anyone installed a fiberglass or acrylic bathtub/shower?

[edprush]

Is it a do it yourself project?

More importantly, do you have to raise the floor that the tub/shower rests on so that it has a solid foundation?

 

[edprush]

^

 

[davestar]

Originally posted by: edprush
Is it a do it yourself project?

More importantly, do you have to raise the floor that the tub/shower rests on so that it has a solid foundation?

done it, though with the help of a friend who owns an HVAC company.

what to you mean raise the floor? as in add another layer of ply/subflooring? if you're putting a new tub down in place of an existing tub, i should hope that the existing floor is sufficient. if you're converting a room into a bathroom, you're getting into a fair amount of work.

 

[edprush]

Yes, I mean raise the floor so it touches the bottom of the fiberglass or acrylic tub's bottom. I am replacing a cast iron tub that was strong enough that it didn't need support below it.

 

[Dead3ye]

Originally posted by: edprush
Yes, I mean raise the floor so it touches the bottom of the fiberglass or acrylic tub's bottom. I am replacing a cast iron tub that was strong enough that it didn't need support below it.

By all means. The bottom of the a fiberglass tub is not made to support the weight of the water or the bather. It'll crack if you don't.

I installed a whirlpool tub myself, so I researched and know...

EDIT: Proof.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: Dead3ye

Originally posted by: edprush
Yes, I mean raise the floor so it touches the bottom of the fiberglass or acrylic tub's bottom. I am replacing a cast iron tub that was strong enough that it didn't need support below it.

By all means. The bottom of the a fiberglass tub is not made to support the weight of the water or the bather. It'll crack if you don't.

I installed a whirlpool tub myself, so I researched and know...

EDIT: Proof.

My hats off to you. Beautiful job.:thumbsup:

 

[piasabird]

If you are replacing the TUB I like the newer tubs with the raised lip all around the outside. It is ideal to have the tub level even if the floor is not. Having a raised edge around the tub stops the water from messing up the wall in the back and on the sides, but it can still run over in the front.

A lot depends on if the surround gets nailed to the wall joists or if it is glued on. My tub surround got nailed directly to the wall joists with no wall between the tub and the wall. Then the drywall goes over the top lip of the surround. There are some companies that put a liner in the old tub and make it look brand new instead of replacing it.

 

[edprush]

Originally posted by: Dead3ye

Originally posted by: edprush
Yes, I mean raise the floor so it touches the bottom of the fiberglass or acrylic tub's bottom. I am replacing a cast iron tub that was strong enough that it didn't need support below it.

By all means. The bottom of the a fiberglass tub is not made to support the weight of the water or the bather. It'll crack if you don't.

I installed a whirlpool tub myself, so I researched and know...

EDIT: Proof.

GREAT looking whirlpool tub!!!

How did you raise the floor? Did you pour concrete?

 

[MrPickins]

I havent installed any fiberglass tubs, but all 3 porcelain coated steel tubs we've done in the past year or so have had some type of support (usually dense styrofoam) under the bottom. And all had explicit instructions not to remove this, for obvious reasons. I have actually heard that they used to put the tub on a bed of sand for the same purpose.

They all recommended in the instructions to have the floor as level as possible, btw.

 

[bctbct]

most tubs call out for a bag of cement to be put below the tub unit that the tub rests on to prevent movement.

 

[Dead3ye]

Originally posted by: edprush

Originally posted by: Dead3ye

Originally posted by: edprush
Yes, I mean raise the floor so it touches the bottom of the fiberglass or acrylic tub's bottom. I am replacing a cast iron tub that was strong enough that it didn't need support below it.

By all means. The bottom of the a fiberglass tub is not made to support the weight of the water or the bather. It'll crack if you don't.

I installed a whirlpool tub myself, so I researched and know...

EDIT: Proof.

GREAT looking whirlpool tub!!!

How did you raise the floor? Did you pour concrete?

Thanks for the compliment. This bathroom is my favorite room just because of the tub.

I did a ton of measuring and remeasuring to make sure they were right. The floor under the tube is actually unfinished and on floor joists. I used 3/4" and 1/4" plywood stacked in layers untill I got the supporting surface at the right height. Plus, since the tub is sloped toward the drain, the layers are not even. You have to do this to keep the lip of the tub level.

What made it real tough is I wanted the tub at a height that would let me put the ceramic tiles on the the sides at 3 high without cutting them so it would look nicer and cleaner. What a PAIN!

Here's my bathroom before and after pics. It took me about 3 weeks to do. It was my first and probably last ceramic tile job. Making the walls and floor level and square took the longest time to do, and they have to be if you're going to tile.

BTW, if you're wondering why the one wall is sloped, I live in an A-frame. That in itself opens up all kinds of problems to deal with.