What did you do today?

[driftinwoods]

Looks like that was a pain, Highup.
I rotated the cement board that I put in the tub to put aquadefense on (yesterday I got 2 coats on 3 edges). I had a hell of a time rotating the board. Messed up my tape and plastic a bit and my left arm was refusing to lift more than a few inches. Through the power of swearing and using the tub edge for leverage I finally got it. I had taken my muscle relaxants so that didn't help. I need to do 2 coats of aquadefense on that last edge. I'm going to do the others outside of the tub after I lay down some plastic. Trying to maneuver inside the tub was too much of a pain.

I'm about to get some more water, take vitamins & morning meds, and eat some breakfast.

i like the Aquadefense. I used it on my tub surround and step down shower and pan. Thinset bonds incredibly well to it. I had to pull a stone tile off the wall the following day cus it had a crack I didn't see and it took out part of the CBU.

 

[Tile Tom]

I had to pull a stone tile off the wall the following day cus it had a crack I didn't see and it took out part of the CBU.

Guess you weren’t paying attention???

 

[driftinwoods]

Guess you weren’t paying attention???

It cracked all by itself.

 

[zannej]

driftinwoods, I was worried there might be adhesion problems so I'm glad to hear thinset bonds well. Someone was saying it might not bond but the mfr says it is designed for thinset bonding so hopefully there won't be any problems. I got the 2 coats on that last edge. Had to do some cleanup and then rotated it again once it was dried to dry fit. It's a tight squeeze and the spacer shims keep slipping. Trying to get it 1/4" gap on highest edge and then the other side needed like 4 or 5 spacers bc they keep sliding. I'll probably just have to set the level on it and lift it up to the right height when it is time to put it on. Right now I'm trying to figure out the best way to fix this problem:

The gap is almost 3/4" at the widest. Additionally, as the wall goes higher it leans away from the tub so I will have to shim a hair more at the top. I think 3 or 4 paint stirring sticks can come close to flush with the tub flange (which is what I want since I'm overlapping the cementboard so the glue up surround will have something to grab.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[driftinwoods]

driftinwoods, I was worried there might be adhesion problems so I'm glad to hear thinset bonds well. Someone was saying it might not bond but the mfr says it is designed for thinset bonding so hopefully there won't be any problems. I got the 2 coats on that last edge. Had to do some cleanup and then rotated it again once it was dried to dry fit. It's a tight squeeze and the spacer shims keep slipping. Trying to get it 1/4" gap on highest edge and then the other side needed like 4 or 5 spacers bc they keep sliding. I'll probably just have to set the level on it and lift it up to the right height when it is time to put it on. Right now I'm trying to figure out the best way to fix this problem:
View attachment 16629
The gap is almost 3/4" at the widest. Additionally, as the wall goes higher it leans away from the tub so I will have to shim a hair more at the top. I think 3 or 4 paint stirring sticks can come close to flush with the tub flange (which is what I want since I'm overlapping the cementboard so the glue up surround will have something to grab.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

What is that wood there? I usually rip the walls out to the studs before putting in the tub. Thats how we do it out here. Then you can either use shims on the studs, or screw up the CBO and float it out square with mud. You can staple up wire and use deck mud to float it out too. Old school way.
Remember to tape up the joints, trowel thinset over it and screw holes and then coat the walls with Aquadefense. Hope that makes sense I haven't had my second cup of coffee yet. lol

 

[highup]

i like the Aquadefense. I used it on my tub surround and step down shower and pan. Thinset bonds incredibly well to it. I had to pull a stone tile off the wall the following day cus it had a crack I didn't see and it took out part of the CBU.

Tile isn't my thing, so I'm curious about the bonding abilities. Does it make a difference if it's modified or not in this particular case?

 

[zannej]

driftinwoods-- it is some sort of plywood and it is over tongue and groove boards. I can't remove it without damaging parts of the wall that I don't want to damage. I'll be putting plastic in between the wood and cement board because I don't want wood touching it.

Highup, the cementboard manufacturer said it needs modified thinset. I don't know if that makes a difference. I think it has to do with waterproofing though. You can put the aquadefense over the tape and over the entire board and then put thinset over that. It's designed for tile. I'm not doing it over the entire board since I'm putting a glue-up fiberglass surround on it. The aquadefense holds on tight, but it can still pull off and tear the outer surface of cement board.

 

[highup]

Yeah the latex or whatever they put in the modified helps it stick better and I assume gives it better waterproofing. Being behind the plastic, that's probably not an issue.
I'm rethinking is the plastic like as vapor barrier or just to keep the cement board from touching the studs? If it's just for keeping it out of contact with the studs a couple strips of roofing felt might be a better idea.

 

[zannej]

Yeah the latex or whatever they put in the modified helps it stick better and I assume gives it better waterproofing. Being behind the plastic, that's probably not an issue.
I'm rethinking is the plastic like as vapor barrier or just to keep the cement board from touching the studs? If it's just for keeping it out of contact with the studs a couple strips of roofing felt might be a better idea.

I can't seem to find roofing felt available in any of the nearby stores or the big box stores a mile away from me. Always out of stock or what they have is over $100.
Its vapor barrier as well as to keep cementboard from touching the wood behind. So its dual purpose. I want to make sure that if water ever gets behind the surround or cement board that it doesn't touch wood. I'll be adding waterproof tape at the bottom and be taping the plastic to the flange.

I just put up the board I put aquadefense on and have it dry fitted with screws in place. Needs some tweaking though. But at least I can see how it fits. I had the level on top of it while I was putting lower screws on. Top part came away from the wall and the level fell behind and I had to unscrew because it went all the way to the bottom and I couldn't reach it. I'm leaving the board on for awhile to try to get it straightened out as it had bowed a bit. I'm going to have to take it off to make some adjustments behind. It bows out at the edges. Gonna have to use a 2x4 pressed hard against to mash it flat when doing final install.

 

[highup]

Plastic doesn't breathe, so depending on it's application, it can trap moisture. That's kinda what I was thinking. Heck, Gorilla tape would probably work if you're just trying to stop the contact with the wood.

 

[zannej]

Since I have a whole gallon of aquadefense I might just paint it on the entire back of the cement boards. I know that in some jurisdictions, having plastic behind the surround is a code requirement. I want to keep water/moisture out of that cavity which is pretty dry. I'm going to sprinkle diatomaceous earth in there and put a message in a bottle.
This is what it looks like now (although I added one more screw and marked the top of the cementboard on the plank behind it).
Mom just came out of her room so I'm going to see if she wants soup or something and ask if she has hot glue and a hot glue gun somewhere.

 

[driftinwoods]

Well yeah staple up plastic. But why aren't you setting tile instead of some fiberglass stuff?

 

[highup]

I see the cement board is up so the plastic isn't an issue anymore unless you're going to take it off.
At this point I tend to agree with drifting woods and just put up tile. The backer board is already there and waiting.

 

[driftinwoods]

I stick 1/8 inch spacers on the tub and set the CBU on them. Then set the tile on them so there's a gap there along the bottom of the tub.
After the tile is up then you stuff backer rod in there and use flexible matching grout caulk as regular grout will eventually crack and possible fall out.

 

[zannej]

Why not tile?
I hate tile and already have the fiberglass surround. It is waiting to be installed. I don't have the patience or coordination to do every single individual tile-- even if I actually liked tile. I just hate the look and the feel and the trying to clean grout lines. I've had tile in bathrooms before and completely despised it.
Plus I'd have to go out and buy tile and hope I don't get broken pieces. Slapping up a surround is a lot faster and easier for me than tiling. I've seen what happens when people do tile wrong and I don't want to be that person. My mother feels the same way I do about tile so we are in agreement.

I know some people hate the look of the surrounds but I prefer them over tile. Much easier to clean from my experience.

I added more screws to the board and will look for mom's hot glue gun when my back lets me stand up straight-- its being particularly hateful today. Once my naproxyn kicks in I'm going to feed the cats and have breakfast. Got a few cats piled on me right now just waiting for me to say its feeding time.

 

[zannej]

I'm relaxing today. Did curbside pickup, had to swap out HDMI cables on my monitor bc the other one crapped out. Picked up mail. I took my brother with me so he went into the post office and he also carried in the milk.

My brain has been all over the place and my body is too sore to do much so I'm trying to let it catch up to my brain. I forgot my morning vitamins and meds so I need to take them now. No wonder I'm sneezing. LOL.

 

[highup]

My S10 has above average blow by and with all the cold weather the moisture is really condensing inside the vent tube that goes from the rocker cover into the back of the air cleaner. I made an oil catch can a year ago and it seems to work pretty good but I decided to make a larger one. I figure the moisture will condense inside this larger version better.
Some new cars even come with these catch cans. They prevent the engine from having to suck in oil, oil fumes, fuel residue and water vapor. Until you collected some of this, you don't realize how nasty the stuff is.
The filter can has an upper and lower chamber. It took quite a while to fit or suspend a baffle over the lower intake. Once I had it fitted, I slobbered a bead of JB weld to hold it in place.
I'll l put one of those stainless steel BBQ scrubbers on top of that baffle it gives the vapors something to collect on.
Fun little lazy day project.
....ok, two lazy days.
The 32oz thermos was $10 at Wallyworld. You can buy these catch cans from $15 to $700, but that's no fun, is it?
I'm thinking of adding a smaller one on the PCV side. Maybe I'll clean my old one and put it there as a test to see how much it collects and if it's worthwhile.
All these oil fumes go back into the throttle body and get sucked in and reburnt. These keep the throttle body and the plugs cleaner.

 

[driftinwoods]

My S10 has above average blow by and with all the cold weather the moisture is really condensing inside the vent tube that goes from the rocker cover into the back of the air cleaner. I made an oil catch can a year ago and it seems to work pretty good but I decided to make a larger one. I figure the moisture will condense inside this larger version better.
Some new cars even come with these catch cans. They prevent the engine from having to suck in oil, oil fumes, fuel residue and water vapor. Until you collected some of this, you don't realize how nasty the stuff is.
The filter can has an upper and lower chamber. It took quite a while to fit or suspend a baffle over the lower intake. Once I had it fitted, I slobbered a bead of JB weld to hold it in place.
I'll l put one of those stainless steel BBQ scrubbers on top of that baffle it gives the vapors something to collect on.
Fun little lazy day project.
....ok, two lazy days.
The 32oz thermos was $10 at Wallyworld. You can buy these catch cans from $15 to $700, but that's no fun, is it?
I'm thinking of adding a smaller one on the PCV side. Maybe I'll clean my old one and put it there as a test to see how much it collects and if it's worthwhile.
All these oil fumes go back into the throttle body and get sucked in and reburnt. These keep the throttle body and the plugs cleaner.

Just be careful about buying or making fuel filter solvent traps.

 

[highup]

Just be careful about buying or making fuel filter solvent traps.

Now those sound scary. I'll stick to the factory one.

 

[highup]

When mixing the JB weld, I accidentally mixed JB weld resin with JB weld Kwik hardener. It cures slower than when you mix up the Kwik with his own resin and hardner
It seemed to set up about half as fast.
Since it did set up and cure, I did a test.
Test1
I mixed up the regular resin with a quick hardner and spread into a thin layer.
Test2
Next, I mixed the Kwik resin with the regular JB weld hardener.

Results:
In the first test, the JB weld cured a lot faster, but also remains more flexible then if you mixed JB weld normally.

In the second test, the JB weld set up quite slowly like it normally does but it dries extremely brittle.

Hmmmmmm. Should I call JB weld up until they need to make another product?