Fallen Bathtub

[becks1990]

Hi all, just created a page to ask a question! We have just bought our first home and are very happy. However the neighbour has told us that the bath fell through into the kitchen a while ago and that was the reason they renovated to the standard it's at now. There is a brand new kitchen and bathroom. In the bathroom is now a walk in shower which is beautiful but with a 3 year old and one on the way I'm desperate for a bath. My question is, am I able to put a bath back in or am I at risk of this sort of thing happening again, I also worry about the bedrooms upstairs as they have renovated the bathroom but the floors on the same level may have the same issue that caused it. Also is there any way I can find out what work was completed on it after this happened?? Any help is appreciated!

 

[Koolpc]

Only way to know for sure is to pull up some of the floor and take a look...

 

[becks1990]

I thought this maybe the case but no idea what I'm looking for, Would this be something that the plumbers would know when installing a new bath or would I need an opinion from someone else before even thinking about it? For reference our home was built between 1900 and 1920.

 

[CountryFan]

A plumber may know or perhaps a joiner/carpenter

 

[stevie888]

Bathroom floor joists are exposed to 2 evils: leaks leading to rot and plumbers who chop lumps out willy nilly. At that age there's probabbly been several renovations.

Check other areas for your own peace of mind

 

[Nige F]

Where in the UK are you ?

 

[becks1990]

We're in rotherham

 

[accelerator]

You'd need to check the integrity of your floor joists. The old ones probably failed from rot, which would have been caused by water leaks from the bathroom.

If the old bath went through the floor, they would have had to replace the floor joists.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Also is there any way I can find out what work was completed on it after this happened?? Any help is appreciated!

Bathroom floors, tend to be under higher stress, and with joists weakened by lots of pipework cut through them. With careless occupants flooding the floor, or pipework leaks, it can rot the floor, and the joists. If only the floor was damaged, the joists might have survived.

The only way to know, is to look, or have a joiner look. There are two ways to look, from above, lifting floor coverings, and floorboard/panels, or by removing plasterboard, to see up from below. Less invasive, might be to make a smaller hole in the plasterboard, and poke a snake camera up to see what can be seen.

 

[jj4091]

If you jump up and down on the floor do you feel any flexing, get your wife to join you. Does the kitchen ceiling look as though it has been completely replastered

 

[cdbe]

Why not contact the previous owners (obviously letting them know that you're not "angry") and ask them. It was likely an insurance claim so there might be a schedule of the work done or they might have details of the builders. There should not normally be a situation where a floor can carry a shower but not a bath.