My bathtub goes "crack" or maybe "creak" once every time I get in it, but I haven't seen the distance between the tub and the tile increase in a year or two, when I started paying attention. At the end of the tub with the faucet, it's one mm from the tile near the side wall and
2mm from the tile on the side away from the side wall.
I don't take showers in the tub, only baths there, so I'm not getting any water into the wall, except the one time the tub overflowed, and water got on the floor. The creaking is no worse since that happened.
What are the chances the tub will fall through the floor in the next
30 years? :-) What are the chances it will fall through the floor within say a week or a month of when it clearly shows that it is sagging worse?? I don't want to waste money fixing it now if it will never get that bad, but I don't want to damage the ceiling downstairs etc.
There may not be a leak. Mine makes a noise like that too. it is a vinyl tub and the support underneath has failed causing the squeak. there is not leak cause I am able to see under the tub from the access panel. You could have a similar problem. if there is a way for you to open up the wall and take a look you might be able to tell whether there is really a leak or not. I am living with my squeak for now but a tub replacement is the only option for me and may be for you.
If there is no leak the chance is zero. With a leak close to zero. You will have other very big problems before that happens.
:-) What are the chances it will fall through the floor
You did not mention sagging in your description. Is the floor sagging and how can you tell?
I don't want to waste money fixing it now if it will
Water damage can be unbelievably expensive to fix down the line. most homeowners will take out a loan rather than risk serious damage to their biggest asset. Do not take a chance on water damage thinkin you are saving money. that is foolish in my opinion.
My newly installed (by a plumber cuz I hurt my back) Americast tub creaks when I get in it, or move around in it during a shower. The old cast iron tub did not creak. In my case, the new tub is lighter and just doesn't load the floor until some gets in it. I haven't closed up the walls yet, so I plan to remove the screws holding the tub down on the 2x4 ledge, stand in the tub to preload it, and put in new screws or roofing nails to hold it down.
Well, on the end with the plumbing, the other side of the wall has the shower stall, so I can't easily put in an access panel. Hmmm, I guess I could remove some tiles, and somehow make a waterproof door, but I really don't want to do that.
My tub is light weight steel. When it cracks or creaks, so far, I haven't seen anything move, even at the edge where I hear the sound coming from. But I'm probably not looking until after I hear the sound.
OK, that's what I need to hear. All I want is some warning, and then I'll use the shower stall until I get it fixed.
Two ends and one side are next to walls.
The only sagging is what I mentioned, at the end of the tub with the plumbing, 1 mm on the side of the tub next to the wall and 2 mm on the other side. It does seem a lot less now that there is nothing in the tubl, and even when I get in (225 pounds) it only cracks or creaks a little, and doesn't sag those 2mm. I guess the water weighs a lot.
There is no on-going leak afaik, only possible damage I did with the two times I let the tub run over, and 10 or 15 times it leaked decades ago, from the drain. That stopped, and my only guess is that the dead skin and dirt that comes off my body during a bath filled whatever hole there was.
It never damaged the ceiling below. The water would come down the chain of the chandelier and start to fill up the glass globe around the light bulb. Got as much as 2 inches deep during those occasions
And when I let the tub overflow last year, it got maybe 5 inches deep in that globe, so that 2 or 3 inches of lightbulb was under water. I think the lightbulb was on at the time, and I'm amazed that it didn't break. If it wasn't on, I know I turned it on for a few seconds before I realized I should turn it off.
Several of my neighbors, identical townhouses, also had leaks, but the ones I met all had damage to the dining room ceiling, and had to repair it. I got off lucky since all the water came down the chain.
Despite all the water I talk about, it's dry now, and you've all convinced me I don't have much to worry about, and I'll get some warning when and if I do.
This sounds like my situation. I have light steel too. It only sags at most 2mm but it is the creaking that had me scared. I've been meaning to ask about this for months.
If the tub is moving, seems the "creak" might eventually loosen some plumbing fittings. I would give some serious thought to replacing it and have someone knowledgeable look at supporting structure whilst doing the replacing. I once live in a rental with a rocking toilet - wasn't heavy, or I probably would have gone through the badly rotted floor.
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