Cracks! Do I need to do anything about them?

New PEX has been added, the copper that WAS vertical is now in the ground.

Problem #1. The copper does not have sleeves on it, and it is going in the ground.

I saw them carry the tub out of my living room. I asked if they were doing a dry fit, and he said yes.

Then I heard him putting in screws. I went in and realized he had not read the instructions or maybe he just wanted to do it his way.

I asked him how he was going to put the mortar under the tub if it was screwed in place. He said he was just going to spray foam under it.

I said the instructions specifically say, "Do not use foam, sand, or drywall mud." or warranty will be void.

He said that the instructions were just the lawyers talking. Warranty would not be good anyway.

I said that it needed to be installed according to the directions.

Problem #2-

That is when I realized that he had no intentions of filling in the hole under the tub. What? Part of that hole is my closet floor.

Problem #3-

The left side of this new wall is missing a stud so the backerboard can't be installed.

Is there anything else wrong with this wall that he built.

Same wall....looking up. Something doesn't look right. There is lumber to attach the drywall ceiling. Just that one wall on the left that needs a 2x4.

The same ceiling, but inside the bathroom.

Missing 2 x 4.

Problem #4

Are the joists right? (Is that what they are called?) Why so many boards? I circled where the missing 2x4 should be.

Missing 2x4 should go between the tub and the other stud. No place to nail.

Problem #5-

New 33" tall pony wall. Glass wall will go on the top. Tile goes on two walls plus a little tile on the pony wall. Only two screws are attached to the concrete. Glass on top? Does not look sturdy to me. Should I be worried that the small amount of tile will fall off if that wall gets bumped? And the glass may fall. Plus, it looks like the pony wall is not long enough and is only an inch or two wider than the tub. I think it should wider because of shower splash out.

Problem #6 - #7 - #8 - ????

From Jetta Tubs instruction manual which plumber did not read. "Workmen standing in bath should be in stocking feet only." Common sense should have told him also. He stood in the tub with his boots on. I had already asked him if he wanted some cardboard for the tub. He said No.

From the installation manual-

I am so frustrated by the contractors where I live. I should not have to teach them. This guy does have a license. I checked it online.

He was not happy when I said he was going to have to set it in mortar. He said that it would take about 6 bags of thin set. He really didn't want to do it. We argued about it. He says he will come back Wednesday. We'll see if he does.

So, can you help me with any other problems you see? Please let me know if I can clarify anything with pictures. I have to be ready for when he gets here on Wednesday.

I have never seen a hole under a tub left like that. Wouldn't bugs get inside?

Thanks for any expert advice. I really can't fire him.

Where do you live, @Peke? Did you hire a general contractor or are you fulfilling that role? If you are the GC, how did that come to be?

I live in Oklahoma, on a large lake. The state of Oklahoma started using "the suggested codes" maybe 8-10 years ago. That is as far back as I have seen In 2016, the state officials chose to go by the 2012 codes. Oklahoma finally began requiring roofers to have a license in 2013, I think. People are still roofing without a license though, and they lie about having insurance and licenses. That goes for plumbing and electrical work. Apprentices do the work without a licensed person here to check their work, and get paid $80-100 per hour, if not more.

General Contractors- no insurance, no licenses. If I decided to be a GC, all I have to do is find a client and talk others into working for me. Or, just do the electrical and plumbing work myself. I would call that person a handyman, but Oklahoma calls them a GC. Anyone can do it, with no experience whatsoever. It is as redneck-hillbilly as it gets here in my area. Near the larger cities of Tulsa and Oklahoma City, they have more contractors to choose from so if they want more business, they had better get a license, plus the larger cities have to have permits and inspections. Not where I live. Some do have licenses and insurance, and I always check. Many contractors have left when I have told them their license number is not under their names. Never sent me a bill either.

It took over 4 years to find an oven repairman who was willing to drive 2 hours here, install a part I already had, (took 15 minutes) then drive back to Tulsa. Cost over $630 for that. Even American Range could not find a repairman locally which is why they mailed me the parts for free. It has been a year, and the gas oven is doing the exact same thing, so it will need fixed again. I hear "whooshing or huffing" noises which means the flames are blowing out and relighting. It used to blow the French doors open. Dangerous!

So I am the GC and I am the one making sure work is done correctly. The problem is that I don't know plumbing, especially in concrete. I need serious help because he is coming back today. Sometimes, I don't see him for a week or two. He has only been here 3 times in the two months since he first looked at the job. He has done everything right so far, until he started installing the tub without filling in the hole. I have never seen that done, but I have always had new construction with tubs. If this was a tub to shower conversion, he would automatically fill it in with concrete or I would not have a shower floor.

Maybe he is right and I am wrong. I just need to know if I am wrong or not. He said he was going to leave the hole open. Maybe in case it ever has a leak??? He said to fill it, he would have to use 6 bags of thinset. Is that what he should use? Is that the same as concrete?

Thanks to anyone who can help me.

Sakrete Mortar Mix or similar should be fine. Typically $7-8 bucks for a 50-60 lb bag.

Thank you, millworkman. He called it thinset. Is that the same or different?

"Thinset, while it is also sometimes referred to as a “mortar” is an adhesive. It's a mix of cement, water, and fine sand. It holds your tile to the substrate and is used in commercial applications, “wet wall” applications (such as a shower floor), or with heavier tiling materials"

Just buy a bag of two of mortar mix and be done with it, it will be a hell of a lot cheaper.

Here is what he used, so it looks good.

He left to go buy more mortar mix.

How long do I have to get the mortar mix off of my marble floor, wood floor, carpet, and area rug?

The bathroom marble floor is covered in it, then they walked through it and left footprints on the oak floors the carpet, and the area rug.

Will the mortar scratch the wood floor?

How do I get it off the floor?

Thanks

Are you closer to Tulsa, Bentonville, Fort Smith, Joplin, or Bartlesville? Because all of those cities have licensed plumbing companies in them that are more than willing to travel. Contractors don’t imprison themselves to the 8 hour work day. Most are willing to do a 10-12 day or two if they have to travel to a site.

The right company knows how to answer the question. ” How do you plan to protect the wood floors from caustic and abrasive mortar?” Which isn’t even the right thing to use. The concrete needed a bonding agent applied and a 5000 PSI sack mix. That’s going to pop loose. Mortar is not meant to be built up in bulk like that. It has no large aggregate to give it strength.

Well, it is done now. He said there was no glue in it so it shouldn't stick to the wood floor. I think I got all of it off the carpet and rug. The young helper carried a trowel full of concrete into the bedroom to another bathroom. Glad he didn't trip on anything. I guess we will find out when the mortar breaks, but I can bet the plumber will not come back at his expense.

Tulsa, Oklahoma and Fort Smith, Arkansas are the two closest. The problem is if they leave Tulsa at 8:00 a.m, they will get here at 10:00 a.m. They will work 2 hours until lunch time, drive to lunch, and get back to work here at 1:00 p.m. Work until 3:00 p.m. and drive back to Tulsa by 5:00. Some would not work that long. They want to be back in Tulsa by 3:30. At least the ones we called did. They wanted a new trip charge every day which was from $450-$650 per day. If they could get it done in two days that would be good, but they said it could take from 6-12 days since they are only working a maximum of 4 hours per day. We had two people drive here, and say they would get back with us. They never did. Drove all this way for nothing. I guess they made up a story to their boss. I did not call them back since they did not want the work.

The lack of inspection/permits allows for shoddy work, and they really don't care if it is done correctly.

So, do I wait for it to dry on the marble? I don't want additional scratches. Do I wipe it off with wet paper towels?

So, it has been 4 months the previous plumber broken the flanges on the new tub. We finally removed it ourselves since he will not return our calls. Our bathroom has been gutted for 12 months now.

Ice/snow storm last month has plumbers tied up because I know people need their burst plumbing fixed more than I need a tub installed. One plumber came and fixed my upstairs tub faucet that was running water and wouldn't shut off for 17 days. He looked at the other bathroom where we need the tub installed, and pointed out that the tub didn't even sit in the mortar at the back end. He asked why there was mortar under the tub, and I told him manufacturer's instructions said to do that. I have not heard from him since.

So, when faced with conflicting instructions, do we follow plumbers directions or the manufacturer's directions? No warranty if we don't follow the manufacturer's directions.

Do we need to remove the old mortar? Or can we add new mortar on the back section since there wasn't enough mortar for the first tub to sit in?

Is there supposed to be anything in that hole where the drain is? I can see dirt. I have never seen plumbing with concrete removed. I just know that on a new foundation, there is never a hole left in the concrete.

Thanks.

I ignore sink manufacturer's instructions all the time; my methods are better. We'd still be seaming Corian with silicone if fabricators hadn't ignored DuPont's instructions. Manufacturers have a different agenda than installers. We have to make their products make us money and give us a competitive advantage which results in satisfied customers.

That said, the manufacturers have seen some real hillbilly installations of their products and have issued instructions to prevent same, so it depends.

Yeah, hillbilly is what we have here and every one of them thinks they are right. When really, it depends on who taught them their trade and if that person was right or not, and how much the apprentice remembers or if he/she remembers correctly. Then there is the lazy factor.

The tub sits on 1/2" plywood the factory installed, so I don't know why they want mortar underneath it on a concrete slab. Actually, they don't differentiate in the instructions between plywood floor and concrete floor. I understand why the block is thicker on the left...so water will drain.

So do I remove the dried mortar and put new down or can we add new mortar to the back end? Thanks.

"The tub sits on 1/2" plywood the factory installed,"

You sure that plywood is not only there for shipping purposes?

This is the new tub that hasn't been unpacked yet.

"TESTING: Water test your unit prior to installation. Set the tub on a level surface where it can be drained after testing. Insert drain fitting and fill to the overflow. Make sure all fittings, through walls and piping are water tight. While each unit is leak tested at the factory, the process of shipping and handling may loosen joints. If there are leaks, mark the spot(s), drain and repair with GE Silicone Sealer (fiber glass to PVC) or PVC cement (PVC to PVC). Repeat test when dry."

I know the plumber didn't do the water test on the one he installed.

He didn't remove anything from the bottom of the tub on the one he installed. The directions don't say to remove anything...not that he bothered to read anything.

Still no plumber.

Wow. That's quite a situation.

As far as advice - hopefully some of this is helpful. Re: the plywood, I would call the manufacturer and ask. The plywood is definitely there to prevent damage during shipping, but some manufacturers put plywood (or OSB) on the bottom to prevent the tub from twisting during installation. You still need to use mortar, whether you remove the plywood or not. If there is any space between your concrete floor and the bottom of the tub, it will distort when it's full of water and pull against the flange. Then, you'll be up the same creek as before.

Frankly, the current mortar bed is too messy for me to trust it. It's worth the peace of mind to hammer that out and redo.

As far as the drain cutout, I've seen it both filled with cement, and left open depending on how confident the plumber was with his rough-in.

Oh man, that sounds like a really frustrating situation. I can't stress enough how important it is to have the right professionals to handle jobs like this, especially when it involves complicated plumbing installations. I recently used Pro Plumber Denver Services for a similar issue in my home, and they were amazing. They have the expertise and experience to get it sorted right the first time. Maybe it's worth giving them a call to help correct the installation and ensure everything's set up correctly. Good luck with your project!

Hopefully everything got sorted out two years ago, when this thread was current.