# Trying to level a bathtub! Please help!



## dukester544600 (Mar 14, 2011)

Hi I am new to bathroom renovations so I am not sure what to do here. We live in an older home with wood floors that are not level. I am renovating our bathroom and I am trying to reinstall the tub but I cannot get it level. The floors are out a fair bit in this house. The tub is fibreglass and the feet on the tub are not cut straight. I am not sure if the feet are supposed to be cut on an angle or if someone modified them prior. Either way I am having a lot of trouble getting it level. If I get it level front to back it's out side to side and vice versa. I am not sure if I should pour a self levelling concrete and cut the legs straight or what I should do. I am also wondering if I need to install a new sub floor first. The sub is 5/8 plywood but its old. Any help/advice would be great. 

Thanks, 

Lost (Michael)


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

dukester544600 said:


> Hi I am new to bathroom renovations so I am not sure what to do here. We live in an older home with wood floors that are not level. I am renovating our bathroom and I am trying to reinstall the tub but I cannot get it level. The floors are out a fair bit in this house. The tub is fibreglass and the feet on the tub are not cut straight. I am not sure if the feet are supposed to be cut on an angle or if someone modified them prior. Either way I am having a lot of trouble getting it level. If I get it level front to back it's out side to side and vice versa. I am not sure if I should pour a self levelling concrete and cut the legs straight or what I should do. I am also wondering if I need to install a new sub floor first. The sub is 5/8 plywood but its old. Any help/advice would be great.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> ...


Two things need to be level. The edge that sits on the floor and the side that sits on the ledger on the wall. Set the ledger in the correct position on the wall and rest the tub edge on the ledger. With the floor unlevel, it's possible only one edge of the apron front is touching the floor. Shim the tub so it doesn't flex on the edge that's off the floor. Fine tune the shims to get it where you want it. Then decide how you'll level off the edge and supporting the tub bottom. You can use plaster or thinset to support the base and leveling compound for the edge and the rest of the floor if you want.
Ron


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## dukester544600 (Mar 14, 2011)

Thanks Ron, The tub is manufactured by american standard, the feet on tub are all cut at different angles. Is this normal? I know the front feet are shorter than the back to acheive the slope of the tub but I dont think they should be cut a different angles, or should they? :huh:


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

Describing the type of tub would be helpful to others. Like is it an alcove design with walls on 3 sides and a front apron to the floor? Or a drop-in tub? Pictures would be the ultimate so others can help.

It seems to me that any tub would be designed to be installed on a perfectly flat and level floor. Using that as your base, you could not go wrong.

HRG


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## dukester544600 (Mar 14, 2011)

sorry yes it is an alcove, it is made by American standard and it has an integrated front which is none removable so shimming the back is impossible because there is no way to get back the back legs with the exception of cutting a hole in the drywall in the adjacent room to access the rear legs. Also all the legs are cut at different angles which is making it difficult to shim. I don't know if the legs come like that or if someone cut the previously but either way it is making it a very difficult job. I attached a link to the tub on the American standard website. Thanks for the help. The model is a 1753. 

http://www.americanstandard.ca/product.aspx?p_id=6ef529d3-74b6-4a28-8b3f-361ddcf3e59f


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## VIPlumber (Aug 2, 2010)

According to the link it has a removable access panel.


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## LIHR (Jan 18, 2011)

What model tub is it? is it the Acrylux?


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

dukester544600 said:


> Thanks Ron, The tub is manufactured by american standard, the feet on tub are all cut at different angles. Is this normal? I know the front feet are shorter than the back to acheive the slope of the tub but I dont think they should be cut a different angles, or should they? :huh:


I'm not familiar with the tub. I've put in fiberglass tubs with plywood bases and cast iron tubs with stumpy little legs(all the same size) 'Never seen what you describe.
Did you buy this new from a reputable supplier?
Ron


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## dukester544600 (Mar 14, 2011)

It's an American standard; I will attach a link to the tub website. The tub was here when we moved in but I removed it to install insulation and vapour barrier on an exterior wall and I cannot get it level. There is 4 feet on the bottom of the tub. The two in front are shorter which is correct but all four are cut at different angles. If you think of a shim and the taper of it, that is how the legs are cut. 

http://www.americanstandard.ca/product.aspx?p_id=6ef529d3-74b6-4a28-8b3f-361ddcf3e59f


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## dukester544600 (Mar 14, 2011)

It does say it has a removable access panel but it does not. It is a one piece tub. Once it is in the wall the only way to get into level it is to lift the front of the tub and try and stick your hand under there and stick the shims under the feet.


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## dukester544600 (Mar 14, 2011)

That model is also available in a whirlpool tub so I think that one is equipped the removeable panel. The tub I have is just a standard tub.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

dukester544600 said:


> It's an American standard; I will attach a link to the tub website. The tub was here when we moved in but I removed it to install insulation and vapour barrier on an exterior wall and I cannot get it level. There is 4 feet on the bottom of the tub. The two in front are shorter which is correct but all four are cut at different angles. If you think of a shim and the taper of it, that is how the legs are cut.
> 
> http://www.americanstandard.ca/product.aspx?p_id=6ef529d3-74b6-4a28-8b3f-361ddcf3e59f


Did you follow the instructions on the website as to how to install the tub?
Ron


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Welcome to the forum, Michael!

Please do not start the same post in 3 different forums again, very confusing.....

This one should work for you.

Gary


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

Getting the front edge even with the floor and the back edge even with the wall and also all the feet underneath the middle touching the subfloor at the same time is going to be trial and error unless you cut open the ceiling from below and can see everything and install shims as needed.


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## dukester544600 (Mar 14, 2011)

Ok thanks I just was not sure where to start it so thats why I put in the different ones. Sorry if I caused any problems. 

Michael,


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

dukester544600 said:


> Hi I am new to bathroom renovations so I am not sure what to do here. We live in an older home with wood floors that are not level. I am renovating our bathroom and I am trying to reinstall the tub but I cannot get it level. The floors are out a fair bit in this house. The tub is fibreglass and the feet on the tub are not cut straight. I am not sure if the feet are supposed to be cut on an angle or if someone modified them prior. Either way I am having a lot of trouble getting it level. If I get it level front to back it's out side to side and vice versa. I am not sure if I should pour a self levelling concrete and cut the legs straight or what I should do. I am also wondering if I need to install a new sub floor first. The sub is 5/8 plywood but its old. Any help/advice would be great.


 Sorry for this long post. Maybe you can get an idea or two from it.

LEVELING THE FLOOR
If you can rebuild the entire floor to make it level, that would be the best way. The easiest way to do that would be to remove everything in the bathroom including the toilet and vanity. Then remove all of the current floor so that the floor joists are exposed. Screw or nail 2x6s to the side of the existing floor joists so that the top surface of the new 2x6s are all level. This is much easier than trying to cut wedge pieces and fitting on top of the existing floor joists and trying to get them all level. --- Alternatively, you can use self leveling compound to level the floor.

INSTALLING THE TUB
The following procedure is just what I would do. This is assuming that the floor under the front apron of the tub is level and the bottom of the apron sits entirely on the floor. (If you don't level your floor, I have an idea on how to handle the front apron support for the tub to keep the top of the tub level.)

To install the tub, I wouldn't depend on the badly cut angled tub feet. I would just cut the feet so they cannot touch the floor at all. Then dry fit the tub so the front apron is sitting on the floor and the top of the tub is level in every direction. Mark all of the wall studs right around the tub along the top lips of the tub. Remove the tub. Place a piece of cardboard on the floor of the tub to protect it. You will also make marks on this piece of cardboard later.

Screw a 2x4 ledger board on the wall studs along the back side of the tub below the line you marked on the studs, allowing for the thickness of the tub and lip. Using screws will allow you to reset the ledger board if you screw up. (The back side of the tub will sit on this ledger board and the top lips of the tub should be at the marks you made previously.) 

Lay a plastic sheet or black roofing felt on the floor where the tub will sit. Overlap the pieces of felt if necessary to get enough coverage. Mix mortar so it is soft yet can stand up and not flatten out when shoveled on top of the black felt. Pile the mortar on top of the felt so the piles will be between the tub feet. Estimate the height of the piles of mortar so that when the tub is set, there is space for the mortar to flatten out in, yet supply maximum support for the tub. Now draw Xs or circles on the cardboard in the tub to match where the mortar peaks are.

Lay a plastic sheet on top of the piles of mortar. This will prevent the mortar from sticking to the bottom of the tub in case you screw up and have to retry the mortar procedure again. Set the tub into position on the mortar bed. The bottom of the front apron should be above the floor and back side should be above the line you marked on the studs. Then get in the tub and "gently" jump in it to squish the mortar piles down until the front apron is sitting on the floor and back side of the tub is resting on the ledger board. Try to put your jumping pressure on the marks you made on the cardboard in the tub, to flatten the mortar peaks out. Don't over do the jumping since you don't want to squish the mortar down too low due to the flexing of the fiberglass tub bottom. Be sure the lip of the tub is tight against the wall studs.

Fasten the top lip of the tub to the wall studs using roofing nails just above the top lip of the tub.

Note that this procedure will accomplish three very important things:
1. The bottom of the fiberglass tub will be fully supported to avoid flexing.
2. Since the bottom is fully supported, it will prevent cracking of the sides of the "fiberglass" tub along the side supported by the front apron and the back side supported by the ledger board, due to the weight of the water and people in the tub.
3. The back side being supported by the ledger board will prevent the top surface of the tub from moving up and down, and breaking the caulked seal between the tile and the tub.

HRG


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