ROFLMAO!!
That brought back a few happy memories. Remember the hiss noise as the enamel keeps splintering off long after you have bashed it?
You forgot the thick gloves as there are edges like those on a new bandsaw.
Daughter didn't trust herself to get the wall/bath silicone right when re-tiling her bathroom recently so asked me to do it.
Arrived to find the bath half full of water: delighted to find that she had taken in what she'd seen me do a few years earlier!
Not too difficult TBH. Cast iron baths weigh a ton, so you will need some help shifting it. The recieved wisdom is to hit it hard with a hammer and it will shatter - alledgedly :-)
Use flexible tap connectors & make sure the new bath os properly supported all round on battens - don't rely on the bath legs alone.
to treat the Mrs to an authentic Cleopatra experience?
Owain
In terms of hit-it-hard and it will shatter...
Would it not be possible to drill numerous holes and basically join them up?
+1 for steel baths. It may not matter but if you look around they come in 1400, 1500, 1600 and 1700 lengths, also IIRC 700 and 750 widths. If you have the space and a shower over the bath, 750 wide is worth choosing for the extra space.
Tony Bryer wibbled on Monday 07 December 2009 01:35
Agree there. Mine is 750 and it is *so* much more pleasant to lie down in.
I would say the opposite. I fitted 3 B+Q baths last year, and found they were rubbish. Really thin. Poor quality fittings, and on one, the cradle pieces were countersunk the wrong way round, so the supplied screws wouldnt fit. When the delivery men told me they have returned some because people had put their feet through them when having a shower, I had no reason to disbelieve them.
For better quality, go to a good commercial Plumber Mechants, who would be able to get you a decent bath for less than £150. Armitage Shanks (merged with Ideal now I think) do/did (it may be renamed now) the Sandringham bath, which was a real good quality bath at around £120.I've fitted maybe 10 of those over the last couple of years, and never had a problem with them.They were selling for £300 3 years ago.
Kaldwei do a steel bath at around £100, that is good too.
Beware of the rubbish panels supllied with a new bath. Throw it away, and spend £50 on a new one. The supplied ones are fine if you can spend
3 hours making a framework to support it - they are really flimsy.Alan
What, £2.50 scrap value? Most cast iron baths are of a ubiquitous 40s/50's/60's design that no-one will fit nowadays, so they are worthless, apart from their scrap value. Alan.
You can do it on your own, I have done it a few times. It is easier with
2 people, but if you are careful, it can be done. Remove all fittings, lift up so the deep end is on the floor, then it can be slid along, or walked. If you keep it at a slight angle, with yourself braced against it, then it is simple. Lack of space rules this out, so you'll need to lean it against doorways/walls to get it out. It is possible to do it with no damage to the property if you think about it before starting. I have also broken them up in-situ. That is not easy too, as you are still left with heavy pieces, which now have sharp edges. Alan.
Are they not going to sit in salvage yards for 60-100 years and then they'll be back in fashion?
I did it in SWMBO's aunts bathroom with the aid of a mate, so its possible. Fairly substantial cast iron jobbie in a delicate shade of turquoise! That was in a place with a large bathroom, and a relatively easy run down the stairs though.
"Stephen" wrote
Couple of further points: I covered the bath with a sacrificial sheet when breaking up to contain flying glaze (not a substitute for wearing goggles!). Also put board over window (probably overkill) to avoid damage. Finally, watch out when you break the bath (if you go that route), which way parts will move. I incurred a minor graze when the two halves of mine parted company, as one half "fell over" onto my shin :(. It takes a big hammer and not a little force to start the first crack IME.
Phil
I couldn't believe how heavy a cast iron shower tray was that I removed recently. Eye and ear protection, good gloves and a lump hammer required.
Modern fittings make it easier but you may need clever spanner(s) if for any reason you want to install the taps after the bath is in place. Usually a very narrow gap to work in between the tap end of the bath and a wall.
Fitting pipes together is a lot easier than many people think. Consider earthing implications if you think about using any plastic pipe or connectors.
If there is any lead piping in situ at present seek further advice or find a plumber.
The bit I hate is the tiling and sealing around the bath. You need to ensure that the bath is supported so that it moves as little as possible. I seal with the bath 2 thirds full.
I am very wary of stuff from places like B&Q. Often under engineered. Good advice and better quality often available at plumbers merchants. Get good quality fittings. A better bet than having to fit and seal a new waste after the old one corrodes in 12 months.
In message , A.Lee writes
Not a nice thought, once the foot was through it could be difficult to get it back out again as the sides would grab at the leg. A B&Q version of a Punji Stake trap.
The difficulty with this is that it does not work well with roll top baths - you can end up creating a moisture trap against the wall.
The traditional way of doing baths like this is to actually chop them into the wall a little (that also helps firm up cheap baths enormously) and seal into the rebate. Then tile down to them. That way the depth of tile plus the rebate into the wall swallows any roll off at the edge and leave you a flat top to tile down to and seal against.
Well, if you think about it, it must originally have been brought *in* in one piece!
yes indeed. In this case the HSE advice is very important. I would also wear tough gloves both when breaking and also when moving the bits . the broken bits are very sharp and it's easy to cut yourself.
They are extremely heavy.
Robert
When I did mine, I removed the cast iron bath in one piece myself. It was not too dificult to "walk" it out of the batheroom. I tied a rope to the bath so I could slide it down the stairs upside down. The other end of the rope was secured to the newel post at the top of the stair (just in case). As the bath started to slide down the stairs, I could control the speed but not stop it. It was then that I discovered I had my leg caught up in a loop of the rope and it was tightening up against the newel post. There was no one else in the house at the time but luckily, I was just able to reach a knife to cut the rope. I won't try that again.
When I phone the council to get the bath uplifted they said that it should be broken up first.
Archie
Ha. Possibly that's true, but it doesn't mean you can get it OUT in one piece. Mine had definitely been installed way before the stud wall around it..not to mention the door..
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