Weird bumpouts in tub

Plumbing Forums

Help Support Plumbing Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

cmac2012

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2018
Messages
87
Reaction score
4
Location
Redwood City, People's Republic of California
I couldn't think of how to refer to these. I'm guessing the tub was installed 15 to 30 years ago. Maybe more. I've worked for these people for about 12 years and it was here when I came. Their daughter is 15 and would like a white tub. And she doesn't like these little nubs. She's a sweet kid but an only child and she's the princess, no doubt about it.

I haven't a bleedin' clue. There are 4 of them in a sort of square shape, not sure why that one pic only shows 3, I'm certain there are four. Steel, about 5/8ths dia., they protrude about an 1/8", little bit more maybe. Almost looks like some sort of hardware attached there but I can't imagine what it would be. If it was for a seat, you'd think it would have been in the middle, closer to the other end at any rate.

They almost seem stock. Drilling into that cast iron would have to be tough.

I recommended the epoxy paint, farm it out, not me, can't do it, don't want to learn. Not the best route but there is tile all around this thing that would break on removal and I know it couldn't be found. 99.999% know. He has mixed feelings, wants to explore a new one. If we do epoxy coat this one, I'm thinking I should grind these suckers down and fill the little hole with Smith's Fill-it Epoxy. If I somehow pulled them out would leave a much larger hole. I'm guessing epoxy paint would lock in the epoxy repair to some degree.

IMG_2167.jpg


IMG_2168.jpg
 
Last edited:
The grout is a tad rough but not bad in most spots. Their daughter is a gymnast and wants to do long soaks in the tub. I recently installed a light directly above the back of the tub for easy reading.

I could caulk around but they never asked me too and there's no leakage behind that one can see in the crawl space. I can feel the lip on the tub behind the caulking with my little 6" ruler.

I'll look for tile that might be a match. Removing and replacing this tub would be tough. Cast ahrn, 32" wide. Also bound by floor tile, really, really doubt a match could be found for that.

I need to do an exhaustive search to see if any of that tile is hidden away in storage. Sometimes you get lucky.

I like this client but he can get a wild hair up his .... and he is obsessed with finding out what those 4 little steel flange things were for.
 
Looks like they could maybe twist out and be unscrewed.

They might be just blank plugs, inserted to cover threaded holes for an optional handrail or grab bar, or something like that.
 
Looks like they could maybe twist out and be unscrewed.

They might be just blank plugs, inserted to cover threaded holes for an optional handrail or grab bar, or something like that.
Ah, of course, grab bars. Why didn't I think of that. Unscrew might be right. Screwed in would be more stable for grab bars.

The lady of the house texted me this morning - they found a wooden box with many of those green tiles. He counted over 100 of them. This would be crucial for removal-reinstall as that green tile at one end goes out to the corner, turns the corner and covers all the wall space in the room that is not cabinet, medicine chest, whatever. Some of that corner would be destroyed on removal.

Home Despot has a brand, Bootz, that I used on my recent remodel, the Maui model, same as I'm recommending to them. Thinner steel than cast iron, ceramic coated, has a firm styrofoam base for support and insulation. Weighs 75 lbs.

I once had to lower a cast iron tub - 350 lbs - down a halfway steep stairway - front yard - with a handtruck. A stocky Guatemalan guy the lady of the house had found was on the underside pushing back as I lowered it. On every step it wanted to take off. Holy chit that was hairy, the guy underneath could have been crushed. And it was a biatch getting it in and in place. Cast iron for new construction only IMO.

I never thought I'd go this route, but I'm wondering if I should recommend that bath-fitter liner option. Would likely wear and look better than the epoxy paint. I'd love to install the tub, even tile the whole surround ... if they were on vacation. It's a cute house in a high end neighborhood, but it's small.
 
You mean you can break it up with the right sort of blows?
I have busted many a CI tub instead of ripping out sheetrock and tile

hit the bottom. then the apron
then the sides

no special procedure, just get mid evil with the damn thing
That would save a lot of trouble. These are among my best clients, even if he does go into wild flights of fancy. Today they went looking at tubs and he called me up saying they wanted to go cast iron, they liked a Kohler at Home Depot - I tell him that's 30 wide, 14 high, theirs is 32 wide, 16 high. I found a larger Kohler CI at Build.com for $825. We're making plans for middle of Sept, they'll be gone all weekend.

Then he gets home and calls to tell me that now that he's seen the market, he thinks his tub is pretty good, just in need of a facelift/recoat.

Who knows. It will sort out. I have a lot of work, I wasn't sure I could easily fit the job in anyway.
 
Just hire all this “new tub/old tub” drama out to a pro.
Help coordinate visits from several bidders, on the clock for you, of course.
Then get your flaky and fickle client to commit to a tub and a pro, oversee the contract, and take 10% of the total job billing as your agency fee, for straw bossing and hand holding.
He sounds like he needs to be pushed, and better he gets into it with someone impartial, not you.

It should be easier than your client yanking your chain about this.
 
after the tub is broken nd removed
the tiles and Sheetrock must be removed in order to slide the new tub in

this can be done with minimal tear out

look at my sketch, the only tile [red line] removal is enough for the tub to be set in front of the tub hole
then slid into place.
2 ways to slide a CI tub..sit on your ass,with our back against a wall, use both legs to slide
or. if no wall available, have your helper, brace himself so you can push against his legs
 

Attachments

  • bath4.png
    bath4.png
    7.3 KB · Views: 9
Back
Top