Rearranging bath location (turning by 90 degrees)

[Kevin Brady]

I am currently embarking on (amongst other things), refitting m

bathroom.

My master plan requires the bath to be removed from its curren location against a window and across floor joists, and it's replacemen to be located against the adjacent wall, away from the window (so i ca shower properly), but consequently in line (parallel) with th supporting floor joists.

On new build housing, it is always required that joists are doubled u when running parallel with bathtubs, for loading purposes.

However, retrofitting additional floor joists would be a nightmare. would much rather layer (say) 18mm chipboard or marine ply across th floor, after removing the old floor boards (which have been hacke about during CH retrofit), so I can lay a laminate floor on top. Thi should then give a continuous deck below the bath and (hopefully spread the load across the floor.

Does anyone have any comments/suggestions on this approach. I'm sur plenty of people move their baths around with no consequences.

ALL comments appreciated

-- Kevin Brady

[Huge]

It is? Mine are parallel, and undoubled, and have been for 30-odd years.

[Tony Bryer]

That's a new one on me too. Domestic floors are designed for an imposed loading of 1.5kN/m2 - 30lb/ft2. A standard bath is 5'6'x2'4", say 13ft x 30 = 390lbs. The bit of floor next to the bath is probably taking next to no load while you're in the bath but is designed to take another 390lbs. So you've got loads of strength there. In addition it's usual to use the same size floor joists across the whole first floor whose size is dictated by the longest span, and those under the bathroom floor probably have a shorter span so loads more capacity than the above.

What would be prudent would be to put a solid timber spreader under the bath feet if they would otherwise just be bearing on chipboard, perhaps midway between joists.

[BigWallop]

I don't think I'd be to concerned about the joists, but rather about the flooring grade chipboard that makes the final surface. Most building have joists that will take quite a bit of loading, but the floor boards and other final layers are less robust. So make sure you spread the loading of the bath across a double layer of boards, at the least, so you know the thing isn't going to push its feet through the floorboards.

[N. Thornton]

Fwom:Kevin Brady ( [e-mail])

replacement

I'd definitely avoid chipboard, if it ever gets wet it'll turn to mush.

The sagulator will help you work out load capacity of your joists. Whats required on new builds is fairly far removed from what will work these days.

NT