Raising my bath 5-10mm

[MattB83]

I'm trying to re-silicone around our bath. Previously there was some off that plastic sealant that sits under the tiles but it was leaking so I've cut it off - however there's a big gap, even bigger behind the taps. Looking at the bath legs I'm wondering if I can just lift it up a few mm by turning the bolts but not sure if that's going to pull on the tap pipes too much. The hot pipe seems to have play in it but by the cold seems quite solid.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mmZKoabCzVAhnidT8

 

[ktuludays]

You can raise the bath that way to be tight up to the tiles. If water pipes are tight perhaps consider adding a flexi pipe and coupling or isolator instead of a rigid pipe.

 

[KenGMac]

MattB83.

The link below may be worth a look??

There are several quadrant type tile trims in various materials, these tiles are easily stuck on with a clear silicon and can fill a quite large gap, various suppliers and stiles?

https://www.tilegiant.co.uk/ceramic-bathtrim-set.html

Ken.

 

[MattB83]

MattB83.

The link below may be worth a look??

There are several quadrant type tile trims in various materials, these tiles are easily stuck on with a clear silicon and can fill a quite large gap, various suppliers and stiles?

https://www.tilegiant.co.uk/ceramic-bathtrim-set.html

Ken.

Thanks Ken, I was actually using something quite similar - an oval strip of plastic. Sealed using silicone. The problem was that the bath moves somewhat when I get in and out and the sealant around it keeps splitting. Also the rear of the bath has virtually no ledge so I wonder if it might be difficult to stick the tiles on there - but I'll definitely take a look thank you.

 

[ktuludays]

When you seal the bath are you filling it with water first?

 

[Madrab]

If the bath was sealed in properly to start with, it will be siliconed to the wall along the long and short edges and if it is then you'll be lucky if it'll lift anything at all.

If it was sealed properly then you may need to just re-silicone as is, just be tidy with the silicone. Clean the old gap out with a solvent to ensure the new silicone grips properly.

 

[MattB83]

When you seal the bath are you filling it with water first?

I did and it still came away - I think I didn't use enough silicone to stick the plastic strip on with!

 

[MattB83]

If the bath was sealed in properly to start with, it will be siliconed to the wall along the long and short edges and if it is then you'll be lucky if it'll lift anything at all.

If it was sealed properly then you may need to just re-silicone as is, just be tidy with the silicone. Clean the old gap out with a solvent to ensure the new silicone grips properly.

Thank you! Maybe that's why it moves more than it should - Not siliconed in properly in the first place? I can't see any silicone along the edges.

 

[Madrab]

You wouldn't see it, it should be fully sealed along the on the outside edge of the bath that faces the wall.

If you can stand in the bath and push down on the edges along the wall and the edge deflects significantly then it hasn't been sealed properly. No harm in trying to raise the legs if it does.

Try it and see if it rises, if so then drop it back down, fill the gap with silicone then raise it back up. Once that's done and excess removed then fill the bath full of water and leave overnight.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

https://www.eurocell.co.uk/

Sell lost of plastic trims, really intended for double glazing, but may of their profiles are useful and very cheap (less than £3 for 5m) for other than DG purposes. They do a 17.5mm and a 13.5mm quadrant profile, ideal for helping to seal around a bath and kitchen worktop. It will need a sealant - I used Bond-It Gripbond Pro White, which is much stronger than ordinary sealant.

 

[MattB83]

You can raise the bath that way to be tight up to the tiles. If water pipes are tight perhaps consider adding a flexi pipe and coupling or isolator instead of a rigid pipe.

Thank you. I realised the hot is on a flexi which is why it moves. Would I need to do anything to the drain and overflow pipes?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thank you. I realised the hot is on a flexi which is why it moves. Would I need to do anything to the drain and overflow pipes?

If you look at the run of the pipes, it should be obvious whether raising the bath just a few millimetres will be a problem. Likely, the answer will be no problem at all. Check to see if anything might stop the various pipes rising with the bath by that amount.

 

[MattB83]

You wouldn't see it, it should be fully sealed along the on the outside edge of the bath that faces the wall.

If you can stand in the bath and push down on the edges along the wall and the edge deflects significantly then it hasn't been sealed properly. No harm in trying to raise the legs if it does.

Try it and see if it rises, if so then drop it back down, fill the gap with silicone then raise it back up. Once that's done and excess removed then fill the bath full of water and leave overnight.

Thank you - very helpful. I've just done this and it is very wobbly. Looking underneath, the tiles stop above the bath and the wall is then 10mm or so away from the rim of the bath so I'm not sure what the silicone would fasten to. I'm not sure whether this means the bath was badly installed in the first place.

 

[durhamplumber]

I'm not sure whether this means the bath was badly installed in the first place.

Yes.It was.Otherwise you would not be in this situation.Maybe it is a flexi cheap and nasty bath too...Sort it properly or it will rot your floor and ceiling.

 

[mattylad]

Got a good quality photo you can share?
it would likely explain a lot.