Need help saving g-grandmother’s cast iron pan!
dedtired
last month
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chloebud
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shower pan materian - cast Iron or solid surface
Comments (6)docket, I received your email, but apparently cannot reply to it because you have not enabled the email option. Here's what you wrote: I am seriously considering going with cast iron. I like the fact that it strong, I do not want to worry about leaks. It seems that w/ acrylic it is prone to get damgaged. Tile you have to worry about the grout getting black. The picture looks great how is the feel. Is is slippery? You still happy with your decsion to go w/ cast iron. Why did you go cast iron did you look at other options? We've been using the guest bathroom for some months now while work is being done on our MB and hall bath, so can tell you first-hand about the Kohler shower pan. It's very nice! Feels nice and solid underfoot, and not slippery at all. We recently installed two Toto cast iron tubs (one in each of the other two bathrooms); one bathroom is functional. I've been showering in there daily and the tub is very, very nice also. I really like it. Also, not slippery. We chose the cast iron because we liked how it looks, we liked the sturdiness and durability, and we liked the heat retention for which cast iron is known (and it was cheaper than a tile shower floor, which for a guest bathroom, was a good place to save a few $). We originally ordered a Kohler acrylic pan, thinking it was fiberglass. When it arrived though, we discovered not only was it acrylic, but it had no non-slip grips, which was a deal-breaker for us. We returned it for the cast iron pan. I really wasn't interested in a solid surface material (e.g. Corian, Swanstone), so never looked into those. Two things to note. One, cast iron can be a bit colder than other materials initially, but once you runs some warm-hot water, it warms up right away. Our guest bathroom is on the ground floor, on a slab, so it was a little chilly to the touch back in March (when we started using it daily). But, like I said, it warmed up quickly. The second thing, is that the non-slip grips can and do discolor. Regular cleaning with Lysol Basin, Tub, and Tile cleaner doesn't seem to remove the discoloration (at least not too well), however, the Magic Eraser (I use Mr. Clean original Magic Erasers) cleans them with little to no effort. They clean up so well, the first time I used it to clean mine, I thought I had scrubbed away the non-slip grips they were so clean and white! If I can help with any other questions, let me know....See MoreCast Iron Drain - Advice Needed Please
Comments (7)Oh my Gosh, Fixizin! My sincerest apologies for not coming back to the Plumber Forum a day or two after I posted. I checked for responses later in the day and saw that this forum is much slower than the Bathroom forum and also saw only one or two people responding so I went and reposted my post on the Bathroom Forum. Never thought to recheck here-- I'm so sorry! Your response made me smile from ear to ear on top of being so helpful! Funny you mentioned those workers because after the man left, the man that wouldn't touch my cast iron drain, I shouted to anyone who would listen "I'm about ready to hire one of the guys waiting around for odd jobs work in the Home Depot parking lot! " Long story short, the County Registrar's office is less that two miles from my home. Next to it is the Community Development Department. Since I had to make a visit to the Registrar's office I walked over to the Community Development Offices to personally explain our situation and ask who to call to come over and survey/diagnose the mold/mildew issue and then to install a shower pan. The man that came was the second name on the list. But I tell ya, after the no-shows after setting up appointments, the people who won't deal with mold, the people that won't deal with cast iron and the people that don't even return my call because it's not a complete gut and bathroom remodel, I've seriously considered a couple times about hiring one of them thar 'UNdocumenteds". Nah, I won't. It's just the total frustration talking. I did find out from a neighbor down the street, this bathroom was built in 1973. The way the whole addition was put together, the water damage and unbelievable stench we found in our closet after removing the baseboards in there from the water in the shower leaking/wicking up that shared wall, I'm thinking this shower has been leaking from the get-go. For all the years we've been in our home we've learned a lot, I mean, a Lot about repairs. We've done it all ourselves with the exceptions of the new roof, copper pipe throughout the main part of the house and the new electrical panel (with dedicated for microwave, fridge, etc.) put on the side of the home that is accessible to the meter reader. We even installed our own windows and added a slab out the back door so that we didn't have to walk in mud to get to the garage. All tile, drywall, cabinet frames, room enhancements of all kinds, we learned and did (some real Laurel and Hardy moments while learning, that's for sure! lol) ourselves. Before starting the bathroom gut I had read nights for at least 3 months, hours and hours of reading, research, buying plumbing and tile books and honestly felt when it came to the new, enlarged shower, we'd have noooo problem tackling it ourselves. All was going rather well and for the most part, very few surprises. Little burps were handled by asking on the bathroom forum and we were on our way to a new bathroom. Standing there side by side, removing the tile in the shower and as the tiles literally crumbled off, I look at husband, he looked at me, dead silence and his comment... "Houston, we have a problem". Your response was light-hearted, a joy to read and at the same time, very informative! And once again I've got courage, I feel we can continue with the bathroom ourselves. I will send your response right now to my husband's email at work. Bet he'll have some questions for ya. Thank you, thank you so very much! Amity...See MoreWhile I’m at it, can we talk about cast iron frying pans?
Comments (63)We do the majority of our cooking in cast iron. We have 2 pans that were my husband’s grandmother’s. And 2 newer pieces we bought. My husband is a freak about them. The newer ones we seasoned when we first got them. Vegetable oil or canola oil and bake in the oven. Then use a lot! I have the lodge scrapers and use those and super hot water to clean. No soap. Maybe once in a while if I feel like it really needs a cleaning. When I do that I tell my husband because he will dry it and then wipe it down with some oil, his favorite now is coconut. My son and daughter are already making noises about who inherits what pan lol....See MoreKohler cast iron vs Solid Surface showers? Or other new materials?
Comments (20)@wdccruise I didn't mean they were comparable nor was I criticizing cast iron shower pans - I've had cast iron bathtubs and kitchen sinks and I love the material, so I'm heavily leaning toward that choice. The shower will be replacing a large soaking tub that we never use, so I'm basically starting with a blank slate and trying to decide which way to go. Curbless is nice and we are an older couple so designing for the future makes sense. The designer is strongly recommending a tiled shower pan but I detest grout, especially when there's so much of it in mosaic tile installations. Lots to think about before making a big expense......See Morededtired
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