How do I repair this?
by
Kristina Cox
+7
The previous owners left me with this mess in my hall bathroom. I cannot afford to replace anything so my only option is repair and no honey to help.
How long ago did you buy this home? Pull out your purchase papers. What did the home inspection report reveal prior to purchase? They could still be on the hook for repairs.
That's a pretty major repair. Are the pipes functional? Where are your floor joists? Is the floor masonite? Was there a something setting there before , like a toilet? God love you, what a mess.
Kristina...Hope you kept some deposit! Clean it well but did it possibly come from a leak? Make sure there is not one. You can patch by laying material over the old but holes must be precise. If they are not... stuff steel wool where you see openings because seeing mouse traps/feeders they must get there. You can use plywood for repair or left over flooring if you have some or can find at a discount store, Goodwill, etc. Good luck but you may get some far better ideas than this!
I have been thinking about this all day. 1. Clean out all the traps, poison, bait, etc.
2. you have to fill or cover all holes around the pipes at the sub-floor level. This is where the mice are getting in. 3. Measure the cabinet flooring and have a piece of Masonite 1/8 inch thick cut (Local Hardware Store) to cover the existing bottom of the cabinet. You need to also have slots cut in the Masonite (hardware store can do this with a jig saw) the distance from the front of your pipes to the back wall. Also measure the distance from the side walls to the pipes to locate where to cut the slots. (You can take a 81/2 x 11 sheet of paper and trace where the slots will be to the back wall). Having done this you should be able to slide the piece of Masonite into the cabinet.
NOW....if you have double doors with a center post (or doors recessed too far from the sides of the cabinet, you will have to piece it in or cut the masonite at the ends. Otherwise you need to remove the sink & plumbing and remove the cabinet and repair it from the back. Either way it will be a bit challenging.
I agree with all the things the others have said, but if you own this home, then you are probably stuck with the repair. It definitely looks like water damage. Make sure that you no longer have a leak. This is crucial. After that, I think the easiest thing to do is to clean up the debris and have plywood cut to cover the entire area. You can just lay this over the existing shelf. You might need to use 2-3 pieces to be able to get it inside the cabinet. Make sure that the main piece covers the entire open hole if possible. Measure the distance from the wall where your pipes go and cut out (or have someone cut out an opening so that you plywood will slide around the pipes. If you need to use more than one piece of plywood, you can join them together with a wood-to-wood mending plate that you screw on once your wood is in place. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-3-in-Wood-to-Wood-Mending-Plate/3478207?cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-ToolsAndHardware-_-Fasteners-_-3478207:Hillman&CAWELAID=&kpid=3478207&CAGPSPN=pla&store_code=3608&k_clickID=go_625706834_34613750110_111132558790_pla-78266456166_c_9009628&gclid=Cj0KCQiA68bhBRCKARIsABYUGicN_vcNGgxreqgLKMWjQrPBRSjTiY0TlpKqt_qNt2_jiQ5vjnjKlJUaAm2wEALw_wcB
Once the shelf is in place, you can use expanding spray foam insulation to fill in the holes around your pipes. You can spray it and then scrape it flat so it looks good. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Dow-12-oz-Spray-Foam-Insulation/3613740
Even though this is meant for insulation, it is great for filling gaps like this.
Thank you everyone. I bought this home 5 years ago. It is a mobile home. I put the traps and bait there just in case. I haven’t had time to do the repairs needed in this bathroom. The owners said that there was a small pin sized hole in water pipes below the cabinet bottom but above the floor. If that makes since. This is what was left. Thank you for all the awesome answers and I really like them all. I am looking into having a couple of pieces of plywood cut.
So again thank you
That's a pretty major repair. Are the pipes functional? Where are your floor joists? Is the floor masonite? Was there a something setting there before , like a toilet?