My husband and I are remodeling a 1972 ranch style home and we are getting ready to tear into the bathroom. We are replacing all the fixtures including the tub, and we've found that there was at some point a severe leak between the fiberglass surround and the top of the tub. The floor has rotted, and we're replacing that, along with some subflooring and a couple of studs that frame the tub. The problem we're having is that this is the third time we've come across an installation of steel tub and fiberglass surround that has had serious leaking problems. The first one, we installed ourselves, and followed the instructions on the caulk we purchased, which was rated for that type of project. We allowed the caulk to cure for 36 hours as directed, and still ended up with a terrible leak and floor problems. The second time, we installed another tub and surround set and though we moved out of the house before it became a problem, we still had a very poor seal around the tub.
Does anyone know of any way to seal a fiberglass surround to a steel bathtub? We'd prefer a steel tub because they're sturdier.
We are open to installing a three piece fiberglass tub and surround, but that opens a whole new can of worms -- I know that that type of tub needs to be supported by sand underneath, and I've also read about deck mud and sand/portland mix being used. When you use cement or a mix, is actual mixed cement? Wet or dry?
Information on either project is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Amy
Does anyone know of any way to seal a fiberglass surround to a steel bathtub? We'd prefer a steel tub because they're sturdier.
We are open to installing a three piece fiberglass tub and surround, but that opens a whole new can of worms -- I know that that type of tub needs to be supported by sand underneath, and I've also read about deck mud and sand/portland mix being used. When you use cement or a mix, is actual mixed cement? Wet or dry?
Information on either project is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Amy