Replacing old tub, need advice.

I am installing an American Standard Americast Princeton tub. I have a two questions.

1. Is this a good tub? If not (I had a bad experience with a warped Americast kitchen sink), what is a better choice in the cheapskate range ($250)? (NOTE: I say "cheapskate," but this tub is the most expensive non-jetted tub that our Lowe's sells.)

2. When I lay the mortar, is it OK (recommended?) to make a bed for the mortar (maybe 2 inches deep, made with 2x4s) that is within the tub's outer edge (duh), but outside of the tub's "bowl"? I'm thinking that it would stop the mortar from being pushed away and, presumably, would make a deeper and better seat for the bowl. It might even cut down on the sound/resonance. Yes? No?

Keith

The Princeton tub is a good tub. We lay visqueen on the floor, pour our mortor on the visqueen then wrap the morter with the rest of the visqueen, kind of like a barrito. We also install a stringer along the back wall at approx 13-5/8" I think. We use a product called wood fibre plaster to set the tub in.

Guy

Mortar or no?

But the installation instructions explicitly say that you shouldn't use a mortar base. They suggest (insist?) that a stringer is the way to go. I'm not sure how both wouldn't be even better, but they say no.

A few years ago Am St. had problems with the composite backing seperating from the steel shell. They claimed the problem was do to the moisture and/or heat generated when the morter bed was curing. The real problem was from thier composite supplier, not the mortar beds. However since then they have not wanted morter under americast tubs.

However without support the bottom of the tub will flex. We have seen them develope hairline cracks in the porcelain and then rust. So we feel they must be supported.

The visqueen acts as a moisture barrior during the curing process of the mortar. So it's your call how to procede. We have not had any issues since they reformulated the composite and we started using the borrito install method.

Bathman. Things vary greatly by regions. I've pulled and swapped out a bunch of tubs.. I've never seen one in a mortar bed. I do agree that it definitely sounds like a solution to the cracking/flexing problem...that may be why I get a good bit of tub replacement business. My question is... how deep do you make your burrito? what dimensions do you use LxW? Give us some details... do you just carry it to the drain or wrap around the drain? I'm learning alot on this forum! How much does this increase the cost of a tub install?

If you can afford it, put in a cast iron tub. It ain't going anywhere..