First of all, my home sits on a concrete slab and I have one of those fiberglass bathtubs with the outerwall meeting the floor. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed water coming out from under my bathtub and thought that I figured out the problem was that the drainage was leaking. Yesterday, I decided to tackle the problem and had to open up the sheetrock wall on the other side of the tub. To my dismay, there was mold/ mildew on the sheetrock and an ant mold along the pipes. Also, under my bathtub there was not any concrete. From what I can tell, there was just sand on top of ground. IS THIS NORMAL!? I ran the water and could not see that the drainage was leaking so I'm back to square 1 and will probably have to open up the whole wall. Here are my many questions- Shouldn't there be concrete under my bathtub? Can there be possible mold/ mildew damage? Does my home warranty cover this? Could it get any worse?
2007-12-07 02:49:53 · 10 answers · asked by stxblossom 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Sand is normal as it allows the tub to settle and gives more surface area support than single contact points. I suspect the drain gasket has failed and easily replaced.
Mix a strong 70-30 soulution of Clorox and spray it around good a couple times before closing back up to kill off the mildew.
2007-12-07 03:18:45 · answer #1 · answered by ☮ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ☮ 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Take out the tub and I would suggest replacing the Sheetrock. If it is mold, the bleach and water mix won't fix the problem. It will kill the surface mold but not the roots and the mold WILL come back. I would have the concrete under the tub. It keeps it pretty secure and keeps the new cheap tubs from cracking from all the weight. Think about it, you got you in the tub, plus a tub full of water.
Anyway, I am in the process myself of dealing with an issue very similar. My leak was the valve behind the shower wall but I had an access panel so it was easy to fix. However, I had to pull the surround off to get to the ruined drywall and found more water damage than I had expected. I ended up doing a complete bathroom remodel. Not because of water damage but because the panelling over the old drywall wasn't coming off too good.
That's my .05
2007-12-07 03:52:35 · answer #2 · answered by squall_uo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sand under the tub is not normal. There may have been a problem with the waste lines, builder tore out the floor and did not repair it correctly, just covered it up. If you ran water and did not see a leak, did you also run the shower head? Very possible there is a crack in the tub or water leaking around the edges and leak is not from any the plumbing.
I would call a plumber or contractor and have the tub removed and the floor fixed, sounds very fishy. As far as a warranty, most builders do not give five years on a house. Look through your paperwork from the closing and see if there is any info on warranty. Take some pictures of the sand and have a talk with your local building department about a builder selling a house that is not to code.
2007-12-07 03:08:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes there should be concrete under the entire tub. the only sand would be a small box where the waste line connections are made. Your leak may still be caused at the waste connection, but only when some one is standing in the tub. Other possibilty of the water leak may be acrack in the bottom of the tub due to lack of support. I would advise contacting the contactor.Correct these problems and the mold goes away.
2007-12-07 03:16:23 · answer #4 · answered by maxheadroom 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The "concrete" you are asking about is called a "mortarbed". Plastic and fiberglass tubs and showers should have this installed when the house is built. These tubs flex easily and can crack. I would say that your leak is caused by a crack or the drain is shifting when someone is in it. I always poured a 5 gallon bucket of premixed mortar under new tubs. There should not be sand under the tub except contained in a "box" which was built to protect the drain piping from being damaged when the slab was poured.
2007-12-07 03:36:54 · answer #5 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Concrete Bath Tub
2016-11-07 03:23:47 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
your home warranty should cover it but don't go doing too much before you get in contact with them. it sounds to me like you might be getting the moisture build up under the tub cue to condensation on the tub wile its in use epically if the floor under the tub is just sand..Which by the way is very strange for a slab floor..
2007-12-07 02:58:06 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check the tub over-flow that seal has been known to dry up and leak..as mine did on the 2nd floor & damaged the 1st floor ceiling
2007-12-07 03:38:43 · answer #8 · answered by flea 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, i would find the problem mold can cause health problems,
pull the tub out , theres a leak some where
2007-12-07 02:55:00 · answer #9 · answered by William B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you going install bath tub you must fill the gap under bath tub by adhesive or foam to keep the bath from cracking .
2007-12-07 05:25:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋