Hey there Hoboken!
It’s Wilson here — your go-to handyman with Quick Sidekick. Just wanted to share a quick story about a bathroom I fixed up recently. It was a small job (well, kind of), but super important because water was leaking through the floor and going right down into the neighbor’s ceiling below. Not good
Here’s how it all went down…
First Things First — Figuring Out What’s Going On
So, the homeowner called us because they noticed water stains downstairs. When I got there, the bathroom floor looked okay at first glance, but I’ve seen enough of these to know something was going on underneath.
The tiles were about 5×5 feet total. The grout was old and kind of falling apart, and the drain didn’t look like it was sealed up very well. That’s when I knew I needed to take everything out to really see what was going on under the floor.
Ripping Out the Floor & Checking Underneath
Once I got started removing the tiles, I found some moisture underneath like I expected. Not too bad — the subfloor wasn’t completely wrecked, but I didn’t want to take chances. I patched up a few spots and then used RedGard waterproofing (yep, the bright red stuff you might’ve seen in the pic) to seal the whole floor just in case.
I also had to remove the old toilet — no point doing all that tile work and then putting the same old toilet back, right?
New Tile Time!
The homeowner picked a really cool patterned tile — it kinda looks like a flower or sunburst thing, very bold. It gave the bathroom a totally different vibe (I actually kinda want it in my own place now 😂).
I laid the tiles down carefully, especially around the drain to make sure water flows the right way. No one wants standing puddles in their bathroom. Used Polyblend Plus #122 Linen grout — got it from Home Depot, you can actually see the receipt in the photo. Cost was around $17 for the grout. Not bad.
Out With the Old, In With the New Toilet
We went with a Glacier Bay McClure Dual Flush toilet. One-piece, water-efficient, and looks clean. I had to double-check the wax ring and make sure everything lined up right with the flange — can’t have a leaky toilet after doing all that work!
Hooked it all up and flushed a few times to make sure everything was sealed tight. Good news — no leaks and everything worked perfect.
Wrapping It All Up
By the end, the bathroom had:
Brand new, waterproof tile floor
A fresh, stylish toilet
A pretty fancy-looking polished chrome shower drain cover from Kingston Brass
And most importantly… no more leaks downstairs 🎉
The homeowner was super happy with the results. And honestly, I was too. It felt good to leave them with a bathroom that not only looks better but doesn’t cause problems for the people living below.
Need Help in Hoboken?
If you’ve got leaks, ugly floors, or your toilet’s acting up, give us a call at Quick Sidekick. I’ll come check it out myself and get things fixed up.
Catch ya on the next one! Contact Us
– Wilson
Handyman @ Quick Sidekick
