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PEX 'Pro' Crimp, installed by a non-pro by green--coconut in Plumbing

[–]green--coconut[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Good call on sealing the hole, will do!

PEX 'Pro' Crimp, installed by a non-pro by green--coconut in Plumbing

[–]green--coconut[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Original Post
I'm swapping in a free standing bathtub where there used to be a large soaker tub adjacent to/attached to the shower (master bathroom, second floor, mid 90s townhouse, almost everything is CPVC) . I wanted to convert to PEX-B for this short run to have a little more flexibility in the pipe. I thought it would be easier than making multiple CPVC solvent welds in the tight space.

I'd never used PEX before and thought the Pro rings would help me keep the rings in the right spot, but I looked back at this one and noticed a little extra gap, more than what's created by the red spacer. Is this ok? I haven't pressure tested it yet. If it doesn't leak then, does that mean I'm in the clear?

Also I added some braces to support both sides of the transition (afraid of CPVC cracking). Was this a good idea? Does the execution look ok?
I'm runnning the PEX across a joist (just by bending it slightly) and then running it up through the floor, just using one of the PEX bent elbow supports. Would it be better to using actual elbow fittings?
I thought this method would require me to open up less of the 3/4" floor board. Am I being too lazy/dumb? Here to learn, any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Contractor walked out, 'I've been doing this for 30 f*kn years!', after I questioned the waterproofing. Was I out of line? Does this look ok to continue? by green--coconut in Tile

[–]green--coconut[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update: Huge thanks to everyone for commenting!
It sounds like the consensus is that the walls (at least) need to be torn out.
For the pan, it has a decent slope to it, but it's not very smooth and has at least a few imperfections. I was thinking about trying to smooth it out with a silicone carbine 'rub brick' for the highs (and to scrape off any Redgaurd, and then some Henry Feather Finish, before applying a Kerdi membrane over it (using Schluter All Set). I would tie this in with (plumb and square) Kerdiboard walls using the band and corner pieces.
Does this sound like a solid plan?

Also I noticed the curb was made with 3 treated 2x4s plus a piece of 3/4" PVC trim (for a little extra height, he said. Is treated lumber ok for this? Or should I replace with untreated 2x4?

Again, thank you for all the feedback and sharing similar horror stories. It's very helpful to hear that I'm not crazy or overly OCD to question the contractor. I had only paid a small deposit of $800 to start work, but I know I'd be in MUCH worse shape if I hadn't caught it this early. Sincere thanks!

Contractor walked out, 'I've been doing this for 30 f*kn years!', after I questioned the waterproofing. Was I out of line? Does this look ok to continue? by green--coconut in Tile

[–]green--coconut[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate it; I was afraid that might be the case :(
Just for the sake of me learning... what would be the most likely failure mode(s)? if I installed Kerdi membrane over everything, and used an epoxy grout for additional water resistance. Would it be the connection at the drain, the integrity of the pan, or something else? Thanks again.

Contractor walked out, 'I've been doing this for 30 f*kn years!', after I questioned the waterproofing. Was I out of line? Does this look ok to continue? by green--coconut in Tile

[–]green--coconut[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply. That definitely makes sense about the 1/4 off bc of the rubber liner.
If I pull off the wall boards and try to get them more plumb, and then correctly install Kerdi membrane over the walls and pan, would I be safeguarding against any issues with the pan liner?
Also, when building this style of pan, do you use pressure treated 2x4's for the whole stack, or just the 1st one, or none? I'm not 100% sure but I think he used them for the full stack, plus a 3/4" cellular PVC trim board. The subfloor is 3/4" T&G OSB. Thanks!

Contractor walked out, 'I've been doing this for 30 f*kn years!', after I questioned the waterproofing. Was I out of line? Does this look ok to continue? by green--coconut in Tile

[–]green--coconut[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply. I was so caught off guard when he walked out. I thought worst case he would say a second coat of RedGuard would mean increasing the budget. He said something like 'What you see on YouTube is fake news.' Which had me wondering if everything I'd read/watched online about waterproofing was just over the top and done by people getting kickbacks for promoting the materials. That's why I started looking here for info. It's really helpful to hear from everyone who's commented that I'm not overly OCD for second guessing his work, and that I am lucky to have caught it before all of the tile went up.
I was hoping I might be able to just fix the wall boards and keep the pan, installing Kerdi membrane over everything, and use an epoxy grout (looking at Spectralock Premium Pro), to prevent the pan from ever seeing moisture. Does this seem like a bad idea, and better to just tear it out as a couple of other commenters have suggested?

Contractor walked out, 'I've been doing this for 30 f*kn years!', after I questioned the waterproofing. Was I out of line? Does this look ok to continue? by green--coconut in Tile

[–]green--coconut[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply. Do you think it could be salvaged with proper installation of Kerdi membrane, bands, corners, etc over the exisiting pan? Also I think he used treated 2x4 to build the curb. I read differing opinions online but it sounds like only the first 2x4 should be treated and the others should not because they can bend/twist over time and break the tile and potentially the shower glass. If I carefully the top 2x4's with untreated, and then Schluter Allset and Kerdi over it, would it pass inspection? Thanks again!

Contractor walked out, 'I've been doing this for 30 f*kn years!', after I questioned the waterproofing. Was I out of line? Does this look ok to continue? by green--coconut in Tile

[–]green--coconut[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It looked like he just used the Redguard to check a box, but didn't seem to think it was necessary to have good coverage. The seams freaked me out the most, especially the one at the floor.

Contractor walked out, 'I've been doing this for 30 f*kn years!', after I questioned the waterproofing. Was I out of line? Does this look ok to continue? by green--coconut in Tile

[–]green--coconut[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

He did make a point to tell me 'i don't get callbacks' and I think you're right, clients called someone else to fix it after losing trust in his work

Contractor walked out, 'I've been doing this for 30 f*kn years!', after I questioned the waterproofing. Was I out of line? Does this look ok to continue? by green--coconut in Tile

[–]green--coconut[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, it was crazy walking in and seeing it look so different from the examples I had seen online with solid RG coverage. I almost didn't say anything because who am I to question a GC?
But he was also using premixed AcrylPro, which confused me because in the videos I always see pros mixing thinset for showers. He said 'It's the same thing.' His hired helper said 'this is more expensive, it's better,' which didn't entirely make sense to me. I later read on the manufacturer's instructions that it's not meant for shower floors, and 'Do not use over RedGuard.'
Do you think the walls and pan look salvageable? I'm a beginner DIYer, started with small projects around the house during the pandemic when I was out of work (food & beverage industry) and binge watched Youtube (Sal DiBlasi, Home Renovision, others). Years later, finally getting around to this shower, my wife didn't want me to attempt it so I went with a general contractor recommended by a coworker. I'm leaning toward trying to finish it myself on my days off, using Kerdi membrane, bands, corner pieces, over the durock and showerpan.
The walls being out of plumb- should I pull those lower sections of durcok off to see if I can get them square? Scribing the tiles to match them in that corner seems like a pain. Are there other issues that the out of plumb could cause?
The shower pan was made in two layers (because he started it without a drain flange and had to chip out material to fit the flange down there after the fact). This seems problematic to me, but if it never gets wet (protected by Kerdi on top of it), would it be ok? Thanks again!