Fitting a bath

[sk10]

Hi
I wonder if anyone can advise me. I am having 2 baths fitted by a plumber. One is a corner bath, and one a P-shaped bath. Now his work has been very good, and he has almost finished both bathrooms. But under the bath tubs, the baths are supported by the feet only, which are quite flimsy. I am not sure if he has attached the baths to the wall. Also the old baths that were removed had a wooden frame behind the front panel, probably to support the rim of the bath especially if someone should step up on it. I think there was also a baton on the wall side. This plumber has made no frame around the bath panel side. Both baths are resting on the feet only. I am not sure what would happen if you were to sit on the edge of the bath.

Can anyone tell me if this framework around should be a requirement? Also how is this done on a corner bath, or even a p-shaped bath with all its curves?

Thanks

 

[londonboy]

Now I'm no plumber but I think the feet should be screwed down to the floor, and the tiles should also help to hold the bath in.

 

[dextrous]

Baths should be fixed to the wall and the feet screwed down.

The occasional vertical bit of timber around the front edge will proved added rigidity to the rim you're talking about.

 

[oldplumber]

most baths that are at the cheaper end of the fibreglass market move and flex a lot, they come with the minimum of support : a frame at each end to hold 2 feet and a foot in the centre. There is a risk of cheaper models cracking especially if a heavy person uses them for showering in.

Personally I like to use a side batten along the supporting walls to take the weight of the lip edge and give a structurally sound bath. I also ensure the feet are srewed down to prevent movement. The side panel battens you mention used to be just to support the decorative panels, but they too can give additional support to the bath.

Overall if you have paid around £100 for a bath, you can probably see through the base when it is stood with light behind it. This sort of product needs as much help supporting it as the manufacturers tell u in their instructions, but dont blame the plumber if things flex a lot.

Moral here is not to hold back on the cash and buy the best you can afford and although they are colder to use the steel baths are the best t the cheaper end of the market.

If you are unhappy with the set up u have, ask your plumber to bolster up the feet with blocks of wood set under either end where the wooden baseplate can be seen and wedged in tightly, cheap and effective and spreads the weight of the bath over the floor joists.

 

[dextrous]

Or make some shuttering and have some readimix concrete poured in

 

[3500P5BV8]

Personally I like to use a side batten along the supporting walls to take the weight of the lip edge and give a structurally sound bath..

Sorry to hijack. The battens are a good idea, and I have done this once in the past. However, the slight movement when I was bathing/showering caused the lip to squeak/creak, where it rubbed against the batten.

Do you put anything between bath lip and batten to prevent this?

 

[oldplumber]

u can use the old favourite - silcone if u must or even worse, but works squirty foam and let it set. Dont call me back to replace a bath if u do try these tricks, u can end up pulling down the plasterboard walls its glued too!

 

[longdogs]

If bath is sitting on floorboards, I normally screw a couple of planks down across the boards and a short one in the middle, so that the feet can then be screwed down onto the planks.