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Raycaster · May 2, 2008, 11:44 AM

I'm your average handyman "jack of all trade, master of none" and I'm in the process of re-doing Grandma's bathroom. I gutted the whole bathroom and reframed a back wall with insulation for the new bathtub. I installed a new bathtub and secured it with roofing nails on the edges and have drywalled.

2 Problems:

1) The bathtub squeaks, have to check if the nails are too tight or the drywall is rubbing. Hopefully its not something else...

2) The one end of the bathtub is 1/2 inch off the drywall not flush with the 1st lip. The tile is suppose to overhang off the drywall down to the second lip and be caulked I assume. Since I already have the tub snug in and drywall done is this just a matter off "building out" the end wall with extra adhesive for the tiles? I'd have to slowly straighten it back out after the tub to level out things. Should I use a different compound to build up the 1/2? How about the idea of thin metal mesh to help the thicker adhesive like the stuff used for floors?

I hope I don't have to shim the wall and redo the taping etc.

Suggestions will be much appreciated! Thank you!

ballengerb1 · May 2, 2008, 06:33 PM

Ray, just a few questions before we get rolling here. Is this a tub or a tub/shower and did you use regular drywall, greenboard, paperless or Hardibacker board on the walls? I set tubs and shower pans in about 20 globs of modified thinset on the floor, they don't squeek but that a little late for you.

Raycaster · May 3, 2008, 06:38 AM

This a tub only with shower head. The room is 5 X 10 with the tub on the back wall. I built the back wall out with 2 X 2s and insulated. The old flooring was removed and replaced with 1/2 plywood. The plumbing was replaced and repositioned for the new tub. The tub was placed in connected with no leaks. I secured the tub with about 6 roofing nails in the edges as per instructions.

I then used tile backingboard for 1/2 the room and blue board for the rest. I was told green is now switched to blue here in Canada.

When the tub was placed in I noticed it was just a little shorter than the width of the room by 1/4" to 1/2" so I snugged it to the drain side and knew I'd have to play with the other side eventually.

I looked into glueing the legs but 1/2 the people said yes and 1/2 the people said no due to the fear of the tub cracking...

Well, besides painting the none tiling area and ceiling and am ready to tile.

Looking over this perhaps I can answer my own question. Simply center the tub between the 2 wall instead of one snug and build both walls up on 1/4" instead of 1/2" on one side?

If the pros want me to glue the 4 legs I will. It just a matter of cutting the tilebacking board high enough to get under the tub...

Thank you for your time.

ballengerb1 · May 3, 2008, 10:22 AM

Hardibacker board comes in both 1/4" and 1/2", I'd go 1/2" on one side only to cut the patch job in galf.

hkstroud · May 4, 2008, 06:43 PM

A couple of questions if you don't mind.
First, did you install a ledger board on the back wall for the tub to rest on?
Second, You did install the tub first, securing it to the studs and then hang the tile backing board, overlapping the tub edge didn't you?

Please don't take offense but something about your post makes me think that you install the backer board down to the floor and then set the tub against the backer board.

Also could you expound on what you mean by gluing the legs? Is this a claw foot tub?

Raycaster · May 4, 2008, 08:40 PM

Thank you for the replies.

This is a standard fibreglass bathtub that has 4 support legs underneath. Yes I did run the stringers 1/4" under the bathtub lip as per instructions. I installed the tub to the bare studs and tileboarded around it.

I really think I will cut the tileboard a few inches above the tub and disconnect the drain so I can prop it up a bit to apply adhesive to the legs after centering between the wall.

I will then replace the cut away tileboard and hopefully the squeaks will be gone.

By centering the tub I'll only really have to build up both sides less than 1/4" to overlap the 2nd lip properly.

I appreciate the previous answer of installing another 1/4" tileboard that although fixing the tub problem would introduce a big offset to the other drywall.