Has anyone had any luck with the AquaGlass Eleganza?

[gvmeacalll]

I purchased one on the basis of it's looks. When I unpacked it at my house I was stunned by how flimsy it was. It seems to be paper thin plastic and is supported by cheap Styrofoam. The sides flex a lot even when set in place. It looks so nice compared to all the other options that I have seen that I decided to go with it. By the next day, the Styrofoam bottom fell off of it and it was a chore to get it back on perfectly centered. When I put it in place, I realized that it sat crooked on a level floor so I knew I would be doing a bed of thinset even though the instructions say to glue it to the floor with construction adhesive. Before I did that, I test fitted the wall surrounds to find that they used these ridiculous plastic push pins that wouldn't even grip the holes provided for them. In addition, the tabs were missing from the bottoms, exposing the grooves they are supposed to slide into. I am about to give up and bring this thing back to Lowes. It's a shame because I already spent so much time framing the walls and installing the plumbing to accommodate it. Has anyone here had any luck installing one of these? If so, how has it held up?

[gvmeacalll]

Well, I guess no one here has taken a chance with this bathtub. Smart. Today I returned the toy bathtub and picked up a Sterling Ensemble Curve. What a difference in quality! What I don't understand is if I'm supposed to bed this one in mortar? It would take at least 4" of mortar to reach the bottom of the tub. That sure seems like a lot to me. The guy at the plumbing supply place told me it was unnecessary on this model. What do you think?

[jadnashua]

Personally, unless specifically prohibited by the instructions, I like to embedd the things. It also gives you the ability to ensure it is perfectly level, which is of paramount importance.

[gvmeacalll]

Personally, unless specifically prohibited by the instructions, I like to embed the things. It also gives you the ability to ensure it is perfectly level, which is of paramount importance.

Well, I got it installed today in the mortar - what a PITA! It calls for a 2" thick mortar bed but it really needs a mortar bed that is tapered from 2" to 1/2" to work properly. Mortar isn't the most forgiving stuff, there must be a easier way to support these things...

[VisaDiva]

I too love the look of this tub but am put off by the comments above. Are there any viable alternatives as far as size (41/42" width) that are better quality?

[meggreer]

My daughter renovated the rental unit in her two-family home with an Aqua Glass Pro Eleganza Model 726032B Tub Shower 60 X 33 X 74. We ordered from a plumbing supplier, and the first unit arrived with a damaged wall. We returned that unit for a new one, and her excellent contractor installed it directly upon the plywood subfloor and blueboard walls. The result is very attractive, functional and sturdy. My advice would be to inspect carefully as soon as you receive the box, because the product is delicate, but once installed correctly, it appears as though it will provide years of use, and it certainly upgraded the appearance to a very lovely bath with convenient built in soap dish and shelves.

[Joyce Mayo]

I just purchased one of these units and am not satisfied at all. It's thin and flimsy and when taking a shower I was really surprised that as I leaned against the back panel it bowed out like a cheap piece of plastic. I'm going through a complete bath remodel and because of this, the job is at a standstill. I contacted the plumbing supply that I bought it from and they're not much help. They are willing to swap it for another, one of the same price and the other costing more than $1,000. which is totally ridiculous since they except me to pay the difference and it's not really want I want. The selling point for me on the Elanganza is all the shelf space. It doesn't look like they are going to give me my $$ back so at this point I'm totally disgusted since the salesman told me I was the first to complain about this unit, which I find is probably an out and out lie. How can someone be happy with a unit where the tub doesn't feel solid and the walls move and bow out when any pressure is used??? The contractor and plumber I'm using told me themselves how surprised they were at the flimsiness and lack of solid stabilizing and not being able to "mud" the under bottom of the tub since this is what they've done with other brands, "Sterling/Kohler", "Aker", and "Lasko". I am totally disgusted with the quality, or lack of quality of this unit for the $$ I paid. Yes, it looks very nice, but it cheap feeling. This is probably going to be my last major bath renovation and am not happy with what has transpired so far. I do not believe this product is durable and I know it's not going to hold up just from the feel of it, but what recourse do I have? To have it taken out and have to "eat" the expense and then spend another $600+ for a new different unit???? I don't feel so bad knowing that others are having similar complaints. Is there a solution to this??

[Gmajlr]

I too purchased a 3 piece enclosure and tub set and am very unhappy with it. I purchased it right before going on a vacation and asked my installer to put it in while I was away.

It looks great but as others have stated, you can push any of the "wall" pieces and see it flex and bow in.

I purchased this particular brand because of it's looks and the price was more than most of the other brands/styles at my local LOWES stores. I always say you get what you pay for. In this case, it did not pay to purchase and install this set.

I wish I had of done some research before I bought this set.

[roeboat109]

we had a new aqua-glass eleganza bathtub installed about five months ago. My son noticed a 6 inch crack in it right on the curve Christmas morning. The called the company and they did send us a new tub to replace it.They also said it was probably the installation. The way the installation reads if the tub is a hare off of level or a hare off of anything it may crack.The way i see it if these tubs are that hard to install maybe the company should furnish an installer that at least you could hire that is trained to install this tub.
Is there any way of permanently repairing these plastic tub cracks? We are considering changing to a stand up fully tiled shower. Any advice would be appreciated.thanks.

[jadnashua]

Practically no floor is perfectly flat or plumb, so the general recommendation is to set a tub in mortar. This gives it good support and allows you to get the important parts nice and plumb. This is no big secret, but is done by any knowledgable installer worth his salt. It may be been described in the instructions as optional, but in most cases, it is not. Some people can fix the problem, but if the tub is not supported properly, it will happen again.

[LLigetfa]

Around here we call a hare a rabbit so a hare off is way out of whack. I agree with Jim about setting the tub in mortar. That's how I set the wife's soaker tub 12 years ago.

[hj]

Being a "hair off" anything is NOT deadly to a tub. In fact, if everything else is done correctly it can be "a long way off" without problems, although it would not be a "professional looking" installation.

[dlarrivee]

The guy in the YouTube video shows us the foam that is supposed to be under the tub, he knows it is supposed to be under the tub, and still complains that the tub moves without it being under the tub? His finger nails are also painted black?

[roeboat109]

We had a aqua glass eleganza bathtub installed by we thought a professional.Two months later we found a crack right at the bottom of the side.The company sent us a replacement .The company said it might not have been installed according to the instructions. We have reservations on installing this replacement tub. In order to go with a fully tiled shower ,we should probably remove a window or install a smaller window. My question is are these plastic tubs made by aqua glass that tough to install or did we run into someone who wasn't good at installing this model tub?I don't want to install the replacement only to have it leak. The new guy tells me he cant guarantee it wont crack either,but if he installs a fully tiled shower he says he will guarantee it. Shouldn't this guy be able to guarantee both or is that too much to expect of any licensed person. I have mixed thoughts on this. Your ideas.Thanks

[jadnashua]

Most any tub, except for cast iron, is flexible enough that if not properly supported, will flex and ultimately be likely to crack. If the tub has any perceptable flex when you stand in the area where it cracked, that is the reason it failed. The common method to prevent that is to lay or bed the tub in a bed of mortar or similar substance that will mold to the bottom and provide good support. If that is done, you should not get cracks. The tub also should have ledger boards to support the edges so they don't move. When done properly this type of tub can last a long time.