bath support frame- can I cut the support bars down ok?

[Kester]

I'm trying to lower a big bath enough for the window next to the bath to clear the top of the taps.

There's also a toilet waste pipe running down the back side under the bath.

My problem is the bath support frame clashes with the toilet waste pipe meaning I can't actually lower the frame on the adjustable bolts.

The bath supports consist of two steel profiled horizontal bars with a leg on an adjustable height bolt at each corner and one more adjustable bolt leg in the middle of the bath.

The support bars are wider than the bottom of the bath on both ends. As in the diagram, the bottom of the bath is 557mm but the support bars are probably 730mm (I just measured).

I think possibly the reason the support bars are that much wider is because this bath also comes in another model that is 135cm wide, so I think they probably just have a standard width support frame that goes out with every size of bath.

I'm considering cutting down the support bars so that they are just the width of the bottom of the bath and re-drilling one of the holes so it's spaced the same distance from the end of the bar as it was originally.

Do you think there's any structural reason for having the bars longer than the width of the bottom of the bath even tho the extra length isn't in contact with the bottom of the bath?

If I cut 20cm off the bars and re-drill the bolt holes, I think I'll be able to get the toilet waste pipe to fit in alongside and the bath low enough for the window to open normally.

thanks!

 

[Kester]

I think I just worked out the answer to my own question by writing it down clearly-

The bars are wider so that the legs are wider to spread the force on the floor more.

But we've already added two extra joists to reinforce the floor and put OSB board on top of the floorboards (which are running perpendicular to the bath) to the help spread the force.

So I think it's ok for me to cut down the support bars and put the legs closer together by 15cm (730->537mm).

I also have a couple of spare bits of steel I could possibly put under the feet to spread the load even more, but I don't think that's necessary since we've added extra joists. [/i]

 

[Nige F]

Do put the steel under the feet - spread the point load of the feet - and support the rim of the bath on a pre fixed wall batten