Bath dropping when filled

[Hollyd1986]

Evening all!

When we fill our bath and get in, it drops by at least half a CM. The silicone has consequently been damaged, and while it needs replacing, I am concerned it is just going to keep happening and where it keeps coming away I worry water from the shower will get behind the bath causing damp.

We have only been in the house for just over 2 months and the bath was already installed when we moved in. I had a plumber look at it when getting other works done.

Is the cheap bath / flexing a probable cause or would there be any other likely causes for this to drop? It only seems to do it in certain places and not all the way around (yet).

I don't over fill it and I am not an overly heavy person (12 stone). It doesn't drop when just standing in it, only when filled with water and then more so with the weight of a person.

Any ideas / advice much appreciated. I have been assured that there is nothing that can be done as it's a cheap bath and will flex but I thought I would ask on here and see what response I get. I have been told it is perfectly safe though.

Thanks

 

[MeldrewsMate]

There could be several reasons why it drops. The ones I can think of are
1. The bath is flexing, as you suggested.
2. The floor is moving under the weight of 60kg of water plus 75kg of bloke.
3. The flooring which supports the bath is soft/rotten/unable to bear the weights of water + man.
4. Not all of the bath legs are touching the floor.

It is most likely that you will end up taking out the bath and refitting it or a new bath after the floor and the joists below have been inspected and repaired/reinforced as necessary.

IMO the supports that come with most cheap to mid-price baths are quite flimsy. I prefer to glue and screw a batten to the two/three walls to directly support the bath rim. In this way the tile to bath clearance can be maintained closely and sealant flex/stretch is kept small.

MM

 

[Hollyd1986]

There could be several reasons why it drops. The ones I can think of are
1. The bath is flexing, as you suggested.
2. The floor is moving under the weight of 60kg of water plus 75kg of bloke.
3. The flooring which supports the bath is soft/rotten/unable to bear the weights of water + man.
4. Not all of the bath legs are touching the floor.

It is most likely that you will end up taking out the bath and refitting it or a new bath after the floor and the joists below have been inspected and repaired/reinforced as necessary.

IMO the supports that come with most cheap to mid-price baths are quite flimsy. I prefer to glue and screw a batten to the two/three walls to directly support the bath rim. In this way the tile to bath clearance can be maintained closely and sealant flex/stretch is kept small.

MM

Thank you.

I'm hoping we won't have to replace the bath / take it out as I dread to think what that will cost but if we have to, we have to!

Would it be worth getting a second opinion from someone else and having them look it over when filled? Or would we be better doing it ourselves?

What should we look for when taking the panel off?

My partner has taken the panel off before to change taps but we hadn't noticed the bath dropping by this point so didn't look into it.

Thanks

 

[MeldrewsMate]

From your point of view just look at the floor and at the support legs when naked partner repeatedly gets in and out of a filled bath. You should see if the floor moves, or the weight spreading bearers move/compress/collapse. or if it indeed is the 'cheap' bath distorting. There may be four or five feet supporting the bath. Try moving them by hand before the bath is filled. Do any feel loose? Do they still feel loose when loaded with 150kg of body, water, and rubber duck?
These are all clues to the likely cause of your woes.

 

[Hollyd1986]

From your point of view just look at the floor and at the support legs when naked partner repeatedly gets in and out of a filled bath. You should see if the floor moves, or the weight spreading bearers move/compress/collapse. or if it indeed is the 'cheap' bath distorting. There may be four or five feet supporting the bath. Try moving them by hand before the bath is filled. Do any feel loose? Do they still feel loose when loaded with 150kg of body, water, and rubber duck?
These are all clues to the likely cause of your woes.

Thank you we'll have a look

 

[footprints]

You can fit extra support if the bath is flexing too much, basic fix is wooden wedges held in with silicone. I have used the legs for kitchen cabinets fix a square of floorboard thickness timber to the top slip in with silicone between bath and block. You can then adjust the leg by screwing the adjustment to hold firmly.
Also always fill the bath half to three quarters full when sealing with silicone and leave overnight to set so the seal is not stretched when the bath is full.

 

[Mottie]

Also always fill the bath half to three quarters full when sealing with silicone and leave overnight to set so the seal is not stretched when the bath is full.

I forgot to fill the bath and made that mistake when fitting my new bath recently - don’t know why as I’ve fitted three baths in my time as a house owner. Combination of old age and brain fart I suppose!

 

[Keithmac]

Ours is a steel bath with battens on 3 sides and a frame for the front panel on the other, that combined with the legs and it's rock solid..

 

[Hollyd1986]

Ours is a steel bath with battens on 3 sides and a frame for the front panel on the other, that combined with the legs and it's rock solid..

Thanks, I am thinking perhaps it needs a frame and battens....if it hasn't got some already

Need to get the panel off and have a look.

Thanks all

 

[jeff the gasman]

Cut some lengths of 2x1 timber slightly over length and wedge from the floor to the bath corners on the tiled sides. Adjust feet and it’ll go nowhere.

 

[Hollyd1986]

Cut some lengths of 2x1 timber slightly over length and wedge from the floor to the bath corners on the tiled sides. Adjust feet and it’ll go nowhere.

Thank you

 

[conny]

As stated above, battens is probably your best bet alongside making sure all feet are touching the floor when the bath is empty.

If you cut horizontal battens to go under the bath ends, you can then support these on vertical battens fixed to the wall below. (Imagine the pi symbol made with 3 bits of wood.)
On the long side against the back wall you may have to use 2 battens lifted up from underneath after sliding them under the bath bottom between the legs. Might have to jiggle them a bit to get them through. Fit vertical supports to these to hold them in place also. Once all battens are secured run a faint pencil line along the wall/tiles. This is your datum point to measure how far the bath moves when you fill it, it can be erased later. Now fill your bath to at least 3/4 full and draw another faint line. Leave overnight to see if it sinks any further, hopefully it shouldn't.
With the bath still full of water you can now run a thick bead of sealant between the bath and the wall. I tend to use a clear silicone first to get a good depth in, leave it to skin over for an hour or two and then finish with white to match the surroundings. Leave the bath full for 24 hours to allow the sealant to fully cure. After emptying the bath see how close it comes to the top pencil mark. Hopefully the sealant will only allow it to rise a fraction of the distance, if at all. If it rises all the way up to the top line then you have a cheap bath that will always flex and distort.

 

[Hollyd1986]

As stated above, battens is probably your best bet alongside making sure all feet are touching the floor when the bath is empty.

If you cut horizontal battens to go under the bath ends, you can then support these on vertical battens fixed to the wall below. (Imagine the pi symbol made with 3 bits of wood.)
On the long side against the back wall you may have to use 2 battens lifted up from underneath after sliding them under the bath bottom between the legs. Might have to jiggle them a bit to get them through. Fit vertical supports to these to hold them in place also. Once all battens are secured run a faint pencil line along the wall/tiles. This is your datum point to measure how far the bath moves when you fill it, it can be erased later. Now fill your bath to at least 3/4 full and draw another faint line. Leave overnight to see if it sinks any further, hopefully it shouldn't.
With the bath still full of water you can now run a thick bead of sealant between the bath and the wall. I tend to use a clear silicone first to get a good depth in, leave it to skin over for an hour or two and then finish with white to match the surroundings. Leave the bath full for 24 hours to allow the sealant to fully cure. After emptying the bath see how close it comes to the top pencil mark. Hopefully the sealant will only allow it to rise a fraction of the distance, if at all. If it rises all the way up to the top line then you have a cheap bath that will always flex and distort.

Thank you for the explanation. I'll get my partner to have a look. He knows a plumber too so may get him to ask him to have a nosey as I'm sure he's prob got experience with this sort of thing