Fibreglass bathtub question

[Popeye Jones]

I just discovered my recently renovated master bathroom with acrylic bathtub does not have a proper base installed under the tub. A contractor neighbor suggested I could cut an opening in the adjoining rooms' wall, to access the back of the tub, mix up some mortar, and jam it underneath once the mixture has hardened a bit.

What are my options to get this fixed, aside from ripping it all out. The last thing I want is a couple hundred pounds of water bursting out of the tub if it cracks.

What about drilling a hole, or cutting an access opening, and spraying some of that expanding insulating foam underneath for support?

TIA

pop eye jones@hotmail. com

[Joe Bobst]

That might work just fine. Buy a variety of brands first and make test pieces so you can judge whether it is sturdy enough. The more you can get under the structure, the better if will work, so plan the operation carefully. There are also many floor leveling compounds that could be used, where the flowability could be an advantage in maximizing support. HTH

Joe

[Tom Baker]

We installed three one-piece acrylic tub / shower enclosures in 1979. They have no extra support below. They are fine. TB

[ameijers]

What he said- unless the tub is a real piece of crap, it isn't a structural issue, it is a user comfort/perception issue. Tub floor flexing underfoot makes most people think 'cheap', leastways if they grew up using a real cast iron tub. (Still the best way to go, IMHO, if you can afford it. I hate plastic tubs.)

aem sends...