Gap between bath and wall(help me seal it)

[Jimmyjaffa]

Hi i have just fitted a bathroom suite and now im left with a gap between the bath edge and the wall.Originaly i filled this gap with some wood and tried to seal it with silicone, tiles and grout; but being at the shower end, due to the pipe work being in the way it seems to be leaking. Have any of you got any ideas on how to seal/fill the space? Its just this little thing i need to sort out to finish the project. Any help would be greatfully received,jim.

 

[Softus]

My advice would be to not have a gap.

Can you post a photo here so we can see what you're trying to seal?

 

[Jimmyjaffa]

Sorry cannot send photo but the gap is 50mm and is between end of the bath and the wall at the tap end.I can not butt the bath against the wall as the pipe work will not allow this.I need ideas of how to fill the gap using which material and it needs to have a good seal as its at the shower end will get very wet or something that will seal then allow me to tile over it,many thanks,jim.

 

[Softus]

You describe this as a little thing, but it isn't. You're trying to seal something starting from a very awkward situation, and is one that I would have avoided getting into at all costs .

Frankly, I'd take the bath out again and do whatever is necessary to make it butt against the wall. If this means building a false wall over some pipework, or chasing the pipework in to the existing wall, then I urge you to do that.

 

[wanabechippie]

I had a similar porblem when fitting my bath recently. The wall was severly bowed out and left a gap 25mm at its widest point.

Being the resorseful bodger that I am, I resorted to sticking gaffer tape along the outer lip of the (acrylic) bath (below the curve and opposite the wall). I then stuffed the gap with lashings and lashings of plummbers mait until I was left with a slight incline towards the bath for run-off.

No doubt this will bring gasps of dispair to the pro's out there, but; 'I live, therefore I bodge'.

I then used some of that silicone sealent strip from B&Q and stuck that to the Plummbers Mait and bath and tiles with more silicone.

A bodge to end most bodges, I'm sure you'll agree but it seems to be working perfectly and holds the bath tight agaisnt the wall which greately reduces wobble when someones in it.

 

[Softus]

There's no problem with that approach, as long as you're prepared to redo it all at regular intervals...

 

[Eric Sullivan]

Do you have pipes coming down the wall behind the bath? If so, box them in with some 2X2 and Hardibacker board the width of the bath. Stop 5mm above the bath and seal with silicone. tbh I would do that even if there are no pipes.

If you just want to bridge the gap, whatever you do it with would have to be fixed solidly to the wall but allowing slight movement of the bath. If you were going to tile the top of this you would be advised to tank it to the wall with tanking compound and polyester tape and have it fall towards the bath. And by the time you've done that you could have brought the wall forward 2 inches