Mortar Bed For Bathtub Installation

How to install a tub with a mortar bed.

Mortar bed for bathtub installation.

Before seeing this instruction the big box store guy said i should use non shrink grout. A variety of different types can be used as long as it hardens to provide a base. I am installing a 60 x 42 kohler enclave soaking tub and the manufacturer instructions say to install a mortar bed for support. The mortar provides a stable base for the tub to rest on when the tub is full so the casing of the tub doesn t have to support all of the weight and crack.

The mortar conforms to the contours of the tub and when it sets it prevents the tub from moving and supports the weight. When you properly install alcove bathtub be sure you are setting the tub in mortar. You may have stepped into a hotel bathtub or a tub at a friend s house that squeaked and shuddered with the acrylic or plastic flexing under your feet. How to set a bathtub in a bed of mortar.

Most acrylic bathtubs are designed with flanges that you screw to the studs to secure the tub when installing it but the flanges aren t designed to support. Setting tubs in mortar is a method used by professional plumbers who specialize in quality home construction. Will this work or is the mud bed mix a better product for tub install. We are showing how to properly install an alcove tub in a mortar bed.

Both regular thinset mortar and floor leveling compound are suitable.