Pro Handyman Blog

Making a Bathtub Rock Solid

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If you are installing an inexpensive bathtub you might notice that most are not as beefy as they once were. The fiberglass tubs are lightweight and inexpensive. You might notice that when you step into it, it flexes upon your weight.

There is plastic webbing underneath the bathtub that helps to prevent this, but the fact is, it’s plastic and will give under the weight of a large adult. There is a way to make the tub rock solid.

Once you dry-fit the bathtub to make sure everything is lined up and level, mix up some thin-set mortar. You are going to lay down some mortar underneath the bathtub to make it rigid. You don’t need to completely cover the floor, but most of the flex will occur at the center of the tub as this is where most people step.

With the tub out of the way, pour some thin-set on the floor. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but spread it around a little bit, but not so much that it squeezes out once you set the tub into it.

Place the bathtub back into position so that it matches up with your previous marks and is sitting in the thin-set. Secure the tub edges on top of the ledger and into the studs. Step into the tub to push the webbing into the thin-set and to distribute it. I would let it set up and then you can finish the surround.