Mortar Instructions for Bathtubs
If you don't put your bathtub on a durable base, the caulk that you place on the bathtub to seal it might not hold up as long as it would if you had used a mortar bed for it. As your bathtub fills with warm water, it expands slightly, causing the tub to move slightly. When the tub empties, it cools down, contracting back to its original shape and separating it just slightly from the wall. Without a mortar bed below it, the bathtub continues doing this until its sealant cracks. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Trowel
- Mortar mixture
- Chalk snap line
- Wooden beams
- Rubber mallet
- Carpenter's glue
Instructions
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1
Measure the length and width of your tub and snap chalk lines where you plan to install the tub representing these measurements.
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2
Measure the height of the tub from the base to the floor and lay beams of wood along the chalk lines. The beams should be 2 inches thicker than the measurement you just took. The final layout should form a rectangle as long and wide as your tub.
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3
Adhere the wooden beams together with carpenter's glue or epoxy and begin to mix mortar according to the specifications on the bag. Thermal mortar is best. It expands and contracts slightly along with the tub, retaining structural integrity at the same time. This kind of mortar discourages cracks from forming.
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4
Pour mortar into the structure you created until you reach a height of approximately an inch below the height of the wooden beams. This prevents mortar overflow when you sit the tub in. Level out your mortar constantly with a trowel as you pour it.
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5
Sit the tub in the mortar until it sinks to a height at least as high as the skirt that you want to attach. Set up some wooden beams alongside the tub to push it against the wall. Wait two days before continuing. Take the opportunity to clean up any mortar that overflowed while you settled the tub into the bed.
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6
Tap the wooden beams you laid with a rubber mallet until they come free and attach the forward skirt to the side of the tub.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
