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Do you have to remove the tub?

15 years ago

We were at my husband's mom's house and discovered that a spot above the fridge is from a leak in the second floor bathroom (we thought it was from a roof leak that my husband fixed a couple of years ago). My husband cut away part of the ceiling and saw the bottom of floor where the tub is (2nd floor). The floor has some serious water damage -the floor is splintering, etc. When replacing the floor beneath a tub do you always have to remove the entire tub or is there a way we could reinforce/replace it through the kitchen ceiling? The whole bathroom should probably just be gutted but that's not gonna happen.

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Comments (2)

maryland_irisman
15 years ago
One can do the repair without removing the tub. If the tub hasn't shifted or pulled loose from the wall, you guys could use supports as you repair each joist section, as long as the source of the leak is not the tub itself. My experience has shown several reasons for tub leaks but the most common I have seen has been the drain seal. I personally, while everything is open and accessable would remove the tub and make a thourough repair of everything. Not that it is required, just my technique. My feeling is, once done with the materials used today, it's something that won't have to be bothered with again and certainly is an upgrade that allows the house to hold or improve it's value. BTW...check to make sure the water is not from the toilet, sink or supply lines.
onlygirlsmom
Original Author
15 years ago
well that's good news! My husband is going to go over there next week and cut the portion of the hallway wall that is behind the shower. He's going to check and see what kind of damage there is and if it's the pipes. Her bathroom is a wreck but I know she does not have the $$$ to do a total gut. The tile in the surround is actually in great condition (it's a white subway tile)-it's about the only thing. It's not gonna be an easy fix but I'm concerned about the black mold that is on the kitchen ceiling beneath where the tub is.
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