How to maneuver a deep tub into a tight space

[strawberryblond]

We're preparing to remodel both of our full baths, one after the other. Since we are taking the garden (not jetted, just a space hog) tub out of the master bath and replacing it with a walk-in shower, we're considering placing a deeper-than-average tub in the hall bath.

The hall bath is 5'x8', with the entrance on one short wall, and the bathtub in the alcove along the other short wall. The tub that is leaving is 30"x60"x14". My preferred replacement is the Kohler Archer (K-1123-RA-0), which is 32"x60"x19". I have the extra floor space without being close to the toilet (I will still have >18" from center).

However, I would think, and the installation instructions caution this as well, that maneuvering something that bulky in a space that tight will not be easy. Especially with the framing for the tub itself. The door is 24", and it is a 90-degree turn off of the hallway, so the tub will enter the room sideways, standing on end. How difficult will it be to "tip" it into location? We are removing all fixtures and all of the drywall in this room; that will give us a little extra space.

It is possible, since the wet wall for this tub is the shared wall between the bathrooms, to access the plumbing from the other bathroom. Furthermore, we can temporarily remove a stud in that space, and the drywall is already down in the master bath. We could use that space to situate the tub in the hall bath, then finish the plumbing, replace the stud, and finish the drywall in the master bath.

We can always make this call on the fly, but I'd rather plan ahead if we're going to be messing with the framing. Does anyone have advice for me? It would also be interesting to hear if we're going to have this much trouble maneuvering a shallower, narrower (30") tub. If that's the case, we'll probably go ahead with the Archer.

[K.]

I had a similar installation that went well. It was a American Standard Serin 60x32X?? not sure of depth offhand but quite a bit deeper than 14", going into the back alcove wall of a 5' wide room. Brought it through the door on end, and rotating it down into position was tight but manageable; keep in mind the width of the actual tub is a lot less than 60" underneath the top edging and it is sloped, so that does give a lot of leeway to make the rotation. If you have a design drawing that shows the profile of the tub, you could try cutting out a paper template and doing the rotation "on paper" to see if it will fit. Like you I didn't have any finish walls on the studs so I had that extra inch or so to work with; that probably made a big difference too.

-Jonathan

[chefwong]

Are these tubs cast iron ?
I too am busy planning the logistics of things, expecially hauling the beast up 1 floor and then maneuvering it in a 5x7 bathroom.
I cannot even fathom flipping a CI on the long side....and then flipping it down (to keep it from chipping).

I am contemplating unframing out the longer side of the room, bringing the tub in and then just reframing back.
More room but probably a whole lot easier on everyones back hauling a CI tub in.

[strawberryblond]

The Archer, I know, is acrylic. So, it's only 80lbs. However, we will be bringing it up a flight of stairs.

Funny, when we moved in, I always thought the stairway was space-constrained, but now that we're working on the baths, I see that I'll have to redefine "tight".

[K.]

I am contemplating unframing out the longer side of the room, bringing the tub in and then just reframing back.

If it's cast iron, that may be the way to go. Even the previous renovator of my bathroom had done that, when putting in a corner jacuzzi unit. My tub also was acrylic and weighed just 60 pounds I think; very easy to manage.