51
votes
Is it a problem that my bathtub drains directly into the wall?
OK I am going to answer this like you are in the US. It doesn't differ much but to give a baseline.
To sum it up - This is F'ing crazy as hell, unsanitary, and not code.
So it looks like there is ...
- 50.1k
30
votes
How concerning is this water in my bathroom?
To directly answer the "question": Unless you live on a slip-n-slide, water coming out of the floor is very, very concerning. Although ... usually water will leak down into the floor, into ...
- 43.7k
29
votes
Is it affordable and reasonable to create a tub using tile
My speculation is the reason you can't find resources for that specific approach is because that approach is inferior in almost all ways to modern tub construction.
Most importantly: tile and grout is ...
- 417
23
votes
Accepted
How can I fix cracks between the bathtub and the wall surround?
I'm not sure where some of those cracks came from, but it doesn't look like anything a good quality bathroom caulk won't fix. Here is the big secret to caulking anything in the bathroom:
Clean those ...
- 28.2k
22
votes
Cracks in Bathtub
Not hazardous for the child, IMHO, but definitely a builder warranty repair issue - the cracks indicate installation not done correctly, tub not supported correctly and cracking with use as weight is ...
- 223k
21
votes
What is this silver plate beside by tub and what is it for? Why is it leaking? What to do?
That's a cover for your drain clean out. If water is leaking out of there then either the threaded cap below, if there is one, is loose or there is a blockage starting to form and the drain water is ...
- 83.9k
18
votes
Accepted
Bathtub impersonating waterbed?
You probably have a bathtub liner with a hairline crack, and water between the liner and original tub.
If a renovation of this bathroom is on the horizon, you may opt for a short-term fix to ...
- 43.7k
18
votes
How do I fix my bathtub drain plug that's not working?
As a renter, I'd strongly suggest that a basic generic rubber bath plug (the kind you have to put in place and remove manually) is your best bet.
It will work.
It will cost much less than a Grohe ...
- 223k
17
votes
Accepted
Plumber set my bathtub on top of Great Stuff foam. Do I need to pull the tub?
Perfectly common modern technique.
You should relax, and keep the plumber's number handy in the not-very-likely event that it "fails."
Me, I use plaster, but I have nothing against foam done ...
- 223k
16
votes
What are the drawbacks to having the bathtub on a different floor from the bedrooms?
If you plan to stay in the house until you are old, consider what amenities you'd like to have when stairs become difficult, impossible, or risky for your aging self to use. Stair lifts have their ...
- 223k
15
votes
Is it a problem that my bathtub drains directly into the wall?
I'd be tempted to poke that large white fitting on a piece of flexi hose with a stick o see if it's really a trap that is meant to be screwed to the bottom of the bath drain. It's hard to tell for ...
- 291
14
votes
Accepted
Install a new tub that has cracks?
The key questions are:
Is it warranted? For how long? Are you willing to accept liability for failure after that period (or after the company closes its doors)?
Does the warranty cover replacement ...
- 144k
14
votes
Accepted
Is it affordable and reasonable to create a tub using tile
You can make a tub out of tile.
There are some issues to think about:
you will need a thicker more rigid structure for the tub and they can be made custom to an area and look great.
The massive ...
- 103k
13
votes
slow draining bathtub - is a frozen pipe a possibility?
It seems pretty unlikely that the drainpipe would freeze in your crawlspace. Even if there was a 20 degree wind whipping through it (which there isn't: it's enclosed), the only way that could be is ...
- 2,100
13
votes
Install a new tub that has cracks?
I would send it back and for sure not get that type of tub again. If tubs are cracking during the shipping process I would not trust them to stay in one piece when there is a bunch of weight and ...
- 50.1k
13
votes
Why can't you use PEX between tub and shower valve and the spout?
The warning is near the beginning of the manual. Later, when discussing shower and tub connections on page 28, the manual says:
Caution: Do not use Uponor AquaPEX piping to connect the tub and shower ...
12
votes
What is this silver plate beside by tub and what is it for? Why is it leaking? What to do?
Buildings of that old often had an external drain open / shut device for the tub. Rather than being built into the tub itself, there would be a lever or pull-up/push-down plunger mechanism next to (...
- 121
12
votes
Tub clog with no snake access
Pop up drains generally have a chrome cap that unscrews to reveal a slotted screw head underneath, or the older style which has a set screw pointing sideways but is underneath the popup and can only ...
- 6,799
12
votes
Accepted
How to clean bath spa nozzles?
Probably have to fill the tub with cleaning solution and let it run for a while. First stab would be a bleach solution to kill off any biofilm (don't go overboard, the fumes will be bad enough with a ...
- 223k
12
votes
Should I install drywall on the 4.5" end of a wall?
Mud bonds to wood as well as it does to paper. I've done enough demolition to know this for a fact. The bead is the leveling mechanism, so finishing isn't affected in any way.
What the drywall would ...
- 144k
11
votes
Accepted
How to remove shower drain
The lettering on the drain cover leads to a number of similar (but not exactly the same) products all over the 'net. What is consistent about this particular company's line of products is that the ...
- 11.2k
11
votes
grouting or caulking? bottom of tiled wall at tub rim
Caulking always! Fill the tub 50% with water and caulk it. Allow the caulking to dry then drain the tub. If you caulk with no water in the tub poly, fiberglass and composite tubs stretch and tear the ...
- 103k
11
votes
How to remove Delta bathtub handle?
Using a flat plastic tool (like a putty knife), pop off the small cap at the end of the lever (handle). Then use an Allen wrench or well-fitting screwdriver, as appropriate, to loosen the attachment ...
- 144k
11
votes
Accepted
How to repair this hole in our bath?
Steel or cast iron with enamel coating. Steel is thinner and more flexible, also more prone to rusting out, cast iron is thicker, inflexible, and would take a lot longer to rust out.
Which is which is ...
- 223k
11
votes
Toilet leaking from base
The fact that the washer drain is coming up through the toilet leads me to believe that you have a clogged drain pipe at some point BELOW the point where the toilet drain enters your drain stack.
The ...
- 23.5k
11
votes
Accepted
What is this object inside my bathtub drain that is causing a blockage?
It looks like a coin. You can still see the engraving on the rim.
GET ONE OF THOSE TOOLS AND TRY TO PICK IT UP
- 18.9k
11
votes
How concerning is this water in my bathroom?
I wouldn't worry too much about mold. I'd worry about the level under the bathroom and the subfloor eventually rotting out.
Yes toilet can leak underneath. Yes you can do it. First is to figure out ...
- 14.3k
10
votes
Is it a problem that my bathtub drains directly into the wall?
Your bathtub drains directly into a concrete sump pit; not "the wall" as such but a pit constructed for this purpose. In the US and Canada, open sumps are used only for groundwater, like from drains ...
- 1,020
9
votes
slow draining bathtub - is a frozen pipe a possibility?
If that was the case the bathwater would melt the ice plug in short order (unless it was totally blocked). I suspect a common debris plug.
Also, it usually takes much colder weather to freeze things ...
- 144k
9
votes
Is it a problem that my bathtub drains directly into the wall?
You definitely shouldn't fix this yourself if you are renting and the landlord said it's good like this.
But if you live in a place with sufficient regulation in the housing/renting market you can ...
- 343
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible