Just sealed bath, now creaky

[nebjamin]

Hi,

Not sure if this is totally the right forum, but you guys obviously do a fair bit if bath install work.

At the w/e just finished the first step of new bath install. The bath is a plastic bath on a steel frame with feet that screw to the floor.

Screwed a batten against the wall to rest the edge of the bath on and have now sealed between the edge of the bath and the wall.

The plastic bath sides that came with the bath are not yet fitted so there's still a fair bit of movement when showering and moving around in the bath.

Anyway, had a shower this morning, and it creaks like hell along the batten on the wall. Had a look and I think the creaking is coming from the bottom of the lip of the bath rubbing along the wooden batten. I.e. when weight is put in the bath, the bath moves down a bit which causes the bath lip to rub on the wooden batten on the wall.

I think once the other sides are on the problem will get better, but you know what these plastic baths are like - they're never rock steady, so even when the sides are on I think it will still creak.

So the question is.. what to do? I think I could get a small amount of silicone in between the bottom of the bath lip and the wooden batten. Do you think this would help?

Cheers

 

[lancenotalot]

Hi,
So the question is.. what to do? I think I could get a small amount of silicone in between the bottom of the bath lip and the wooden batten. Do you think this would help?

Cheers

Yes you def need to silicone this gap and then fill the bath with water and leave over night.

Also consider a 2"x1" frame along the side if the bath where the panel will go as this supports the side more and will reduce the creaking.

 

[nebjamin]

Thanks for the reply lancenotalot.

Just to confirm the problem, and what you are saying - please see the cruddy pic I drew. As I said I think that even through the bath is already sealed to the wall, I think I could raise it slightly and squirt a bit of silicone in between the lip and the batten (like in green in the pic). Is this what you mean?

Untitled

• nebjamin
• 22 Jan 2009
• 1

Cheers

 

[lancenotalot]

Yes,I def think that would ease the problem,try to get as much silicone in as possible.

 

[nebjamin]

Lance,

Thanks for the advice. Will see what I can do. Already had to re-do the sealing because the muppets I paid to install the bath in the first place didn't batten along the wall and the water was all collecting in the corners.

Anyway, I have to say, next time I would get a steel bath - the steel frames they fit to these plastic baths are cr*p - they don't seem to be rigid enough. Am contemplating shoving a couple of breeze blocks under the steel frame to stop it flexing in the middle. Will also consider the timber frame you suggested.

Cheers

 

[swidders]

Steel frames may not seem strong enough but they are -have never seen one give way yet.

Think that the batten along the wall may prove to have been an (understandable) mistake - the two wall brackets supplied are sufficient even if they look flimsy.

 

[nebjamin]

swidders,

Actually there weren't any brackets supplied with the bath. In fact there was no mention in the instructions about fixing it to the wall.

In fact the bath was originally fitted without a batten. However, this created a problem since the acrylic is quite flexible - the water collected in the gaps around the edge of the bath. I checked and double checked that the bath was level.

On further inspection, when the bath was free standing (i.e. not fixed to anything), the edges sloped outwards, not inwards! This may well be a manufacturing defect, but we couldn't do anything about it since the bath had been sitting in its box for well over 6 months while we tried to find a plumber that would actually turn up.

So, in light of everything, even if I can't stop the creaking (which I think the silicone method suggested probably will), I'd rather have the water from the shower flow back into the bath than sit around the edges and (ultimately) roll down the edge and onto the floor! So I think the current solution is the best compromise.

And, sure, the steel frame certainly doesn't look like it's gonna break any time soon, but I think next time I would prefer a bath that doesn't flex all over the place when someone gets in it.

 

[swidders]

Fair enough - hope it works and stops creaking. Strange that the edges sloped outwards, you'd expect the other way or at least flat.

Suppose you could use your breezeblock solution, possible packing the gap between the bath and brick with mortar, although this will make removing it somewhat difficult without damaging anything.

good luck.