3) which focuses on bathroom plumbing. Please see below for a little teaser of what the book has to offer: “I’ve been a plumber for almost 40 years. I learned the trade from some really good plumbers, but I’ve also learned from making mistakes and seeing the mistakes from other pros and amateurs. This experience has made me a better plumber and has helped me to build a loyal clientele. A recent job, a full bath remodel at the Fine Homebuilding’s project house, offered the perfect opportunity to share some of my favorite hard-earned lessons for better and easier bath plumbing. The job included moving the toilet and sink to make room for a new barrier-free tile shower, so we tackled all the typical full-bath rough-in tasks. We used as many cost-saving strategies as we could think of-provided they didn’t sacrifice the quality or longevity of the job. One thing that always makes jobs like this go easier is to have locations for fixtures, tile, and plumbing decided well before rough-in starts. Changes and rework can quickly blow a budget. Plumbers and tilesetters don;t like redoing their own work, and they will probably charge accordingly to fix problems resulting from poor planning. 1. Assemble what you can. It’s often easier to dry fit and assemble fittings before tucking them into a stud or joist cavity. For example, attaching the supply lines and shower arm before putting the mixing valve provides more room for turning wrenches and pliers. 2. Use the right number or wraps. Start threaded connecetions by covering the male side of the fitting with three wraps of teflon tape. Larger pipes will take up to six wraps. Wrap the tape in a direction that follows the pipe or fitting as it’s tightened. 3. Use pipe dope, too. Thread-sealing compound lubricates the tape so that it doesn’t shred, and it also provides extra insurance against leaks. The author prefers Hercules Magloc nonhardening thread sealer. 4. Wear your safety gear. Spattering solder, dripping PVC primer and glue, and general overhead work contribute to the high incidence of on-the-job eye injuries among plumbers, so it;s important to wear eye protection. Pro quality plumbing torches are loud, so wear hearing protection when soldering. 5. Wipe soldered joints. Best practice is to wipe soldered joints after you sweat them, but it’s not just about looking neat and clean. Soldered copper connections depend on a layer of flux, but flux is corrosive and should be removed while it’s still hot. Always use a dy rag to remove flux. A wet rag cools the joints too suddenly, resulting in a weaker connection.” That is just a sneak peak for your reading pleasure, you will have to buy the book to read the pother 9 plumbing tips outlined by Mike Lombardi. More Book reviews click here