Replies

1. 
   DanT | Jul 12, 2004 12:19pm | #1

   Mojo,

   Always mix up some mortar and throw under a new tub going in, no matter what type or brand it is.  This is the very reason as well as down the road it doesn't start to flex and move due to lack of center support. 

   As far as the current situation get some Great Stuff foam, the low expanding stuff and reach as far under as you can get, maybe extend the tube some, and apply it under the tub.  DanT

1. 
   along | Jul 12, 2004 03:48pm | #2

   Thanx, but..... tried it.

   First, the criss-cross pattern as well as the feet on the bottom of this tub prevents the morter from speading out evenly.  The couple of times I have laid down a morter bed with this tub (the first couple of times I installed this style tub), I had so more trouble leveling out the thing than it was worth.

   Second, I have attached a 5ft. long 1/4in. copper tube to the cans of foam (2 ea.) and injected it beneath the tub.  I am doing this blind since I can see under the first few inches of the tub, so maybe it is not getting to where I need it most for support.  I will try another couple of cans this morning and see if it does the trick this time. 

   If anybody else has any ideas I would appreciate hearing them.

2. 
   florida | Jul 12, 2004 03:57pm | #3

   Just dealt with exactly this situation in my son's new house. The guest bedroom bath squealed like a pig whenever it was used. Since it's on the second floor it made it interesting to try to watch TV to talk on the first floor.

   I had no access so removed the baseboard from the wall thta was outside the tub. I then cut 4 holes through the drywall above the bottom plate which gave me a way to get foam under the tub. I bought some plastic tube that would slide over the foam application tube and taped a 3 foot long piece of stiff wire to the tube. I was then able to slide the tube all the way to the far side of the tub, pull back 4 or 5 inches and then start the foam. The holes in the sheetrock allowed me to shine a flashlight through one and look through another while the tube was stuck through a third one. When I could see the foam flowing I slowly pulled the tube back until I had covered a 6 or 8 inch section. I then moved to the next hole and repeated until I had foamed the entire underside of the tub. I used low expansion foam and filled the tub with water before I started. After the foam set 2 days the squeeks were gone.

1. 
   rez | Jul 12, 2004 04:14pm | #4

   Rick, I got to wondering how come you applied the weight by filling the tub with water before you sprayed the foam?

   My thinking is after removing the water weight the potential of an upward thrust of the tub base springing back would be greater than if you foamed before adding the weight. 

   Or is this a mute point and the reason you added the weight was to keep the foam from pushing up and distorting the empty tub base?

   "sobriety is the root cause of dementia.",     rez,2004

   "Geodesics have an infinite proliferation of possible branches, at the whim of subatomic indeterminism.",Jack Williamson, The Legion of Time

1. 
   florida | Jul 12, 2004 04:44pm | #5

   I was afraid that without water in it that the foam would distort the bottom. I think with the low expansion foam the water wouldn't be needed for just the reason you cite. I ended up draining the water after about 4 hours because the foam didn't seem to be expanding enough.

1. 
   rez | Jul 12, 2004 05:16pm | #6

   Thanks Rick.

   I've a new fiberglass onepiece enclosed shower/tub unit that had gotten wet during it's storage.

   It had 3/4x3inch particleboard supports encased in more fiberglass running up the front sides of the shower as well as a particleboard underneath the base of the tub also encased.

   The moisture had turned the particleboard to mush so I have removed it. The base to be replaced with 2 3/4inch stacked plywood pieces, I'm wondering how to secure the plywood to the coarse bottom of the tub without leaving any voids.

   You think a thick coat of adhesive like a liquid nail product would work here? Thanks."sobriety is the root cause of dementia.",     rez,2004

   "Geodesics have an infinite proliferation of possible branches, at the whim of subatomic indeterminism.",Jack Williamson, The Legion of Time

1. 
   rez | Jul 14, 2004 06:56am | #7

   ok, liquidnail it is."sobriety is the root cause of dementia.",     rez,2004

   "Geodesics have an infinite proliferation of possible branches, at the whim of subatomic indeterminism.",Jack Williamson, The Legion of Time

2. 
   florida | Jul 14, 2004 02:08pm | #8

   Liquid nail would probably work but so would the foam. That stuff is some of the best glue there is. I've used it just like you mentioned by squirting small beads on the wood and then weighting or clamping it down. I don't think it would be possible to remove without destroying the pieces.

3. 
   brownbagg | Jul 14, 2004 02:59pm | #9

   bag of cement not redi mix or concrete and wet it up very wet so it will flow. almost like water.