Potential Problems You Might Encounter With Improper Bathtub Replacement

For homeowners, few things are scarier than a remodeling nightmare. If you are dreaming of a beautiful new bathroom but you want to cut corners in the process – beware. Dreams can quickly turn horror when you refuse to look at to the scary things that may be lurking under your tub.

Sometimes our customers will come to us and request that we take shortcuts. Requests just to refinish existing tubs with coatings and new caulk are common. Or, they may request we just install an inexpensive acrylic liner over the top of the existing bathtub or shower pan to cover up the ugly surface. Are these methods cheaper? Absolutely, in the short run. But at Home Town Restyling, we never work like this because it’s rarely in our customer’s best interest.

Why? Everyone wants a beautiful bathroom but none of the solutions listed above address the structural integrity issue. If you just cover up your bathroom’s problems without getting under the tub or shower to check out the condition of the sub-flooring and structure, you put yourself at great risk of having bigger, more expensive problems down the line.

These are just a few of the problems that may be lurking under the surface:

– Rotted wood in the support beams and subflooring may threaten the structural integrity of the home.

– A buildup of mold and mildew can create unsafe living conditions. This problem may even make it difficult or impossible to sell your home as many home inspections now routinely include mold testing.

– Waterlogged wood and construction materials can create a perfect environment for termites and other insects.

– Water damaged flooring may sink so it won’t be level. This in turn may create additional strains on the structure, plumbing and other systems.

Ignoring these kinds of potential problems by just slapping a coat of sealant or an acrylic shell over the top of a problem area is an invitation to disaster. That’s why we always recommend pulling out the old tub or shower pan, inspecting and, if necessary, repairing your subfloor and then replacing the fixture with a new tub or shower.

Keep in mind that everything in a modern house is interconnected. Beams don’t just hold up the bathtub or shower pan, they are also responsible for supporting entire areas of the house. Mold and mildew can start in a bathroom and spread through the entire house. If you don’t identify and address the root of your bathroom problems, it will just get worse and start showing up in other locations in your home.

Once you’ve uncovered what scary things may be lurking under your bathroom floor, a qualified contractor should be able to fix the issues in fairly short order. Our customers have discovered that replacing bathtubs, or converting tubs to showers (or the other way around) can be completed over the course of 2-4 days with our new line of bathroom remodeling products. You can start designing your new dream bathroom at the Bath Planet Design Studio.

If there is a bathroom remodeling project in your future, Home Town Restyling can help you start planning for the project before you ever leave home. Download our free Complete Guide to Bath Tub and Shower Replacement and start planning like a pro.