11/07/05
Recently we (as a family) decided to upgrade our 60’s guest bathroom. We removed the 60” cast iron tub (in pieces) and removed the rest of the fixtures in the bathroom. A four (4) piece 60” tub enclosure was purchased to replace the old tub. The bathroom walls are concrete block with plaster over them. The floor is concrete slab. The bathroom is 61” wide (behind the plaster). I have already sawed out the area for the drain and will install new plumbing fixtures when the tub is installed. The problem is getting the new tub in where the old one came out. Is it possible to install a 60” fiberglass tub where a 60” cast iron unit came out? It looks like there should be a way to do it for upgrades but I haven’t figured that part out yet. Is there something that I am not seeing? Or will I have to cut a wall to slide the tub in where it is supposed to be?
Thanks and all suggestions are welcome. Joe Thomas

speedball1

Hi Joe,

You haven't told us where the tub's hanging up. I bet you broke the old cast iron tub up and left the drywall intact while you attempted to slip the new tub in. That mightb have worked but you're not just changing one tub for another are you? You're trying to install the tub and the enclosure at the same time and then wonder why it won't fit. Is the enclosure attached to the tub? Have you stripped the walls of dry wall to give your self some room?
I just don't have enough details to give you a complete answer but I can tell you how we change out a tub.
Say we have a steel tub to change out for a fiberglass one.
After we disconnect the drain we take out the drywall and tile on the far end of the tub up about 5'. We then can lift the old tub up and walk it out. The new tub just goes back in reverse order. Since you have a enclosed tub with walls you had better be looking at the walls to give you some "wiggle room".
regards, Tom

Joe Thomas

Hi Tom, "A four (4) piece 60” tub enclosure was purchased to replace the old tub. So the three (3) enclosure walls (left, center and right) are not attached to the tub yet. That comes after the tub is in place
The bathroom walls are concrete block with plaster over them. So, there is no drywall to remove. When you say "far end"...Do you mean the end of the tub opposite the drain and faucet...the foot of the tub? Are you saying that I will need to remove the plaster 5' up the wall before I can install the new fiberglass tub? The new fiberglass tub is hanging up on the walls of the bathroom at the bottom of the foot and top of the drain end when I try to pivot it into place. The actual length of the tub is 60"...Until you try to pivot it into place and then from corner to corner across the apron it is 62".So My problem is, Where do I get the other 2" from to make the pivot into place for the new tub. Thanks for you help Tom, Sincerely Joe Thomas

labman

Do we need a picture? What do we have here? Say a door on the south wall and you want to bring the tub in on its side, turn it to run East West, lay it on its bottom and slide it to the North. Could you knock a couple of holes in the block and slip the bottom corners of the tub in gaining just enough to pivot it around? Being fiberglass, will it flex just enough to turn it?

joepina56

need to replace kids shower & tub enclosure it feels like fiberglase & is in one piece i think how do i remove & replace????????????? not much room either
e-mail with suggestions
thank-you.
i also think its standard size and is 12 years old
one more thing we live in country with hard water so we need to clean a lot any ideas on colors

speedball1

If you're not saving the tub and enclosure just saw it out and toss it after you unhook the drain. As rule a replacement tubs color's dictated by the color of the the fixtures. Good luck, Tom