How to Install a Bathtub on a Mortar Bed
Tubs get rather heavy when they fill up with water, putting plenty of strain on the area around them as they stretch to bear the weight. In order to minimize the amount of strain placed on a tub's surroundings, you may mount it on a mortar bed, which prevents any unwanted movement. Pouring a sizeable slab of mortar makes the tub stay put without expanding or contracting due to water volume. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Chalk
- Wooden planks and beams
- Hammer
- Nails
- Mortar
- Float
- Level
- Caulk
- Mallet
Instructions
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1
Measure the length and width of your tub and draw out the dimensions on your subfloor with a piece of chalk. Leave about an inch from the width to fit the skirt of your tub in your measurements.
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2
Lay a wooden plank about four inches wide along the length of your chalk drawing and lay another along the width. Hammer a nail where they join in order to keep them in place. Make sure you lay the planks with the wide side perpendicular to the subfloor.
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3
Mix your mortar according to the instructions provided in the sack and pour it in the area you drew out until the full mix reaches about half the width of the planks holding the mortar in.
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4
Spread the mortar around using a float to speed up the process of it settling in and allow about 10 minutes to pass for the mortar to fully settle on its own.
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5
Set the tub on the mortar without its skirt and prop it up with some wooden beams. Use a leveling tool to tell if the tub sits level on the mortar. Adjust as needed. You may begin caulking the tub to the wall if you wish at this point to get two things done in one shot. Allow about 48 hours to pass before continuing to the next step.
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6
Beat lightly on the wooden planks attached to the mortar with a rubber mallet until the wood comes off. If you beat too brutally, you end up breaking the wood, leaving some of it stuck to the mortar.
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7
Attach the skirt to your tub the reverse way you removed it.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
