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mimimama_gw

Bath tub selection

mimimama
9 years ago

As I read more the Americast is making me nervous. Of course that is what my contractor wants to install due to the weight, but since our old tub has not been replaced for 40+ years I think that may be the case here. Tiling around will make it impossible to remove and replace.
So the question is how to install it properly.

Comments (8)

  • jewelisfabulous
    9 years ago

    The manufacturer will have installation instructions. Just go to their website and look up the model you have your eye on. The specs and install guide should be available to print off/download.

  • enduring
    9 years ago

    I am a cast iron fan. I thought about Americast too but went with Kohler cast iron and am very happy. 2 young guys can move that tub. My plumber wanted me to use acrylic though I won that discussion. Leveling the tub on the feet with shims is really the only tedious part with the Kohler tubs. But getting the tub in place was just a bunch of huffing and puffing ;)

  • cold_weather_is_evil
    9 years ago

    I bought a divided Americast kitchen sink a dozen years ago. A year or so later, it split open on the underside with a loud bang in the middle of the night. "Americast" is just adspeak for hard foam plastic. The company claimed bad installation. On top of that, the paint that they imply is as good as a glaze, ain't.

    Never again.

    >> Of course that is what my contractor wants to install due to the weight ...Tiling
    >> around will make it impossible to remove and replace. So the question
    >> is how to install it properly.

    Why is the GC calling the shots, especially on something that won't last long and is a major headache to replace? We all know the answer is that the GC is expecting it to last as long as the GC's warranty and after that it's a payable repair. And a boat payment.

  • mimimama
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'm thinking even a chance of failure is too much of a chance. As anyone on this forum can maybe agree redoing a bathroom after a redo would put me into a mental hospital.
    Thanks for your opinions.

  • lotteryticket
    9 years ago

    We also had an Americast kitchen sink that split. I did some research and found others who experienced the same. Never buying one again.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    9 years ago

    On the other hand, AFAIK, staceyneil is still pretty happy with her americast tub, and after all, a tub hardly gets the kind of use a kitchen sink does. I'd have an acrylic tub, for example, without thinking twice, but never, never, never in the kitchen.

    If you're considering cast iron instead, I agree that it's a better choice, but you need to be sure your floor can handle the weight.

  • suzanne_sl
    9 years ago

    I just watched a youtube video this morning about installing a tub in an alcove. The installer's main concern seemed to be that it would be easier for him to carry an acrylic tub into the bathroom and easier for him to install than a cast iron tub. Ya know, I'm just not willing to choose a tub that will remain in place for 10-50 years based solely on making an easy day for whoever is bringing it through the door on Day 1. This is not to say that there aren't good acrylic tubs. The tub we just took out was a fiberglass sunken tub/shower unit that was built with the house in 1971. It was just now ready to be replaced. I'll take a tub that lasts 43 years.

    We currently have a cast iron tub sitting out in the carport waiting to be installed in the morning.

  • sloyder
    9 years ago

    Looking at a Kohler Bancroft acrylic tub. The ulitmate would be a TOTO 1525, if it were in the budget