New one piece bath and enclosure cracked all the way through on bottom
by
Leslie Abe
+5
Purchased new house only two months ago and the tub has about 6 inch full thickness crack in it now. Adult son is about 330 lbs but when I installed the shower curtain rod originally and stood inside the tub it creaked quite a bit and I thought maybe it wasn't supported properly. Do these new one piece tubs need additional support when installed? It was installed over slab with radiant floor heat. I need to go back to the builder but I need to know how to approach this without him just saying my son's weight is at fault. My son was only stepping into the tub. Thanks for any words of wisdom!
7 answers
-
If the tub cracked it is not your son's fault but if you do tell him your son is 330lbs he will say it is his fault and walk away. Do not mention his weight and you may not want him home, just call the builder and tell him the tub is cracked and then explain to him that it creaked when you got in it before it cracked. These cheap one piece units are not made for weight. I completely gutted and renovated a full bath and kept the cast iron tub since they are almost indestructible. You may want him to come inspect and ask him how much extra would it cost you to have him install a cast iron tub and have a plastic surround installed. Those one piece units are impossible to get in the house once the house is built because they are actually delivered before the walls are up. Good luck.
The Garden Frog with C Renee
on Feb 18, 2014
-
Fuller is not totally honest!
Judith Horton-Holm
on Feb 18, 2014
-
Weight should not have anything to do with it. Renee is correct the builder will use that as an excuse however. In any case it does not matter. The tub was not properly installed or could have been cracked during the shipment of the tub to the site and the contractor did not see it. In any case, the tub should be covered under warranty and the builder needs to fix it. I do have a concern about the placement of the radiant heat. Leslie, you stated that it was also under the tub, could you be mistaken? Normally radiant heat is only placed in flooring areas that peoples feet will come into contact with, Putting under tub is not one of those areas. Its not that it really matters, but it simply is poor practice to do so. Which might give some indication on the quality of the contractor who has done this work.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Feb 19, 2014
-
If new built home, the builder is responsible to replace/fix it. It probably just a standard tub/show er & enclosure...you may have to purchase a heavier duty one.
Karon Nelson Roberts
on Feb 19, 2014
-
Thanks. I don't know that there is specifically radiant heat under the tub. The whole house is radiant heated so I assumed it went under the tub also. The builder has contacted the manufacturing rep to come and assess the situation. Hopefully we'll have a good resolution.
Leslie Abe
on Feb 19, 2014
-
IF you had two people get in that tub---for fun; for a rescue if someone fell---or to do repairs---you could easily exceed your sons weight. So this shouldn't really factor into it. But--I can understand not advertising this as it could mean that the contractor might see it as an "out" and refuse to do anything about it. Sad---but true.
Comet
on Feb 19, 2014
-
I have seen that the bottoms of fiberglass garden and whirlpool tubs were reinforced. This was done w addl cement laid in thick puddle under the tub, as tub is being installed, to hold up tub bottom, if cement slab foundation. If wood frame flooring, joists must be reinforced before installation !
Theresa Last
on Jul 19, 2015
Sign Up to Answer
Related Discussions
Suggested Project Book
