Underhill Lions LLC is based in Northeast Philadelphia, and a large share of our bathroom remodels are a few miles from the office: brick rowhomes and twins in Fox Chase, Bustleton, Somerton, Rhawnhurst, Mayfair, Holmesburg and Oxford Circle. Many of these houses were built in the middle of the last century, and their bathrooms tend to share a layout, a tile style and the same set of problems behind the walls. Here is what to expect when you remodel one.
The typical Northeast Philly bathroom
One full bathroom upstairs, often around five by eight feet: a tub along the short wall, a toilet and a pedestal sink or a small vanity, a window over the tub or beside it, and wall tile set in a mortar bed, in pink, green, blue or white. That original tile is often still solid, which is why it lasted this long. It is also heavy, and getting it out to the studs is a bigger demolition job than in a newer house.
What we usually find behind it
- Old supply and drain lines. Galvanized steel supply pipes narrow with rust over the decades and cause low pressure; cast-iron drains can crack or rust through. With the walls open, our licensed plumbing partner replaces what is failing, which is far cheaper than opening the new tile later.
- A window in the shower. A window over the tub is pleasant until it becomes a window in a tiled shower. We either replace it with a vinyl window and waterproof the opening into the membrane, or frame it smaller and higher. Wood sills in a wet wall are a common source of rot.
- Floor damage around the toilet and tub. Slow leaks over many years soften the subfloor and sometimes the joists. We check with the floor open and repair it before any new tile goes down.
- No exhaust fan. Many bathrooms of this age rely on the window. A fan ducted to the outside, on its own switch or a humidity sensor, is what keeps the new paint and grout clean.
- Lead paint. Houses built before 1978 can have lead paint on trim, doors and walls. We work lead-safe: contained, misted and cleaned up properly.
Tub or shower?
Converting the tub to a walk-in shower is the most requested bathroom job we do. In a single-bathroom house it is worth one question first: is there another tub in the house? If the only tub goes, bathing a small child gets harder, and some buyers will notice when you sell. If the answer is still shower, the conversion gives you a larger, brighter space with a glass door, a niche for bottles, a bench if you want one and a lower threshold or a curbless entry for anyone with mobility concerns.
Waterproofing is the job
Tile is not what keeps water out of the wall; what is behind it is. We set a sloped shower pan, cover the walls and pan with a waterproofing membrane, and flood-test it before a single tile goes on. That step takes a day, it is invisible once the room is finished, and it is the reason a shower is still dry in fifteen years. It is the part of the job we refuse to rush.
Permits, timeline and living with one bathroom
Bathroom work that changes plumbing, electrical or framing needs a permit from the City of Philadelphia. We pull it, schedule the inspections, and our licensed partners pull their own trade permits. A full remodel of a standard bathroom takes two to three weeks; a tub-to-shower conversion or a cosmetic refresh takes about a week. In a one-bathroom house we plan the order of work so the toilet is out of service for as few days as possible, and we tell you in advance which days those are.
Before you call
- Take a photo of each wall, the floor and the ceiling, including any stains or soft spots.
- Note whether the water pressure upstairs is weak, and whether the house has a second toilet.
- Decide whether you want to keep a tub.
If you live in Northeast Philadelphia or nearby, request a free estimate and send us a photo of the current bathroom. We are close by, so the walk-through is quick to schedule.
