Michael's View: #1 Bathroom Problem Is . . . .

While your sitting there, put on some good jammin' tunes and just wobble from side to side as if you are dancing in your seat. Comfy? Enjoying the music? Is your throne rocking from side to side as you do the shimmy shimmy shake?  If is is then you have found the answer to the number one issue.

I have found units that I could literally pick up off the floor. I often wondered how people could keep their balance. And, after a look at the rotten sub-floor and framing members underneath, I wondered what kept it and them from falling through!

I hate to say it, but most people just sit, use and forget. But, neglected, loose toilets can cause a lot of damage.

• The black water discharge is an unhealthy situation that needs to be addressed by a licensed plumbing contractor.
• The leaking water has enough acid in it that over a period of time can deteriorate concrete.
• Water leaking on wood flooring can lead to wood rot on the sub-floor and framing members. Over a period of time this damage can run into the thousands of dollars.
• Molds and other types of fungi thrive on damp wet building materials. Stachybotrys - the "dreaded black mold" can thrive in conditions such as this.

All of this expense could be avoided if home owners would take a few minutes every month and check the status of their toilet. When you are cleaning the pot, grab it by the sides of the bowl and see if you can move it from side-to-side and front-to-back. A properly installed pot should not move. If it does, call a licensed plumbing contractor to further evaluate the situation. A few hundred dollars spent on a plumber now could save you thousand down the road.

This posting and the continents written here are the intellectual property of Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc. providing Nashville home inspections for Brentwood and the Davidson and Williamson Counties of Middle Tennessee. The views and opinions expressed are just that - views and opinions of Michael Thornton and those who comment.  This post is part of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, which is a social network highlighting the best of Web 2.0.  Information and is provided with the intent of educating and assisting home owners, home sellers, home buyers and real estate investors with information the can be used to make better real estate decisions. 

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