Easiest way to replace bathtub?

HomeAdvisor.com or Angieslist.com to find a contractor or home pro to help you remove and replace your tub... and unless you really need it as a tub...consider making it a walk in shower instead...

Hi, Susan - tubs can be refinished, if that's all your tub need, it's cheaper than a new tub. As noted my Marty, check with those suggestions for someone to refinish. We had our 70 year old tub (at the time) refinished and it has laster well; it's been 8 years. You have to be carefull putting things in the tub, like ladders to paint the ceiling, or your range pieces to clean! I just put old towels in the bottom of the tub and clean on.

If you'll be in the house for a long time, replace the tub if you want one. New tubs are narrower than older models, and you may lack space for wider model, such as Kohler Expanse. If you have trouble entering and exiting tub, avoid deeper models. Otherwise, think about a walk in or low threshold shower with frameless glass doors, and a larger fold down or built in seat, and sufficient space to turn around/extend limbs.

Did the insurance cover the sub floor and the tub seals? Check that out first.

I had my tub reglazed and love it. I’m really careful with cleaning chemicals so to keep it nice forever.

I am thinking about toxic human waste penetrating the subfloor. yuck. katrina

It was a waterline break so it was clean water. The subfloor affected was replaced. We just wanted to replace/update our tub since flooring had to replaced. Since insurance wouldn’t cover replacing tub it is left up to us. Just lookong for advice as to easiest way to do remove and replace the tub.

Thanks

There is no easy way to remove and replace a tub. Depending on the tub, it might be worth refinishing instead of removing, though it will be a LOT of work. But if it's a wide, deep older tub and you can swing it, I would refinish rather than replace.

Refinishing options include calling in a pro like Bathfitters to cover the whole thing including the surround, calling in a pro to clean and prep the tub and apply a special product made for tub refinishing, or googling directions for doing the reglazing yourself and making sure you are ready to not need to use that tub for at least a week.

I seriously considered refinishing the tub in my first house, but changed my mind when I realized I wouldn't be able to use the room for a week - it was the only bathroom in the house. But having read up on it, it involves stripping everything off the tub, making super certain it is clean and dry and free of any residue, then carefully mixing the two part paint/glaze product that you apply carefully and evenly and allow to cure for days. I think there's even a second coat added after two days or something because I remember thinking I would do the work and then go visit relatives for a week, but that wasn't going to work because there was something I needed to do to it after a couple days. (This was all nearly 20 years ago, so better products may well exist now.)

If you choose to remove it, you will need to know what it is made of - porcelain, coated steel, cast iron, fiberglass....each will be a different sort of removal in terms of weight and likelihood of shattering and ability to cut into pieces. Once removed, you will need to make sure the floor supports are adequate for what you choose to replace it with and add subfloor and leveling stuff as needed, based on the new tub you choose. If you are really a DIYer, you could replace it with a tiled walk in shower that you do yourself. If so, make sure you really grout well and seal the grout.

Good luck!

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