In this step-by-step video guide I show you how I replace the cracked acrylic bathtub.
Remove Old Bathtub
Remove the old broken Acrylic bathtub.
This bathtub was installed on cement and bricks support.
It always felt wobbly when I was having a shower but I thought it’s because it’s a plastic bathtub or acrylic bathtub.
I was used to the old style cast-iron bathtub before.
Many people chose to replace an old cast-iron bathtub with newer modern acrylic bathtubs.
Do not replace your solid cast iron bathtub with any acrylic bathtub. The cast iron bathtub can be reconditioned to look like new and it’s the most solid option.
My old bathtub was acrylic aka plastic and it was always wobbly until it finally cracked from the stress of daily use.
Fixing Bathtub with Polyurethane Foam
You can see in the videos I made with the bathtub how I tried to fix the crack with foam under the bathtub and several glues and paints.
The temporary polyurethane foam and glue fix lasted for about 6 months which is not bad but I had to replace the whole bathtub because it was getting worse.
Install New Acrylic Bathtub
After opening the bathtub and removing the old bath, I realized there was almost no support under the bathtub and on the wall it was held in place with 2 pieces of wood nailed to the wall – yes nails haha.
I replaced the wood pieces and made a much better support in my opinion on the sides and under the bathtub.
Under the bathtub I put bricks and pour brick mortar to make it higher than the bathtub so that when I installed the new bathtub, it mounds the cement to the bathtub to support it when the cement is dry.
I had to add more cement under the bathtub to make sure when it dries the cement is not getting lower and it keeps contact with the bathtub.
It helps if the mortar is mixed with less water so it doesn’t retract when drying.
I also put cement in contact points between the bathtub and the support.
Drain Fittings and Leak Test
Connected the Drain fittings and it was leaking so I had to use silicone between all the drain fittings. Maybe it would have worked without the silicone but I didn’t want to have to open it again.
Support Wall and Tiles
Cut new bricks to fit in the wall to support the new bathtub and layer the bricks with regular brick mortar- the same brick mortar I used for the support.
After almost 1 year I finally added the tiles to the bathtub to finish the job.
The results are not perfect but really good for using limited tools.
When laying tiles, I used the old style spacers because they were cheaper. There are better tile alignment spacers but also more expensive.
After laying the tiles I removed the excess tile adhesive with a wet sponge. Do this before the adhesive is dry. It’s really easy to remove the excess tile adhesives with a wet sponge.
I waited 24 hours then added the grout between all the tiles.
The final
Result is in the video.
I would say pretty good!
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