Presuming everything was run through the gc, it is his problem to solve. If you provided the tub it’s your problem to solve and pay for.

Hi, Donna,

Sorry for your experience. The defect you described is not one that would have been readily observable upon uncrating the tub nor during normal installation. If the tub was installed correctly, a performance issue would generally be subject to whatever the manufacturer's warranty coverage provides. In my experience, manufacturers typically limit their liability to furnishing the replacement fixture; they don't cover the cost to remove the defective fixture nor the cost to install the replacement.

Thanks, everyone, for your quick responses. We supplied the tub, so our options are limited. The plumbers did say they sprayed expanding foam under the tub and couldn’t reach all the voids underneath. Could that have deformed the tub floor? It seems very solid, so I imagine not, but that was the one question the plumbers didn’t answer when we were trying to figure out what happened.

What do the insstructions state? Most that I am aware of use a bed of mortar.

I’ve seen many a tub install ruined by spray foam.

Since you supplied the tub, you'll need to take the lead on this. I don't believe expanding spray foam would have distorted the tub. It would be more likely to elevate a portion of the tub. If it's a manufacturing defect, the manufacturer may make a cash offer in lieu of sending a replacement tub. If they do, that's probably your best outcome.

@Hallett & Co. could you say more about how spray foam ruined a tub install?

@millworkman the instructions don’t specify a mortar bed. There are leveling feet under the tub.

@Charles Ross Homes the tub floor does have a very slight elevated portion that traps some of the water away from the drain. The instructions say to fill the tub and wait 24 hours before draining (and before tiling). Evidently the plumbers did the install by rote and did not read or follow instructions.

"@millworkman the instructions don’t specify a mortar bed. There are leveling feet under the tub."

But did they specify expanding foam? If not the GC/Plumber is on the hook to make this correct.

"Evidently the plumbers did the install by rote and did not read or follow instructions."

Was the plumber hired by the GC? If so the GC/Plumber and the plumber need to make this correct.

The Duravit Architec tub has leveling feet. I'm not sure it requires a mortar bed or foam. The directions I read don't say anything about either. The instruction to fill the tub and keep it filled for 24 hours pertains to caulking after tile work is complete. Doing that enables the caulk to cure in the expanded stated which minimizes cracks/voids.

What you have is not ideal or what you expected, but it's not a serious problem in my view. You've got a choice between buying a $5 squeegee and using it to move that last bit of water to the drain, or stressing and spending lots of time tearing things up to correct a minor defect. If it were me, I'd try to get a at least a partial refund for the tub, buy the squeegee, and get on with my life.

I understand why contractors want to supply everything, so they are certain of the results. What I don't understand is why they limit themselves, and really me, to only a few suppliers. Can any contractor out there help me understand so I can be a better customer? I'm thinking about tiles mainly for bathrooms.

The suppliers they use they have a history with, of suppling consistent quailty products, of customer service and being there is there is an issue or if they need somethng quick.

And making problems go away if and when they occur.

So, I strongly suspect that the tub is not defective, but that the foam distorted the bottom of the tub enough to cause this problem. It's a known issue with expanding foam and will distort window and door frames, for example. I was reminded of this when I was installing my new front door and didn't have low-expanding "window and door" foam. Even though I was being careful not to overfill, I had to sawzall the foam out because it distorted the frame.

You really want to avoid providing fixtures and such for this very reason. It gets really messy when something goes wrong with a customer provided fixture. Contractors want to work with things that they are familiar and with vendors with which they have a relationship.

It's generally not the cost of the actual item but the labor of replacing it that's problematic.

Regardless of it was the foam, or a bad tub, you are going to live with it. Nobody is willingly going to eat the cost of tub replacement - and you opened it up to finger pointing when you provided the tub.

I agree it was likely the foam. If you overfill any cavity or don't do it in "layers" in a larger cavity - the foam simply has nowhere to go and can easily distort the bottom of a tub.

I have had the same experience as milworkman on window / door frames with some overfilling.

Thanks to everyone who commented and provided perspective on our situation. It does sound like the foam is the culprit, especially given the plumber's comment that they weren't able to reach all the empty spaces under the tub. And no one has suggested that this will cause any longterm problems. I'm sure squeegeeing it out will soon be second nature. Thanks again.