How to support rim of bath with battens?

[ChrisKingston]

Hi,

I've bought this bath:
http://www.bathstore.com/products/showertime-thermaform-bath-1899.html
and am installing it in a bathroom where it will be surrounded by walls on three sides.

The bath instructions say to batten under the rim to give additional support which sounds like a good idea. Built into the carbon-fibre (or whatever it is) there are little blocks of wood every 600mm or so (see photo below). I thought the battens should touch these rather than the edge of the carbon fibre.

But the instructions say battens "should not be physically attached to the blocks underneath the bath, and ideally there should be a small gap between the blocks and the battens".

Does that make any sense to anyone? If you're not supposed to butt the battens up against them, then why are the blocks there?

Bit stumped but don't want to crack my bath... Grateful for any tips,

Chris

Untitled

• ChrisKingston
• 3 Jul 2013
• 1

 

[Burnerman]

There's always some movement on plastic baths, and the recommended battenning will help to minimise this......if the blocks rest on the battens then there is the theory that the bath weight will be suspended on them, which wouldn't be good.
The fixed blocks will impart some strength to the rim, and are sometimes used to help locate the bath panel.
One tip is to fill the bath up before running the silicone sealer around the edge.
John

 

[duffin]

batten round,avoiding and bridging the existing blocks. support the bath on this, as well as using all the feet given. if no feet, block up under the bath and give the base as much support as you can.