How To Install A Bath Tub

Tips for Installing a New Bathtub

One of the heaviest jobs in any home occurs when it’s time to install a new bathtub. Even if you choose the lightest tub you can find, it’s still going to be heavy. Keep this fact in mind if you should have a friend or neighbor offer to pay you $20 and a 6-pack for installing a tub for him, because the deal he’s offering you isn’t going to be a good one.

There are two different types of bathtubs you can install: freestanding (claw-foot) or a tub that’s framed in. If you’re replacing an existing tub, it will probably be the best practice to put in the same type of tub you’re taking out. However, if you have the space for a different or larger tub, go for it. No matter what you decide you’d like to have, take some measurements prior to going out to look at what’s available. After you have your new tub, here are the steps you’ll need to follow to install it:

Installing a Freestanding/Claw-foot Bathtub

In order to put your new freestanding or claw-foot bathtub together, you’ll need to put it up on jacks the way you would a car you wanted to work on. Since special jacks aren’t made for bathtubs, you can either use some of the packing material or a stand of bricks covered with towels. Either arrangement will give you the layout you need.

The first thing to install is the feet of the bathtub. Each one needs to go in a specific place and won’t fit right if you get them mixed up. Put the two on the plumbing end of the tub first followed by the two at the foot.

After the legs you can install the plumbing fixtures. Make sure you get the hot and cold water mounted on the correct sides. If you make a mistake at this point, it’s still relatively easy to change the fixtures to their correct positions.

Following the installation of all of the hardware, you’re free to get rid of the packing material or bricks you had the tub jacked up on and let it stand on its own. Using a level, determine if the tub is plumb. If it isn’t, you can adjust the space washers which are located on the legs until it is. Barring the possibility that your floor is uneven, this shouldn’t be a very difficult job.

Installation for a Framed-In Bathtub

It’s simple to install a new framed-in bathtub if you’re replacing an old one. The frame and the plumbing will all be there, and all you’ll have to do is put the tub in place and connect it. However, if you’re putting a tub into a new space, you’ll first have to build the frame and then install all of the plumbing lines before you can hook up the tub.

Make sure you have some help lined up when it comes time to move the tub into place, because it’s going to be very heavy and quite awkward to move. When it’s where you want it, check it with a level to make sure the sides are square (the bottom won’t be level, so don’t worry about it). If all of the sides aren’t even, use some shim to raise or lower them as necessary. Then install the ledgers which will give you a place to sit the tub which will hold its weight along the sides.

After the tub and ledgers are in place, you can fit the drain and overflow pipes together and then fit them into the tub to make sure that they are a perfect fit. If something is wrong, make adjustments as necessary. The drainpipe should fit right down over the p-trap. Then you can nail the tub into place, hook up all of the plumbing, attach any cover plates, and run some water to check how well it works and for leaks.

Once you’ve finished doing any kind of bathtub installation, stop and recheck all the work that you’ve done. If the tub wasn’t installed correctly, there’s a possibility it could slip from the ledgers while you or a family member is taking a bath. Before using the tub, however, you’ll need to add a bead of caulking around the edge and wait 24 hours for it to fully cure. If you decide that you don’t want to hazard the installation yourself, you can always hire a professional plumber to do it for you.