Securing a free standing Victoria & Albert tub

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Yersmay

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I am in the planning stages of a bathroom remodel. We are looking at a tub made by a company called Victoria & Albert Bath LLC. The model is called 'Ios'. Here is a web page that shows the tub:
http://vandabaths.com/usa/products/ios/

I'm curious to hear thoughts on exactly what secures this type of tub to its place in the bathroom. Is the drain connection the only thing that really keeps this tub from scooting around the room in the event of an earthquake? We live in Los Angeles and I wonder if that connection is enough. Is this a factor that would favor the use of a cast iron drain assembly over ABS? Would this type of tub be glued in some way to the floor?

Thanks in advance.
 

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hj

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Cast iron, (whatever type that would be), brass, or plastic makes no difference. It would not secure the tub in an earthquake, but even "gluing" it to the floor might not help in that case.
 

Yersmay

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Hi HJ,

Thank you for the response.

It dawned on me that it might be a good idea to call the company to see if they had an answer. They say the tub is designed to be siliconed to the finish floor. I believe they even supply the silicone. Sometimes an earthquake can be so bad the concept of things falling apart is really out of our hands. But do you think that a good bead(s) of silicone is a reasonable answer?

Thanks again. Terrific forum!
 

LLigetfa

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My guess is a tub like that would have some sort of recess behind the skirt and that perhaps a curb could be built to go behind the skirt. Of course you would have to confirm this with the manufacturer.

I would also think the bottom of the "bowl" would be set in mortar. The combination of mortar bed and skirt would be like wheel chaulks.
 

hj

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Earthquaks move buildings and buckle streets, so what makes you think a "bead of caulk", no matter what kind would keep it in place. Just put the bead of silicone on the floor and place the tub onto it and hope for the best, knowing that you did all you can do. Besides, if that happened, a "moved tub" would probably be the least of your concerns.
 

Kreemoweet

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If you had looked at the installation instructions available from that site, you would see the tub is caulked to
the floor. If you had ever tried to remove a toilet or sink that had been caulked in place, there would be no
question in your mind that the caulk would be entirely sufficient for any normal situation. If you are trying
to make your environment "earthquake proof" then you are well advised not even to look at ordinary plumbing
fixtures and materials. Instead, you need to consult a mechanical/structural engineer.
 

Yersmay

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First, thanks to all who replied.

Yes, I learned from a phone conversation with the company and subsequently their instruction sheet that the tub is supposed to be caulked to the floor... As one who has lived through several awful earthquakes, I think that caulking in this manner will be a reasonable solution. If the tub pops loose from a good bead of silicone, there will be more problems than simply a wandering tub.
 

Jimbo

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If you think ANYTHING would hold a 300 LB tub full of 500 LB of water.....guess again. I am not aware of any building code on CA which require the tub to be secured for quakes. The WH spec is because broken water pipes and broken GAS connections are bad news!
 
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