Matching the old Bathroom fixtures
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 9:59 am
I am finally at the point of completing my first upstairs bathroom Although I am plumbing four baths at the same time, the tiling and completion can be one at a time. Each bath takes one 10x10 room. I plan on three baths per floor.
I am using three lines of PEX-A for the plumbing. These are insulated. The Hot has a gravity feed circulation system so I should not have to wait more than a second or two for the hot water at any one faucet. The cold is also insulated, and the toilets are all on a separate (hard water) line. This way, if anyone flushes any or all the toilets, no one taking a shower will ever know.
I am moving the fixtures from an abandoned bath (I will not have a bath above the kitchen or dining room) to the first, second floor bathroom. The Tub is a 1928 Kohler Corner Tub. Finding pictures on line was difficult at first, but now I know to call it a corner tub. The original white enamel is in good shape, I see someone painted the worn rust spot under the spout, I did not notice this until I was scrubbing it. Still the enamel is in fairly good shape. I have located someone in the area who refinishes tubs.
I learned to call the floor mounted faucet / drain system a "tower" drain. I found only one of these on line. Someone had replaced the original faucets with substitute valves on this tub, but I have some original long stems with White Cross handles from the first floor tub (soon to make its way to the third floor). ( I don't know how yet as the tub ways some 600plus pounds.)
My plumber tells me the water spout going into the tub is no longer legal as soap could flow back into the inlet. So I bought a different bath fill system for filling the tub from the side and will connect these original faucets to the drain. (They will be just for looks.)
The cast iron wall hung sink is also a 1928 Kohler. However, I have not found anything like it online. It is two feet wide with a twelve inch backsplash. This has two single faucets (hot and cold) but in the center of the backsplash is a porcelain lever for the drain stop. I have not found anything on line that looks like this. The tailpiece comes down then is rounded for the lever system driving the pop-up inside.
Finding a set of single faucets proved to be difficult. The ones I liked were discontinued. But I finally found a possible set. I need to check with Cindy. She's the boss.
I found prices of the Tub, tower and similar sinks (Standard). This caused me to rethink the idea of wondering to Menards and buying a new, modern toilet. Instead, I looked around and found I had three toilets with separate tanks stored in my "Keep-the fixtures-safe-until-I-need-them" room. These are "low" hanging wall tanks. One has the original white seat. Another has a yellow seat and the third, a wooden seat. I think this room will take the white seat. The others will go upstairs in the rooms with the clawfoot. tubs.
Now that I know the prices of these, I will try to keep the bathrooms authentic and in the 1928 vintage.
It is exciting to find treasures. I thought the place was completely gutted and auctioned off.
I will post pictures when I complete the bath (in four to eight weeks).
ceg
I am using three lines of PEX-A for the plumbing. These are insulated. The Hot has a gravity feed circulation system so I should not have to wait more than a second or two for the hot water at any one faucet. The cold is also insulated, and the toilets are all on a separate (hard water) line. This way, if anyone flushes any or all the toilets, no one taking a shower will ever know.
I am moving the fixtures from an abandoned bath (I will not have a bath above the kitchen or dining room) to the first, second floor bathroom. The Tub is a 1928 Kohler Corner Tub. Finding pictures on line was difficult at first, but now I know to call it a corner tub. The original white enamel is in good shape, I see someone painted the worn rust spot under the spout, I did not notice this until I was scrubbing it. Still the enamel is in fairly good shape. I have located someone in the area who refinishes tubs.
I learned to call the floor mounted faucet / drain system a "tower" drain. I found only one of these on line. Someone had replaced the original faucets with substitute valves on this tub, but I have some original long stems with White Cross handles from the first floor tub (soon to make its way to the third floor). ( I don't know how yet as the tub ways some 600plus pounds.)
My plumber tells me the water spout going into the tub is no longer legal as soap could flow back into the inlet. So I bought a different bath fill system for filling the tub from the side and will connect these original faucets to the drain. (They will be just for looks.)
The cast iron wall hung sink is also a 1928 Kohler. However, I have not found anything like it online. It is two feet wide with a twelve inch backsplash. This has two single faucets (hot and cold) but in the center of the backsplash is a porcelain lever for the drain stop. I have not found anything on line that looks like this. The tailpiece comes down then is rounded for the lever system driving the pop-up inside.
Finding a set of single faucets proved to be difficult. The ones I liked were discontinued. But I finally found a possible set. I need to check with Cindy. She's the boss.
I found prices of the Tub, tower and similar sinks (Standard). This caused me to rethink the idea of wondering to Menards and buying a new, modern toilet. Instead, I looked around and found I had three toilets with separate tanks stored in my "Keep-the fixtures-safe-until-I-need-them" room. These are "low" hanging wall tanks. One has the original white seat. Another has a yellow seat and the third, a wooden seat. I think this room will take the white seat. The others will go upstairs in the rooms with the clawfoot. tubs.
Now that I know the prices of these, I will try to keep the bathrooms authentic and in the 1928 vintage.
It is exciting to find treasures. I thought the place was completely gutted and auctioned off.
I will post pictures when I complete the bath (in four to eight weeks).
ceg