Bath fixings/anchors

[Maceman]

I wonder if anyone has any ideas?

Just bought a bath (budget price) and I'm fitting it myself. I'm happy enough doing the plumbing, but bit confused as to how to anchor the bath.

It comes with legs, but not a whole frame so there is nowhere to attach to wall. There are two metal brackets attached to the bath, one on each side at the top end of the bath, but these would be a good 6-8 inches from the wall or floor - I wonder whether they are for attaching brackets to the floor or are for something different like earth bonding??

I've asked the company who I bought it from but they suggested I screw through the steel lip of the bath into the wall!!

Does anyone know where I can get brackets from or know of another way of fixing - maybe clamp the legs to the floor??

(Sorry if this is in the wrong forum!)

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!!

Maceman

 

[thewelshman]

I am doing the same job at the moment, and have done another bath in my previous house.

I built a timber frame on the open side which the bath rests on in turn the side panel screws onto this.

The side facing the wall is just sealed with silicone sealant, I get no movement whatsoever from the bath.

 

[Maceman]

Thanks Welshman! I was going to build a timber frame for the panel anyway. . . Good to know that that shoudl keep it still - I had visions of the silicone seal breaking along teh wall edge!

Have just also bought some right angle brackets, so might try to bolt them to the legs and screw to the floor for a bit more peace of mind.

Cheers,

Maceman

 

[sannesley]

Isn't it always great how you find these forums when you discover a problem after your DIY has just been completed!! Anyhow to cut a long story short we've just finished a complet gutting of our old bathroom and installed a new suite, tiles, and fixtures.

I used the new bath for the first time on Saturday night and found out that when it's filled with water and I'm sitting in it that there's some movement in the middle of the bath at the wall side and the silicone comes away from the bath . I thought that the plumber would have secured it to that wall somehow, but I must have thought wrong. We made a frame for the bath panel so It's definitely secured on that side and there doesn't appear to be any movement in the ends so it's only this wall side were the problem lies . I've tried running a thicker run of silicone to see if that gives it enough room to flex without the silicone coming away from the bath. I suppose the next time the bath is used we'll know if it worked.

Is there any way that the bath can be secured in retrospect after it's been fitted... probably not

 

[Maceman]

Did the plumber fill the bath with water before sealing it? You need to seal it when it's full so that it beds down under the weight of the water.

Don't know if this helps???

 

[sannesley]

Nope they didn't seal it when the bath was full. If that woudl solve the problem It might not be as big a problem to fix as I first thought. I had visions of having to take out the vanity unit so I could get the bath panel off and squeeze some type of supporting brace in at the back of the bath, but frankly the only way anybody could get in round the back of the bath once it's in place is if they're a contortionist!!

I'll see how the silicone that I put on this morning goes and if that doesn't do the trick I'll try filling the bath with water and see how that goes!!

 

[thewelshman]

Just an addition, check the legs to see if they are all making good contact with the floor as if they aren't then no matter what sort of seal frame you have you will get movement.

 

[sannesley]

Thanks for the advice. In order for me to do that I'd have to remove the vanity unit which is right beside the bath and then take the bath panel off so I'll bear that in mind but hopefully I won't have to resort to that measure (fingers crossed!!)

 

[sannesley]

The brother in-law, who is a joiner, and myself "bodged" together a frame last night and over the course or 4 1/2 hours we managed to get all the parts of the frame inserted along the long side of the bath and then sealed it again with silicone on the top side and expanding foam on the lower side.
Hopefully that will hold it but I'm gonna eer on the side of caution and give it 24 hours for the foam o caure and take proper hold. Needles to say that after working in cramped spaces for the evening let's just say that if the plumber had trned up at that moment he would have been stuffed under the bath and the bath panel put back on!!.
It seems pretty solid at the moment and hopefully it'll stay that way