Cob:

[Darel Henman]

Well Fraces Grill,
  to answer your cliche question; no.  I, in fact, get up on the right
side of the futon.
Your misunderstanding needs corrected.  In this I will endeavor. I did
not intend to scold your friend Barbara.   Please read comprehensively. 
I only wrote common sense, and according to you Barbara is the font of
it.   Further more, just why are you, not allowing Barbara to speak for
herself. 

  The e-mail you sent from Barbara inidicated that the bathroom had been
in use for some time and contrary to your apparent belief, even
contractors and carpendars understand the necessity for having
ventilation, most especially, in the bathroom and all responsible ones
would get straight to remedying the ventilation problem as soon as they
could.  Unless there are very strange conditions making the window
operable would be a very, very, very simple task.

 Information that was lacking:
   What method did Barbara use for making the 8" floor?   
   What materials and what mix did she use?
   How long ago was it poured?
   How long was it left to dry?
   How long has the room been used as a shower/bath-tub room, since it
was poured?
   Was it the floor mixture then tampered down 50-60% or so?  Or poured
as a slurry?  

I can't see how many can help you unless you give us some more details. 

For example the mention of the smell of "sulfur" leads one to think
something funny is going on or to woory.  I gave you a possible easy
explanation or something to look at, precisely the possiblity of a
leakking toilet (maybe a new wax seal is needed), or missing the target
(happens, especially with younger or drunker people).  This would give
off an amonia smell though, though some people may not distingquish
between amonia and sulfur.  Depends of one's olfactory senses.  


Some comments interspersed below:

> Frances Grill wrote:
> 
> Actually Mr.Henman, Barbara didn't say there were no windows. She said
> "there were no windows to open yet because the window was covered with
> plastic", since she either  hadn't the funds, time, or the ambient
> temperature was too cold to be letting outside air into the house.

Common sense always ventilates the bathroom, regardless of outside
temps.  I am not speaking of the whole house.  Besides, I recall, the
text said it was a balmy 60 deg F or so.  Actual bathing or showering
heats up the room quickly just by the hot water, so there's no problem
there.


> Not too terribly uncommon while a building is under construction...maybe
>  even in Japan...heaven forbid!!
Heaven's got nothing to do with it.  Sorry to burst your misconception
bubble, but, both in Japan and the U.S., even during construction the
need for ventilation in a being-used bathroom is not hard to understand
and ventilation provided accordingly.  Nay, not only common sense, but
additionally, also possible regualtions would require it.  Someting for
you to look into.

> Really nothing to be scolded about
> now is it? In fact, if you got to know Barbara you may find she is a
> font of "common sense".Did we get up on the wrong side of the bed
> today Darel???

I answered this in my first line.  Loop back to the top of this mail to
re-read it if you forgot.

Darel