Placing tub in 3 wall alcove

lkrides · Jan 8, 2007

Can anyone advise me on how the heck to manuever this tub in to place? There's gotta be a technique that doesn't include cutting studs. It is a Lasco 60x30. The bathroom width is about 58" with the drywall. Drywall has been removed from tub area. I have attached a picture of my predicament.

Thanks
Lee

Geniescience · Jan 8, 2007

18"h x 60"l; need 3 inches wiggle room

turn it so the tub faces the bathroom door and the bottom of the tub faces the back OSB wall, as much as possible. Since your drywall isn't up yet, you have a couple inches extra space on each end, to turn the corners in, when it is turned on its side. The length is much less on this 18" x 60" diagonal than if you used the 30" x 60" diagonal.

An 18" height need 63". Might fit. Calculate in advance if you wish by measuring the diagonal and the max distance available. Or we can calculate by squaring the tub height and the tub length, summing these two numbers, and square-rooting.

if it works, it puts the tub in a straight line, but turned on its side. Then from there you are home free. Rotate it on its length axis into place. With a helper. Pad the floor. Get a strong patient helper. The tub (it's acrylic, right?) weighs less than 100 pounds.

i think you may have to remove more drywall on at least one side, and i hope your plumbing isn't taking too much space between the studs. Last step if necessary, using this same side-turn method, is to cut two 1/4" grooves in one stud (or remove a part of it and replace it right after), to let the two corners of the tub slide through.

hope this helps. and no i have never done this.

david

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

jlohrenz · Jan 8, 2007

Can you remove the toilet?

It might give you more room to maneuver it into place. With our bathroom remodel we had to pull the toilet to get the tub in place correctly. I also had to take about another 4 inches of drywall out in front of both sides of the tub, and about 8 inches higher than the tub for wiggle room.

It gave new understanding as to why they put the tubs in when the house has no walls during construction!

Plumber1 · Jan 8, 2007

You do need to remove the toilet........

Randyj · Jan 8, 2007

Definitely have to have sides toward ceiling and floor then rotate when in the space. I've done the exact same installation and it's a bugger but it can be done as long as you've got the 60". You very well may have to take out a little additional drywall then put in a backer plate (piece of wood to catch drywall screw when patching in). I'll be doing another tub swap out day after tomorrow which will be very similar and am betting on having to remove toilet also.

lkrides · Jan 9, 2007

O.K. thanks everyone. I will try those tips.

chubyball · Jan 10, 2007

Hey, you bathroom has the same layout as mine. Where did you get the tub? and wall surrounding for the tub? I am also looking for the same tub size and 3 pieces wall.

lkrides · Jan 11, 2007

Did not get a wall, still to decide between wall and tile. This tub came from Home Depot, Lowes has similar.

Bob NH · Jan 11, 2007

You mention 58" long with drywall and 60" tub. You are not going to get 2" with removing drywall. If that is all you have to work with, I doubt that you are going to be able to get that tub into the bathroom when horizontal.

A 60" long tub, 18" high, has a diagonal that way just under 62 9/16". It is about 67 1/8" for the 60 - 30 diagonal.

I think you need face-to-face of studs at least 1/2" (MAYBE 1/4" would work) greater than the length of the tub to have any hope of getting it into place.

If you could remove that stud that appears to be interfering with the front panel, or remove some drywall so the front panel in the orientation shown is not interfering with the stud or the drywall on either end, then you might be able to drop it down into position from the orientation shown. The idea is that the bottom left corner of the front panel must go BETWEEN studs until the tub is flat on the floor.

Some carefully placed notches in the studs (even if only 3/4" deep") at the end that is on the floor, would give you more space that would be valuable.

After the tub is horizontal on the floor, then you can slide it into place.

lkrides · Jan 11, 2007

Thanks for your reply, I was being general with the numbers. Stud to stud is 60 1/4". So drywall to drywall is 59". I sure hope I can get it in without drastic measures.

TedL · Jan 11, 2007

What's on the other side of that OSB?

I ask because I would normally expect to see studs on the inside, but there aren't.....

lkrides · Jan 11, 2007

Another sheet of OSB. Weird right?

TedL · Jan 11, 2007

I was trying to get at whether you could slide it in from the back, if that's an open area.

Also, you will probably need studs to attach the tub to, per manufacturer's instructions.

Bob NH · Jan 11, 2007

lkrides said:
Thanks for your reply, I was being general with the numbers. Stud to stud is 60 1/4". So drywall to drywall is 59". I sure hope I can get it in without drastic measures.

I think if you remove the toilet; then remove some of that green drywall on both ends so the left end of the front panel falls between studs and the right end is against the studs, then you have a good chance of dropping the tub to the floor from right where it sits. Then you can slide it toward the back wall.

Some shallow notches in the studs at the right of the picture will help give you clearance. Remember that the end of the tub is going to come UP from where it is now at the right end.

I hope you have a plan to hook up the drain.

Geniescience · Jan 11, 2007

Bob NH said:
...I hope you have a plan to hook up the drain.

now you're complicating things! oh no, what will the censors and reviewers think? this is gonna bring ratings down, man. Let's just k.i.s.s. and say good bye.

david

lkrides · Jan 12, 2007

Great News! I got it in, thanks to advice from several of you. I sat the drain end on the floor, lowered the opposite end while raising the drain end. Guided the opposite end between studs, carefully marked the obstructions to lowering the opposite end, removed them by cuttin drywall out in to the room on the left to allow the left corner to move down, also had to trim a couple of inches of the 1x4 suppport under the tub. Did not have to remove the toilet or get drastic with it.

I do have to take it back out to install the ledger boards. Also the tub bottom is flat and rests on two 1x4's now that are about 12" apart, I was thinking it would be o.k. to use 1x4's in the gap for my bottom support (instead of mortar). What do you think?

As far as the drain goes, I have access through the studs and the lower floor. I'll even raise the tub straight up if I need to. So I can tackle the drain after I do ledger and bottom support.

The back wall is an an exterior wall.

TedL when you mention studs are you referring to ledger boards?

Thanks everyone, this rookie feels a lot better now. Still a lot of work to go though.

jlohrenz · Jan 12, 2007

Make sure you put some good insulation back up on those exterior walls!

chubyball · Jan 16, 2007

lkrides,

Looklike you are re-useing your shower valve, I am currious how are you going to install the first wall panel and cut the hole that match with centering the show valve. Have you done that yet?

lkrides · Jan 16, 2007

I am not near shower wall installation yet. As far as I know I can make a cardboard template and cut the holes. My next task is installing ledger boards, bottom support and drain.

What do you all think of me using 1x4's for support in the gap between the exising 1x4 supports under the tub (instead of mortar)?

The drain is to be installed in a tight area (i do have access from below). What is the best way to cut the ABS or Schedule 40 pipe? Do they make anything that wraps around the pipe with two ends that you pull to make a cut (similar to what I've seen for tree limb pruning)?

TedL · Jan 16, 2007

lkrides said:
TedL when you mention studs are you referring to ledger boards?

No, I'm referring to studs (vertical 2x4 or 2x? framing)....what you would attach a horizontal ledger board to. Perhaps there are studs behind the OSB that shows in your picture, but what shows are studs in the corners and a span close to 5 feet without a stud.

Placing tub in 3 wall alcove

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