How do I correct a Drop In Bathtub leakage?
Hello community.
I've been dealing with this problem for 3 years now, and now that I found this great forum, perhaps you can help me out.
I have a tub installed, with a shower. After some research I know is a "Drop In" tub.
The problem is with the water when showering. It leaks out from the bathtub and creates a poodle down the entrance.
Is there a way to correct this problem?
Added some pictures in this urls:
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Thanks!
Comments (9)
User
10 years agoWebbasica
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Replace bath tub with jetted tub?
Comments (5)For a jetted tub used as a shower, it has to have an integral tile flange. That allows the wall cladding to overhang and any water that hits the wall to not go behind your walls. There aren't that many in that size that are inexpensive. It will need a specialized drain, and, if you want to spend any time in the tub, a supplemental heater so the water doesn't cool off so fast. Since it's a tub/shower, the wall cladding will need to be redone to be waterproof into the tub. It's possible, if the build is recent, and it was done with the proper vapor barrier behind it, that only one row of the tile would need to be pulled in order to replace the tub. But, I wouldn't count on that. I'd count on having to replace all of the wall cladding in the alcove. That can be as cheap as a plastic surround for around $100 or cheap tile with the proper vapor barrier for probably $150 or so. The first is the easiest and the least chance of leaking. The second will read as more upscale, but you have to be sure your contractor understands about the vapor barrier and correct materials to use to tile this (NOT mastic.) And since you have that torn out, it would be foolish to try to keep your current control valves for the bath unless they are also very new. New safety standards are in place for anti scald mechanisms. So, you will need a new shower/bath faucet and valve. Then you will need the electrical line run from the panel to the location for the whirlpool pump and supplemental heater. That location is usually opposite the drain side of the tub. You will need to be able to site an access panel that is removable to be able to get to the electrical innards here. That can be from an adjacent room, or from a hidden panel on the tub itself. All in all, you might be able to get all of the needed materials for 2-3K if you shop the box stores carefully and find some bargains. The danger to that is that if you are inexperienced, you don't know if you're buying quality or crap. They sell both. And that's one reason that it would be simpler to let the pro pick the products after you tell him the features that you want. Then you've got to pay the contractor labor to install all of that. The electrician's price will depend on how difficult it will be to access the panel and run the wire to the location. For that, it's a really good thing you are on a crawlspace! That makes it cheaper for both the electrician and the plumber. On the whole, I'd expect your project to cost between 5-7K, depending on location, and if you have no DIY skills to bring to the table and have to hire professionals for the whole job. And be sure that you hire someone that is licensed and insured to be in your home, and will pull the proper permits to get the job inspected with your code office. Some handyman guy isn't licensed to do electrical of that nature, and while he might be able to do the demo and get the tub in place and glue on the plastic surround, it's unlikely that he'll have the right insurance to deal with a large job like that, and thus probably wont' want to pull permits and be inspected. They are usually limited to smaller jobs like simple fixture replacements like a faucet or light. Which this isn't. Just remember, you are doing a project that combines electricity and water. You really have to know what you're doing here! A small General Contractor should be able to do the complete job, and also carry the needed papers. And he should have no problem with the code guys coming in to inspect his work either. If he does, then he's not the right person for the job....See MoreReplaced tub how do I replace backerboard and tile?
Comments (2)You should be okay just to attach cement board to the studs and tile. I see a couple of problems, though, and sooner or later this is all going to have to come apart and be overhauled. The first problem is that there's no way to have a continuous vapor barrier (if there's one at all). Secondly, if the rest of the tub surround is over greenboard, it should be replaced, anyway. It's way outdated....See MoreDo I have to have a bath tub?
Comments (27)It doesn't matter how old the thread is when it is the first thing that pops up on a Google search when looking for the answer to this question.....And then, someone repeats this kind of nonsense on a new thread "A bathroom has a bath tub. It's legalese. It's not a "full bath" without a bath tub." I found this gem first thing, while looking up the reference to this exception where New York doesn't require a bathroom AT ALL. §RR306.1 Toilet facilities. Every dwelling unit shall be provided with a water closet, lavatory, and a bathtub or shower. Exception: Owner-occupied one-family dwellings subject to the approval of the code enforcement official. "NYS has several modification to allow construction of owner-occupied single family homes that have minimal technology, and may heat with wood or other renewable source of energy. This language allows, for instance, construction of Amish residences with little electricity (other than battery operated smoke & CO alarms) and with outhouses rather than bathrooms. Hunter camps may have a similar minimalist construction. NYS has a special condition with respect to the Amish population and to the prevalence of minimalist hunter cabins in the Adirondack Park." http://www.dos.ny.gov/dcea/pdf/AmendmentsDisposition2015.pdf...See MoreInstalled new tub how do I repair the tile?
Comments (4)If the tub has a shower, you should tear out the green board before it fails and put up cement board. Green board will fail in shower enclosures from water getting through the grout of the tile. If it goes on long enough you can find yourself repairing rotted stud faces to attach the cement board (sistering sections of new 2x to the old studs sometimes works depending on the amount of damage). Even without a shower, green board down to the top of the tub is asking for problems....See Morekirkhall
10 years agochispa
10 years agoWebbasica
10 years agoelphaba_gw
10 years agoHere are pictures of the tub inside the alcove. I think he expects to start tiling the walls with subway before the end of the week. If not then, then soon. The tile will encroach on the tub lip even more - maybe 3/8 inch or so, I think.
I will have a small shelf instead of niche at the front o the tub down below the hand held shower rod and head.
Note that the kerbi wall board is on the lip - not much deck but at least I will have the shelf. Pony wall shown in bottom left part of picture.
Below is the back of the tub - same small lip. Also, in bottom right corner is part of the opening where the shower door will go. Notice there is no deck to sit the door on top of. That is a straight downward "cliff" to the floor where lip is totally covering the deck. Shower door will have to "sit" on top of the lip.
The tub is a small 48X32 inch drop in
Greek Kohler Tub.p.s. there is another method that you can find info about that requires the addition/installation of a tile flange along the walls. My contractor has said that he thinks the kerdi along with the way he will deal with the seam between the kerdi and the lip of the tub provides better waterproofing than the flange. I'll hopefully get pictures of that too. My contractor has said this method is not supported/recommended by Kohler or Kerdi. It is totally non-standard. My only other option besides this tub was an American Standard tub that is very shallow and probably most often used in hotels. I'm so glad to have the option of this tub.
MongoCT
10 years agoI mean, building like a mini tile wall would help at all?
You could furr out all of the walls so they overlap the existing tub "deck".
The thing is, it's a drop-in. So before going that route you want to make sure that any water that hits the existing flat deck on the rim of the tub would actually flow into the tub and not pool against the newly furred out and tiled walls.
Furring out the plumbing wall, you'd have to pull your plumbing off the old wall and install it in the new wall.
Honestly?
With that, or any of the proposed solutions, you're looking at cobbled together solutions. For a good amount of expense and effort you won't be getting a look you want. You're getting what you're getting. A cobbled together solution.
I recommend what kirkhall and others have written, simply getting and installing a 360-degree shower rod and a few overlapped shower curtains, the type of setup typically used for clawfoot tubs. Use it until it's time to remodel the whole thing properly.
Amanda Ansel
8 years ago
elphaba_gw