Advice on a bathroom fix needed

[Opski]

Good day everyone,

I was hoping you can advise me on this repair job I am thinking to take on.

My landlord ignores my requests to fix this problem for more than a year now and I decided to try and do it myself.

There is a plank of wood installed underneath the bath (OSB or plywood), dimensions 168 cm x 5.6 cm:

It started to root, unfortunately:

Could you please advise me what would be the right approach to fix this?

I was thinking:

1) Remove the plank
2) Clean the surface throughout. Maybe some anti-mould spray or/and white alcohol.
3) Install a plastic PVC plank replacement (not sure how I will get the exact dimensions, though... Probably need to buy a piece and cut it accordingly?)
4) Isolate the edges with some water-resistant filler

Any comments? Sounds ok or won't work?

Any help will be much appreciated! Thank you very much.

Opraah

 

[Burnerman]

Take the bath panel off Opraah, and lets see if any nasties lurk within......chances are there has just been a water dribble courtesy of the shower screen but you never know.....!
Is your landlord ok with this?
John

 

[Opski]

Take the bath panel off Opraah, and lets see if any nasties lurk within......chances are there has just been a water dribble courtesy of the shower screen but you never know.....!
Is your landlord ok with this?
John

Thanks for your reply, John!

Yes, I am certain that this developed due to a water dribble from the shower screen (it just happens and the impact accumulates over time, I guess). There is nothing wrong on the other side from the shower.

Do you think I have to take the bathpanel off completely? It seems to be attached quite well and I don't want to jump deep into it until I have all the correct materials to sort it out at hand.

Landlord is fine - I can pretty much do whatever I want as long as it will be in OK condition when I leave. Rented here for years now.

Best,
Opraah

 

[Burnerman]

If you don't want to remove the bath panel - which does look well siliconed in, I have to say - then consider using a length of PVC trim, accurately cut to size and shaped to mould in with the skirting I can see.
The trim can be stuck to the panel with white silicone, but you will have to remove that bulge on the existing timber for it to fit snugly.
The floor seems somewhat uneven.....what is the floor covering?
John

 

[Opski]

If you don't want to remove the bath panel - which does look well siliconed in, I have to say - then consider using a length of PVC trim, accurately cut to size and shaped to mould in with the skirting I can see.
The trim can be stuck to the panel with white silicone, but you will have to remove that bulge on the existing timber for it to fit snugly.
The floor seems somewhat uneven.....what is the floor covering?
John

Thanks again, John!

I will try to follow your advice then. In regards to your question about what the floor is covering - really not sure. I think the OSB plank expanded due to excessive liquid and bubbled the vinyl surface a bit. I should be able to make it even again when this bad plank is removed (hopefully!).

Sorry, may I ask you something else? Can you advice the best way to cut the PVC sheet? So it would be even and not... oh, well... as usual?
Best,
Opraah

 

[Burnerman]

For sure, the strip of timber has expanded with the wet.....whether its OSB, chipboard or even MDF its hard to say.
You may not need to remove the strip at all of course, but if its soaking wet then it really has to go.
PVC trim is easily cut with a coping saw, junior hacksaw or whatever, depending on what tools you have. Its difficult to draw a line on of course so its covered with masking tape first.
Consider a trim section that is similar to your skirting, if you can get some.....its around 12 or 15mm thick and fairly rigid. The likes of Wickes and B&Q can probably help, failing that a local window manufacturer should have something.
If your floor is not flat then you may get water running underneath the trim, of course.
John

 

[vinn]

OP,
Be cautious about taking advice from DIY'ers who google their garbled answers 5 mins before they post - just saying.

What is your purpose for carrying out repairs in a rented bathroom?

Do you have any idea that you may be, or maybe not, opening a can of worms involving bath packing, the bath panel framing, the finished vinyl floor, a rotted subfloor, & even the floor joists?

To a tradesperson, its simplicity itself to locate any leaking from a bath enclosure.
But until you have carried out water tests you will not be certain it is the enclosure or only the enclosure.

Its nonsense to suggest that you will be able to silicone anything to a wet rotted surface
- its plain to see that the paint has blown & peeled away.

Its impossible to know "all the correct materials" until the cause & full extent of the damage is revealed.

 

[Burnerman]

I guess this is yet another attack on myself.

The fact that this is a rented property was addressed in my first answer. Likewise, the preference to remove the bath panel was mentioned to see what is behind. If the tenant is prepared to do some work for better or worse and the landlord shows little interest, that's fine.

The PVC trim can be stuck to the panel - there was no reference to trying to make it adhere to rotten timber.

Googler? No.

Garbled reply? No.

 

[Opski]

Guys, please do not waste your time arguing.

Vinn, I took your point into consideration, thanks.

John, No need to take this personally. Your advice helped me.

Thanks both.

Opraah