Matching the old Bathroom fixtures

[cgutha]

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

[Gothichome]

Ceg, good to hear of your progress, it sounds like your hot,cold, and cold plumbing scheme is above and beyond what most of us would do. Was this in the plan for the B&B aspect of your restoration?

[cgutha]

My objective is to restore the building while bringing it up to code. The Hotel Berry was built before Water and Electricity came to town. They were not original to the building so I allow myself a free hand on these. By the way, the original piping for the gas lighting is still here.
Yes. the three pipe water system was always in my plan. This allows me to use soft water in the tubs and showers, while not sending soft water down the toilets. Additionally, I bought an electronic water conditioner (saltless) which is supposed to keep the scale buildup away.
In a three story building where the second and third floor have the same floorplan, I stack the baths on each other. this keeps the amount of plumbing to a minimum. The run for each pipe from basement to third floor is less than fifty feet, so the cost of a third pipe is minimal. Actually, since I sized the pipe for usage, three pipes are cheaper as the cold water starts out one inch in diameter rather than an inch and a half. (The pipes decrease in size as the fixtures are tapped off.) Sizing the pipes this way delivers the same waterflow to each bathroom and laundry room despite the usage. This is quite intentional.
Likewise, the electricity is all in conduit. The state inspector insisted on this and I wanted conduit anyway. I have a 200 amp panel for each of the floors. Lots of spaces, lots of electricity. These are arc fault breakers. I also have a three-phase panel ready to install, but that part of the project is on hold. I should explain that the guy before me installed a large three-phase (300kva delta) transformer just outside the building. What would anyone do with that kind of power in a house? I suppose he was going to attempt electric heat. The three-phase meter is already in place, he just did not bring it inside. I will use this to power the kitchen if "upper management" ever wants a commercial kitchen.

[Gothichome]

Well, you have no shortage of power. Maybe you can use the three phase to set up a row of plugs for block heaters, you can rent out the plugs and make some cash, or even go out and buy a couple Tesla’s.

[phil]

wow sounds like the electrical system is huge! all spark fault breakers, and conduit? this sounds pretty extreme. You can make simulated 3 phase with a phase converter if you really needed to run a 3 phase motor or something. Maybe the former owner intended some sort of factory operation? I put a 200 amp panel and the wire was as thick as my finger. the linesman said that's the same size as the pole to pole wiring on my street. Just the wire alone must be expensive. the electricians do also use a formula, basically they know you aren't running every single appliance at once or heating and cooling at the same time.

that tub that you are thinking of re-coating, will it be done with porcelain? some recoat them in epoxy and I just thought perhaps if it isn't too bad the porcelain may stand up better? I'm sure it will look nice whatever you do.

I did a course in cross connection prevention for plumbing. Yes there needs to be an air gap , otherwise if the city opened a pipe or if the fire department used a hydrant then the water from your tub could backfeed and dont look at me.. but some have been known to pee in tubs and showers. the water purveyor doesn't want that in water system. with a building like that they may want you to have a backflow preventer anyway, but there are different types. The reduced pressure principle ones need a drain as they will dump all the water in your system if they get triggered and they need an annual inspection.

your project sounds so interesting ,Thanks for writing in and letting us know what you are up to.
I've got a lathe in case you just need something little like a tap handle or a spacer , washer or something like that. I'm not looking for complex projects or making promises, but I know sometimes it's just some little part like a special sized washer or a tap handle that stops the whole project.

right now I'm fixing a vice for a chop saw, It stripped out, the parts aren't available so I'll make a new threaded rod and nut and whatnot to fix it rather than it going in the garbage due to the obsolete part it needs.

[1918ColonialRevival]

I wouldn't get the tubs refinished. I have yet to see a refinishing treatment that lasts more than a few years with regular use. It starts wearing away, then starts coming off in large chunks.

Most rust stains will come out with enough scrubbing. Bar Keeper's Friend and blue Scotch Brite pads work wonders (NOT the green pads). Small chips or areas with missing porcelain can be filled in with porcelain chip repair enamel.

[Manalto]

I wouldn't get the tubs refinished. I have yet to see a refinishing treatment that lasts more than a few years with regular use. It starts wearing away, then starts coming off in large chunks.

...Small chips or areas with missing porcelain can be filled in with porcelain chip repair enamel.

I second this. I've heard too many stories about people who thought they were getting an authentic porcelain finish and it failed in a relatively short time, looking a lot uglier than honest wear.

[GinaC]

I wouldn't get the tubs refinished. I have yet to see a refinishing treatment that lasts more than a few years with regular use. It starts wearing away, then starts coming off in large chunks.

Most rust stains will come out with enough scrubbing. Bar Keeper's Friend and blue Scotch Brite pads work wonders (NOT the green pads). Small chips or areas with missing porcelain can be filled in with porcelain chip repair enamel.

But what if you have etching in the tub? Someone must have poured chemicals into my cast iron tub, because there is a furrow down the center of it. I was planning on getting it refinished.

[Willa]

But what if you have etching in the tub? Someone must have poured chemicals into my cast iron tub, because there is a furrow down the center of it. I was planning on getting it refinished.

Honestly - unless your tub is etched down to the cast iron or is unbearably gritty, I would leave it alone. There are places that do actual porcelain enamel refinishing (ie remove the old porcelain and glaze on new porcelain) - but there is a very long wait time, and is quite cost prohibitive.

The most economical solution would be to find a vintage replacement in better condition - but you'll have to pay some brutes to move the darn thing, plus get the old less good tub out of your hair.

I have only seen unsatisfactory refinishing. It looks good at first, but doesn't wear well, and stains, chips, discolours and flakes, creating a worse problem that what you started with.

[1918ColonialRevival]

But what if you have etching in the tub? Someone must have poured chemicals into my cast iron tub, because there is a furrow down the center of it. I was planning on getting it refinished.

How bad is the etching? Sometimes you can get away with using carnauba wax (available at places like Auto Zone) to blend the etching damage with the surrounding area.