Tiling around bathtub

[dhollm]

Hello,

I've read through many of the posts on this forum and picked up quite a lot of useful info! But I still have a few specific questions...

First let me summarise what we are doing:
- Replacing bathtub (old one has a crack)
- Re-tiling walls around bathtub
- Tiling the floor (previously had laminate over floorboard)

I have a good idea now of how to do most of this. But the questions relate to the space around the bathtub.

1. The current plan is to tile the floor *up to* the bathtub, and tile the walls *down to* the top surface of the bathtub. But this will leave the space under the bathtub completely unprotected from water. Should there be a leak, it would go right though the floorboards.

What is recommended for preventing this? Is there something that would waterproof that area?


2. Should the wall tiles overlap the edge of the bathtub, or should the bathtub be pushed up against the face of the tiles? It will be silicone sealed either way, so I'm not sure if it even matters.


I hope I explained this clearly... please ask if I can clarify any points.

Thanks very much!

 

[GJS]

Your approach sounds right. There is no way to waterproof your bathroom floor (including the tiled area) unless you "tank" it. This is what's done in wet rooms that are intended to have water pouring directly onto the floor. It would be way over the top for your bathroom. The floor tiles are just impervious to water, they do not form a water barrier without some kind of tanking behind them.

If your bath leaks catastrophically you will be calling your insurers but fortunately this never realistically happens.

definitely have the tiles overlap the bath. This inherently directs water running down the tiles back into the bath, instead of between the bath and the wall. Install the bath first, make a silicone joint between the bath and the wall, then tile down to the bath leaving a gap of 2-5mm. After grouting has dried, make a silicone joint in the gap between the bath and the tiles. Then lay your floor tiles up to the bath.

Hope that helps.

 

[roughcaster]

Also,don't forget to fill the bath up with water when you put on the final bead of silicone around the bath, and leave the water in until the silicone has cured.

Roughcaster.

 

[GJS]

Also,don't forget to fill the bath up with water when you put on the final bead of silicone around the bath, and leave the water in until the silicone has cured.

Roughcaster.

Good point!