Help - Tub / shower install 58.5" rough opening!!!

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cleaver

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My house is a nightmare, the previous owner and contractor who renovated the house did not know what standard rough-in sizes are. This isn't the first problem I have run into.

So, I have a 5x9 foot bathroom. (well I thought I did). The rough-in width is 58.5" wide. Any ideas on how to make it 60.25"??? What about turning the 2x4 sideways on the outside wall? Think a building inspector would freak???

One wall is an exterior wall, the other wall faces onto a stairwell. My thought was to build a second wall on the staircase, but that seems like a pain and it will make the staircase look funny.

The other thought is to find a smaller tub/shower but I can't....any ideas from the experiences gurus?
 

Dlarrivee

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It's really not a big deal is it...?

I'm not sure what sort of crazy things you plan to do to your exterior wall, but that wall is likely load bearing.

Lots of tubs aren't a full 60", or 60.25" like you mention. Shop around, you can find one to fit.
 

hj

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quote; Lots of tubs aren't a full 60", or 60.25" like you mention

I don't know where you buy your tubs, but ALL the 5' tubs I have EVER installed have ALL been 60" long, period. As for what can be done to make the space 60"+, we would have to see it to make a decision or recommendation.
 

cleaver

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All the tubs I have found are 59.5 at the minimum. Either I build out into my staircase another 2x4 wall (which I will have to support down to the basement) or I go with a shower stall, and forget the tub.
Stupid, stupid house builder...I really hate incompentance....there was no reason the builder couldn't shift the stairwell 2-3" when he was building...the first and second floor was completely rebuilt because of fire damage 18 years ago.
 

Dlarrivee

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quote; Lots of tubs aren't a full 60", or 60.25" like you mention

I don't know where you buy your tubs, but ALL the 5' tubs I have EVER installed have ALL been 60" long, period. As for what can be done to make the space 60"+, we would have to see it to make a decision or recommendation.

The last one I installed was 3/4" short of 5'...

hj, one day you might wake up and realize that there is life beyond Arizona.

I'm sure there is a way to get a 5' tub in there, can you post pictures of the space you propose?
 

hj

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quote; The last one I installed was 3/4" short of 5'... hj, one day you might wake up and realize that there is life beyond Arizona.

Well, since many alcoves are framed at 60 1/2", that means that tub alcove would have had to been "shimmed" 1 1/4" which could have made it interesting when the wallboard had to drop OVER the flange. I know there is life beyond Arizona, but I also know I do NOT buy "junk", or undersized plastic bathtubs.
 
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Terry

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I've only seen 60" and 54" tubs.
Where would anyone even find a 58-1/2" tub?

I have seen the distance in a room after it's finished to be that size.
60" between the walls, add two layers of wall board, at 2x1/2" loosing you 1"
And then add the thickness of the tile and grout times two, and you easily wind up loosing 1-1/2" from finished tile to finished tile. That is normal with a 60" long tub.
 

cleaver

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Sorry for the long delay...I have decided to add a standup shower to our upper bathroom instead of trying to place in a 60" tub/shower. I must retract my statements on the crappy contractor as I found out after some more demolition that the upstairs outside walls are made with 2x6, whereas the downstairs is 2x4. That is where I lost the extra approx 2" that I needed.

Live and learn....the upstairs was rebuilt about 15 years ago due to a fire, guess they had to follow current building regulations....

BTW, MAAX does make tub/showers lengths that are 59" if space is tight...
 
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