How to install a drop in bath tub

Ideally the tub sides should just touch the wood. After the walls are framed, set the tub into the space. Use a level check to see that the top of the tub lip is completely level in all directions.

You will probably need to use shims under the tub or under the tub feet if applicable. If you plan to use mortar make sure the gap under the tub is adequate to allow for an inch or so of the mortar. If your model has feet built in you will want to glue them down or use a small amount of mortar under each foot. Get the tub at the exact height you want and completely level.

Once you have drawn that line on all three sides where the tub will come into contact with the studs, remove the tub. That will be at the bottom of the tub lip. Screw or nail that board to the studs. This board will provide support to the top lip of the tub. If anyone ever steps on that tub lip, the board in direct contact with the bottom of the lip will prevent it from moving and possibly cracking.

Now that you have your support boards in place set the tub back in to make sure everything is perfect. The bottom of the tub lip should set right on top of the boards and be hanging for now from those boards. Look into the open front of your alcove at the gap between the bottom of the tub and your floor below the tub. These tubs are all water tested before they leave the factory but a lot can happen between then and the time of final installation. For that reason, before you enclose the front of the alcove you need to test the tub.

If something got bumped, cracked, etc, now is the time to find it. Make all your final drain connections and plug the pump or control box into your GFCI volt receptacle.

Fill the tub to check for leaks. Fill the tub to a level just over the highest jets. Turn on the pump and check everything over. Make sure it functions properly and check the lower areas for leaks or any sign of water.

Keep in mind that you need to provide an access panel that will allow you reasonable access to the side of the tub with the pump and controls. A reasonable sized access panel must be part of the plan during the initial construction. If you or someone working for you choose not to build an access panel in right away, and you have some minor issue down the road that needs to be dealt with, you are going to be the one that gets to figure out where to cut through walls to gain access.

That will span any gap between the tub edge and the studs. Do not bring the cement board all the way down to the tub. Leaving a small gap will prevent wicking.

Once the cement board is in place you can install your tile. Use an acrylic additive in the grout and once cured seal the grout joints with a waterproof silicone grout sealer. You want to fill the entire area with silicone. The best method is to fill the tub with water so the weight of the water will push down on the tub. With the tub still full, install the silicone.

Leave the water in the tub overnight until the silicone cures. When the tub is empty, it will be slightly compressed. This will prevent the silicone from pulling away from either surface. If this installation is done correctly it should last for over a decade without any leaks. You can speak to a whirlpool bath expert free weekdays and weekends central time. Call us at Cart 0. Bathtub Installation Guide All of our whirlpool tubs can be installed in at least one of three possible ways : Drop in Alcove Undermount Below, we will explain how each of these three methods work, which tubs are applicable, and we will list tips and tricks for installing your tub for each one.

Need help choosing between a whirlpool and air tubs? See our guide! The Drop-In Method. The drop in installation method is the most common installation method for really nice whirlpool baths. You build a raised deck that comes up to the lip of the tub enclosing everything below. You can use tile or marble for the deck top that can be just a few inches larger than the tub or you could have several feet of extra tile top. Start by determining the depth of the tub so you know how tall your deck needs to be.

You want to find the measurement from the underside of the lip of the tub to the bottom of the tub, where the feet or bottom support of the tub is. Basically with the tub sitting on the floor you would measure from the floor to the underside of the lip. Keep in mind that tubs that do not have support feet will sit crooked on the floor because the bottom of the tub is pitched so water runs toward the drain.

When the tub is set in place with the top lip level you will have the correct pitch at the bottom of the tub for full draining. Once you have established that dimension you should add an inch or two to that measurement. So build the deck slightly higher than what you think you need. The idea is to build the structural part, the base of the deck using 2x4 or 2x6 lumber and plywood. You want to get the framework done but leave the front open. Use plastic sheeting on top of the subfloor and underneath the mortar, as well as on top of the mortar, under the tub.

Doing this keeps the tub from bonding with the mortar, allowing you to more easily remove the tub at a later date. Set the tub in the fresh mortar, then fill the tub all the way to the brim to simulate the weight of a body plus water and mold the mortar to the tub form. Allow this to set for 72 hours before draining the tub.

All of your rough plumbing is done before the tub is put in place so that the only plumbing you actually have to do is connecting the drain pipes, faucets and shower heads. Do all the plumbing while the tub is filled with water and drying. This way, you can drain the water when the mortar has dried. Attach the drain of the tub to the drain for the floor and the hot and cold water lines to the tub faucets.

Depending on the type of plumbing you have, you may be working with plastic, metal or flexible piping. Flexible is the easiest to work with, as both metal and PVC plastic need to be cut and adhered together, which requires more work and time. After you have plumbed the tub and are waiting for the concrete to harden, you can set wood screws through the flange that runs around the edge of the tub and up the walls.

Screw these to the wall studs. These screws are then buried behind either drywall or cement board, depending on the finish material, which in turn goes on top of the wall all the way down to the top edge of the tub, with just a small joint for caulking and movement.

This effectively locks the tub in place behind the wall installation. Any covering material is placed on the deck along with the wall tile, thus covering the framing entirely. Tim Anderson has been freelance writing since He spent more than 15 years as a third-generation tile and stone contractor before transitioning into freelance writing.