Replacing Bath

[dave030801]

I've just taken out a bath ready to replace with a new one. The bath was fixed to the wall with two brackets behind the bottom row of tiles. I had to remove the tiles to get to the brackets. The bottom row of tiles were not butted 2mm above the top of the bath, but went behind and below the top edge of the bath.

Questions:
1. Is it better to tile behind and below the top of the bath and seal the bath against the tile, or to tile to just above the top of the bath and to seal the gap? Does it depend in how square the walls are?
2. Is it better to fix the bath to the wall using metal brackets, or to just fix a baton to the wall and lay the edge of the bath onto it?
3. If using the baton method, is it necessary to fill the bath with water before sealing?
4. Any other tips please!

Dave

 

[Bernie2]

In the past we always allowed for tiling to finish on the top edge of the bath rim. then used flexible silicon to make up. Making sure the outer edge of the bath rim was under the tiles.

Fixing a batten on the wall as well as using the brackets we also did. As well as putting either a piece of t&g or 3/4" ply under each foot.
And some guys even put joist ends under the bottom of the bath as further support. It depended on how heavy the bath user looked. Lots of baths seem to have very weedy legs as well as frames.
Some say don't tile the bath until after its been used to find its settling point.

The thing is of course, if you put a batten tight up against the underside of the rim, where is the bath going to expand or settle down too if the batten is stopping it?

And don't forget people move while in a bath, so the weight may not be all in one spot all the time.
Usually if your unsure, follow the makers instructions or give them a ring, that way you are covering yourself in case you need to claim on a guarantee.

One thing you do know and that is plastic baths move, its controlling where it moves too that decides the fixing.

I take it we are talking about what are usually called plastic baths?

If its in your own house and your a bit of a weight, put all the fixings on, the baths usually find their own settling point.

 

[feltham]

when installing a bath i recess the bath into the wall to make it square and also letting the tiles sit on top of bath . the brackets on the fiber glass bath must be recessed into the wall so the tiles can go over them and i screw two 4 x1 boards to the floor and screw the feet to the board

 

[migoplumber]

i follow feltham, but then add two tubes of expanding foam, in a make shift frame roughly in the centre of bottom of bath, not so important with high end stuff, but the nasty stuff from b+q definetly.

shaun

 

[dave030801]

If I recess into the wall, is that also the short side where the taps normally are? How far in do you recess?

thanks

 

[leakylea]

do not recess too far if any at the tap end,as after tiling you will find taps too close to finished wall
A bath will only need to be recessed enough to correct an out of square corner of a room,
As for fitting a bath, screw the legs down,level, unscrew,push tight to wall,rescrew feet(at least three), and fix wall brackets if supplied,give it a good pull (the bath that is) if it moves you've not done eveything i've told you, do as your told and your bath will not move