I’m about to tear apart my bathroom and make my own custom tub. My thoughts so far are to cast it in place and leave the outer form in place. Much like the cast tub in FHB 145 pages 102 and 103, but cast on site. Has anyone tried this or made a custom tub. I have a friend whom says the stucco aproach would be the easy way. shape it the way I want and then get a final coat and tile over that. Just looking for Do’s and Don’t
Anyone?
jason
The Big Beautiful Bill could do away with much of the Inflation Reduction Act, including the 25C, 25D and 45L tax credits.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
anyone???
A custom tile tub weighs a ton... make sure the floor can handel it.
That said:
Get samples of all tiles pieces, and a tile and shower pan type tub drain. Figure your framing layout exactly (to 1/16") and you will have no cut tiles. Don't forget to plan an overflo system.
Frame it with RW or Cedar, frame the tub bottom at 8"OC
Skin your framing with concrete backer board (Wonder Board, etc.) useing the biggest pieces you can to provide a solid concrete surface.
lay the shower pan,
Use drypack to sculpt all curves and contours to about 1/2" of finish concrete, then lay wire, then pack to finish concrete. Keep it moist and curing for at least 1 week. (Up to 4 weeks.)
Set tile.
We used rubber mallets with one face ground to a convex surface to pack the drypack and to mold the wiremesh.
The mesh will be nailable only where the framing is near the surface of the mud, so you will be nailing at the top only. A drop of construction glue will hold a balky piece in place till you can drypack.
Galvy hogrings were used to sew pieces together and hold folds down. Lap joints 1".
We drilled 3/4" vent holes in all stud bays at the floor and ceiling then stuffed them firmly but not hard with mineral wool. 2 vents/bay.
The price of this advice is that you must post pictures of the project, otherwise you must not read this post. ;>)
SamT
"Law reflects, but in no sense determines the moral worth of a society.... The better the society, the less law there will be. In Heaven, there will be no law, and the lion will lie down with the lamb.... The worse the society, the more law there will be. In Hell, there will be nothing but law, and due process will be meticulously observed."
Grant Gilmore, The Ages of American Law (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1977), pp. 110-111.From 32866.117
Thank you Thank you Thank you
I've asked every one in town and on breaktime to find just a few pointers and you gave me some.
Thanks again, I just finished bulking up the floor system (it could hold an elephant now) and just before I wrote this, I figured out where my overflow drain will go and put in the vent. I have not put the subfloor in yet but was planing to use redwood (with green coppercoat paint) for framing. The only question in my mind is whether to put subfloor over the entire thing or leave cut corners (where my plumbing enters the structure) so if there is ever a problem I could actually get to it. I'm confident that the floor could support the tub with water and tile and concrete, I'm just now wondering about access to the parts. I'm working in a small 5ft by 5ft space with thick brick walls on every side but where you'll get in. The tub will sit diagonal in the space so you have about 6 ft of tub space to sit in.
I will post pictures if you guys keep helping me out
Thank you
Jason
I have been wondering about drains. So far I was planing to use a two part shower drain for the overflow and then another two part shower drain with a utility sink drain with stainer (or just regular rubber tub stopper. I was only thinking that because I live in a small town and that's what I can get here. I looked thru the big book of plumbing supply parts at the store, but you can't really tell which part to get with their strange catalog system. I had one friend suggest finding a way to hook the tub drain to a pvc ball valve that you could turn through the wall (sounds fun to build but I don't want to be the first to try it, because I'm fine with a normal rubber plug). Do you guys have photos of any of the one's you've done?
Thank you once again
Jason
So if your tub is just slightly larger than Five feet and membranes only come in five foot rolls what do you do? I thought that since the drain is in the middle I would lap a few three pieces together and glue them, like a roof valley except the valleys would have a lap of a couple feet, my My other idea was to use pond lining ,but but it is extremely hard to fold and it is 3 times as thick. Or is there some special company that makes membranes larger than five feet?
jason
Go with the lap and glue... that way you'll have enough to go over the dam and up the sides a little.
SamT
"Law reflects, but in no sense determines the moral worth of a society.... The better the society, the less law there will be. In Heaven, there will be no law, and the lion will lie down with the lamb.... The worse the society, the more law there will be. In Hell, there will be nothing but law, and due process will be meticulously observed."
Grant Gilmore, The Ages of American Law (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1977), pp. 110-111.From 32866.117
Dont do the "Roman Tub" if your tub is not pured on firm ground. The problem comes from moisture the soaks past the tile and grout. A shower pan detail will solve the moisture problem. The tub puts too much weight on joist and rots if its touching.
Jason -
I've built a couple custom tile veneered tubs and I'm in the process of building another. The "stucco" approach, or mud set tile application process is, in my humble opinion the prefered approach.
Keep in mind, however, that tile and mortar are *not* waterproof. Especially in a tub situation where what I'll refer to as the containment vessel is subject to even the slight head of water present in a bathtub. Cementitious backer board *could* be used but I wouldn't advise it.
Are you familiar with stucco application? I'll assume not so if you are pardon the rudimentary advice.
Frame the tub allowing for at least 1" of metal lath, mortar and tile. If you use a tile backer board you could reduce this allowance to 3/4" setting bed + tile depending of course on the thickness of the tile you intend to use. In no case should the setting bed be less than 1/2" thick.
Prior to application of the metal lath you'll need to install a water proof membrane of some sort. If the tub is simply a rectangular vessel, a good option is the sheet membranes available at most home center outlets. But the inside corners must be folded in such a way as to be seamless thus waterproof. This membrane needs to extend at least 4" above the edge of the tub or the overflow.
For the drain, use a standard shower drain. I'd suggest locating a good plumbing supply house and obtain an "easy-test" (trade name) two part shower drain. I suggest this because I know you can get a pull-up drain cover to replace the standard strainer on the top. There may be other brands or trade names available but this is one I know exists.
The overflow is a problem. I've never found anything really suitable for clamping into a shower pan membrane system. The first tubs I built I just omitted the overflow. Check on your local codes to see if an overflow is required. If the tub spout is at least 1" above the curb, theoretically, at least, the only thing an overflow would provide would be limiting the amount of water (and weight) of the filled tub. Essentially, the tub is nothing but a shower with a high curb with a drain you can close in order to fill it up. It's a code issue on the one hand and a personal preference with regard to the potential overflow situation if the code doesn't require it.
Once the membrane or pan has been installed, put a test plug in the drain and fill the tub to at least 1" below the rim or overflow. Leave the water in the tub for at least 24 hours. This is one step you simply must not ignore! If there are leaks in the membrane, you'll be breaking the entire installation out in as little as three years and doing it over. You can't short circuit this step!
If you haven't decided at this point that it's a major, MAJOR project, we can proceed with application of the scratch coat and setting bed. We're much less than half way there! (grin)
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
As to the tub drains, in '78, my partner, the tile setter, was able to get them from somewhere in Europe. An dats all dat I no.
For overflows we used small strainer drains from sinks and clamped the membrane to the bottom of the tile. The soap ledge or seat or other flat surface at side or end was built 1" lower than the dam side and the overflows set there. We always used at least 2 since this was nonstandard construction.
The purpose of the overflow is to prevent water damage to the home because in the life of the tub, someone will leave the water on and walk away.
SamT
"Law reflects, but in no sense determines the moral worth of a society.... The better the society, the less law there will be. In Heaven, there will be no law, and the lion will lie down with the lamb.... The worse the society, the more law there will be. In Hell, there will be nothing but law, and due process will be meticulously observed."
Grant Gilmore, The Ages of American Law (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1977), pp. 110-111.From 32866.117
> ....The soap ledge or seat or other flat
surface at side or end was built 1" lower than the dam side and the overflows set there
Helluva idea, Sam!! Where were you when I was framing and plumbing this one!? (grin)
...........
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
Don't forget to sit /lie down in that work of art, in progress. Are you building it for room for two? Then you both should jump on in. Last Custom Tub project I was involved in, the "bisque" on the tile was soft. Which wasn't noticed until grouting began, the grout scratched the Tile. Hmmm, HO, picked out tile at out of town shop. Tile setter, installed tile, and nobody was happy. It made me sick, I took the day off from sheduled work, and instead moved a very large Maple tree trunck from the HO front yard. I was the Carpenter, but doggone it , you talk about a stoke killer. Jim J
I just got my tile this weekend and will frame everything to it's size and everything that goes below. It's a small marble tile and it's already been tumbled so even if it gets scratched it will not look much different. And yes it will have room for two or, with less water room for one. I've planned it so if your just taking a bath by yourself or with two you don't have to use up every last drop of hot water before the tank fills up (that was with my friends suggestion, after getting a Jacuzzi for free and installing it, only to realize the hot water heater for his apt. was undersized.) So it's designed to be efficient no matter how you use it.
Jason