# Tub soft spots



## gottodo1 (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi,
      So since I moved in I've mostly been neglecting a problem I'm about ready to fix. About a month after we moved in the tub developed soft spots between the ribs in the floor. Home warranty said they wouldn't cover it (crock of **** IMO, but they did cover a new water heater) Subfloor is in good condition. Shortly there after it developed cracks. I used an epoxy as a temporary fix and it's working great. I had also put foam in under the soft spots as of course the tub was installed incorrectly... big surprise. The foam prevented it from getting worse but not to the point it was solid. 

SO the real problem is, this bath room was built around the 1 piece garden tub. This is the first one piece I've ever had and I LOVE it, no caulk easy to clean I mean I LOVE it. They literally extended the bathroom about 2 feet out beyond the side of the rest of the house when they built the house to fit this (common practice in ND). This may actually benefit me.

I see 2 ways to fix and keep a one piece tub. 

One guy says he will send me a new piece of fibreglass for $300 or $400 and the chemicals to melt the resin and form a new bond. Unfort the color will never match.... but maybe it could be made to look good with just the floor a diff color? http://www.nulookrefinishing.com/ 

Complicated but all makes sense. Sounds a little fishy that he can mail all that but makes perfect sense to me about being able to do it, it's just resin and glass like a PCB. 

I had a plumber come out and say he could fit a normal tub but never a garden tub.... 

BUT if I ripped out the wall to the outside of the house I could slide a new one right in... Seems like an insane amount of work but... this is my top choice at this point.

3rd option would be to build our own tub with tile (we love tile) but I've never seen a tile tub just showers (like the one I'm doing down stairs)so I'm not sure how well that would work... Anyone ever done that? Maybe something like this [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nlkAAOhol8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nlkAAOhol8[/ame] or this but with no seating? http://www.terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?40553-Bathtub-made-out-of-tile

I actually love this tub, but need to fix it before it does actually leak. 

This is actually holding up my downstairs bathroom as I don't want to put on the ceiling until I know I have my tub problem solved.

Any thoughts? Is there a 4th way if I can't even fit just a garden tub base in through the doorway (both due to the doorway & the hallway) with separate side walls?

I did however get the new plumbing done to this tub so it looks great and will be easy to remove and if we get a new tub and cut open the house.


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## nealtw (Jun 17, 2013)

I would get some advice on the home warrentee, no does not always mean, sometimes it just means we won't if we can get away with it.
If you are talking a 1 peice regular size tub wth wall attached you can usually replace it with a 2 or 3 pcs tub that will fit thru the doors and if installed properly have no problems with leaking.


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## gottodo1 (Jun 17, 2013)

neal,
     Unfortunately for a garden tub (the wide deep oval tubs) there is physically no way to fit a solid base (even if the walls are separate, which we don't want) into the bathroom without alterations of one sort or another because of how tight the corner is into the bathroom from the hallway. I personally hate wasted spaces so small hallways were a plus when I bought it.  We could fit a regular rectangular tub but then it wouldn't fill the hole that the current tub would leave and I like the larger tub. 

I also know the insurance was hosing me on the insurance but they did literally exclude fiberglass assemblies... I fought with them a bit as it was improperly installed in the first place but they said I would have to go to the owner for that... Basically I blame my home inspector quite a bit for doing such an awful job but all of that is beside the point, I'm just tired of fighting and if I do it myself it will be better than having a contractor do it for a reasonable price. 


Has anyone done a tub install the way that video shows it being done?


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## nealtw (Jun 17, 2013)

A built in shower has enough problems with having water running on the surface, I would think a bathtub with water sitting in it could have those problems and more. Not just the water sitting in it but all the extra weight of the water too.
Depending on siding and height off the ground, coming in thru the outside wall could at least be looked at before the idea is thrown away. The hole in the wall should be framed like a big door with a header or a beam holding up the roof and the wall may be an easy remove.


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## gottodo1 (Jun 18, 2013)

Neal, ya, we haven't discounted doing that, especially if we reside, but it's not trivial. My wife likes the idea of a tile tub and I'm just trying to check out that idea. I've seen lots of roman tub forum posts some using these orange mats (name escapes me now), some doing other things, but many people say they work well and last a long time. I'm not sure why if they can make a cement pool hold water I can't make a tub the same way? 

Anyway, anyone ever done a roman tub like the video showed?


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## nealtw (Jun 18, 2013)

I have no experience with a tub like that, I would think kerdi is the product you want use for water proofing but they don't talk about tubs on their sites.
Here is a forum where the guys are talking about kerdi    http://forums.finehomebuilding.com/breaktime/construction-techniques/schluter-kerdi-system-opinions
kerdi has a special drain for their shower but doesn't seem to have one for a tub.


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