Bathroom floor/structural issues... Need help!

[jenny.e....@gmail.com]

Good evening. We are looking for some advice on what to do with our recently discovered floor problem. We ran into plumbing issues and had to gut our bathroom. In the process, we removed the laminate flooring that was in there with plans to put in hex tile. Under the flooring and the sub flooring that was put in was the original tile AND a hole in the corner that had been poorly patched. Upon further inspection we discovered the joist below and been notched out and the floor has sunk, creating a hole in the floor. We know we need to get this fixed before we move forward, but we are not sure how. We think we need a structural engineer to look at it... Any recommendations? Also, has anyone had any experience with a cement bathroom floor? Our plumber told us it was quite common, but what do people do when they run into problems? Do you remove the cement floor or try and fix it? I've been trying to rescue the original tiles, but if we have to tear out the cement, I'm afraid they'd be a lost cause.

I'm going to try and post some pictures (sorry, they are not the best) but any advice/suggestions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Pamela Conroy]

With that many issues I would not worry too much about saving the original tiles if you can afford new hex tiles. Sorry I don't have any good advice for your other issues!
Pam

[Pamela Conroy]

[TheWindyCity]

Hello Jenny ... The bungalow bathrooms had the floor joists set  2" lower than the rest of the house, and had two inches of concrete poured in, and then the ceramic tiles set.   We had our bathroom completely gutted, and originally, the contractor was going to remove the floor.   The floor was deemed to be in solid structural shape, so they decided it was better to leave it and tile over it.  

In your case, since your doing a gut and spending the time and money, it would only make sense to replace the floor.   Also, it would be a good time to add a heat option to the floor.  A simple, but dependable way is to use a heat mat under the tile.  This is what we did, and it makes a huge difference in comfort.  We also had the tub removed and a walk it shower installed.

A contractor I would recommend would be Brighton Home Products on South Pulaski in Chicago.   Our contractor, Steve Draths, came out and examined everything and made recommendations.   He has a really good crew that does quality work, no short cuts.   Their tile work is exemplary as well.

[dcol...@gmail.com]

Looks like Brighton deserves a BRAVO! Thanks for sharing! My elderly mothers brick bungalow has always needed the same work done. Yet, I must inquire as to the costs for such a job as this prior to contacting Brighton, if not too much to ask?