Leaking bath - help!

[ClairG]

Hi all.
I really hope someone can help me.
I've been having a nightmare with my bath (to the point where a patch of kitchen ceiling fell down).
I had a real cowboy botch my new bathroom, and he didn't seal the space between the tiles and the top of the bath properly so that my shower leaked. I was so upset, I couldn't face getting him back to fix the job, as he already had mentioned to me that I might need to put a bath trim over the joint if it doesn't work. (Of course he didn't fit a proper one behind the tiles at the time).
I've tried to put one of those plastic bath trim's around the bath that you can buy from B&Q, and silicone it in place myself.
It worked for awhile, but when I came to clean the bath and get the soap scum off, the silicone just peels off and comes away if you're not careful. This happened in a small spot away from the shower end, so I pushed it back in and made a note to re-silicone soon.

But ... I think that the corner of the bath must have also been leaking for awhile without my knowledge (hence the ceiling coming down).
I feel like the bath is tilted oddly as the water pools in the corner and cant drain away well, then is getting in any cracks in the silicone. But that could just be me thinking it's worse than it is.
I really need to try and fix it myself as I've no money to get someone in.

So if I pull out the old sealant around the trim, shall I just go ahead and re-seal with some top of the range flexible sealant?
Is it possible to layer the sealant up plenty in the corner to help maintain the seal?
And how come it pulls straight off the bath when I go to clean it? Was it bad quality sealant before? Pretty sure I used Unibond stuff.
I know I need to fill the bath before sealing, and I did that last time. Just fed up that I seem to have failed at sealing it.
Can I really go to town with the silicone sealant and slap it on as thick as I like in the corner etc to try and stop this happening again? Build it up a bit like?

So upsetting to have a plumber wreck your bathroom dream that you've saved up for. Hope someone has some tips for me.

 

[Charnwood]

I feel like the bath is tilted oddly

It could indicate damage to floorboards.

 

[ClairG]

Hmmm...
The floorboards are a bit random under there. The house was built in 1850 you see. But when you sit in the bath its not obvious that you are tilting or anything, however I thought there was a lot of water just pooling in the corner.
I will use a spirit level and have a look.
-----
OK just checked and the bath slopes into that leaking corner progressively. Should the bath itself be level? My mum said that all baths are meant to slope a bit to let the water drain away properly, but surely that slope is created in the mould of the base of the bath, and the sides are able to be level?
I think I might be able to raise the nuts around the legs to level it off. Do you think that's wise?

 

[TicklyT]

The top of the bath should be level in all directions. the fall towards the outlet is built into the base of the tub

The bath should be levelled by adjusting the feet, but each foot should carry an equal share of the load.

Any perceptible movement of the tub against the wall may cause premature failure of the sealant. It's flexible enough to take up thermal expansion, but it isn't really intended to be a 'glue' to hold together a shoddy installation.

It is common practise to stand a tub on timber bearers laid across floorboards to spread the load and help eliminate any flexing there.

A batten firmly screwed to the wall tight under the lip around the edge of the tub helps to support and secure it, but would be difficult to retrofit.
Shorter timbers fitted where possible after installation would be better than nothing.

Thoroughly clean and dry the area, finishing off with a wipe down with methylated spirits before attempting any re-sealing. Fill the tub with water to weigh it down before applying the sealant, and leave it full until the sealant has cured.

 

[ClairG]

The top of the bath should be level in all directions. the fall towards the outlet is built into the base of the tub

The bath should be levelled by adjusting the feet, but each foot should carry an equal share of the load.

Any perceptible movement of the tub against the wall may cause premature failure of the sealant. It's flexible enough to take up thermal expansion, but it isn't really intended to be a 'glue' to hold together a shoddy installation.

It is common practise to stand a tub on timber bearers laid across floorboards to spread the load and help eliminate any flexing there.

A batten firmly screwed to the wall tight under the lip around the edge of the tub helps to support and secure it, but would be difficult to retrofit.
Shorter timbers fitted where possible after installation would be better than nothing.

Thoroughly clean and dry the area, finishing off with a wipe down with methylated spirits before attempting any re-sealing. Fill the tub with water to weigh it down before applying the sealant, and leave it full until the sealant has cured.

That's exactly what I thought about the level of the bath. Thanks Tickly, my logic was validated!
However I'm rather worried that I won't be able to ensure the bath doesn't flex myself. I could raise the legs a bit here n there, but am not confident I'll do it perfectly enough to avoid the leak happening again.
Might have to admit defeat on this one and call in a plumber just to get it done once and for all. The beams are fairly dried out now, but I don't want to give them another soaking. Sigh.

 

[RigidRaider]

Borrow a long spirit level. Raise the legs and get the bath pushed up tight and level; it will have settled since it was installed. Get everything spotlessly clean as suggested above. Allow to dry. Fill bath. Reapply sealant, using a piece of plastic beading if appropriate. Make sure the bath leg screws are locked in place and can't slowly settle over the next few months, if necessary lock them with a dab of PVA glue or something sticky on the threads. Don't use too much though!

No need to call a plumber for that!

 

[alan999]

Hi
If your bath is now quite loose in its surrounding and all the old silicon is removed you could have a go at levelling it. Choose the most awkward foot to get to as your starting point and then go around clockwise twisting the adjustable feet slowly and checking the level after each adjustment. When you get back to the starting point it should in theory be level. Of course its a bit fiddly and you might have to go around 2 or 3 times but its not rocket science and it sounds like you wont make things much worse.

In your position when you have levelled it I would leave it for 2 or 3 days and just have shallow baths (without splashing!) before using any silicon. If its still level after that time you could then seal it as described above.
Good luck.

 

[ClairG]

Borrow a long spirit level. Raise the legs and get the bath pushed up tight and level; it will have settled since it was installed. Get everything spotlessly clean as suggested above. Allow to dry. Fill bath. Reapply sealant, using a piece of plastic beading if appropriate. Make sure the bath leg screws are locked in place and can't slowly settle over the next few months, if necessary lock them with a dab of PVA glue or something sticky on the threads. Don't use too much though!

No need to call a plumber for that!

Your confidence is inspiring! I shall give it a go