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Posted by Greg O on June 30, 2007, 11:20 am
>I am installing a whirlpool tub into an alcove, where the center wall
> is an exterior wall. There is room to have about a 6" surround on each
> side of the tub, or I could have it off-center and go up to 9" on one
> side.
>
> SWMBO wants the fixtures on the middle (exterior) wall, and I'm trying
> to decide if it's even possible with a topside plumbing access. Not
> only would it have to be large enough to facilitate installation and
> potentially repair, it would also still need to seal.
>
> I'm building the surround out of some leftover brazilian cherry we
> have from the stair remodel (I build box newels for that).
>
> Is this possible, or is it just as bad of an idea as it feels like?
> Should I consider an outside plumbing access? This is a 2nd floor
> master bath, stick-framed, with a brick vernier exterior.
>
> The other alternative is to just install the fixtures on the front
> side, but you'd have to get in around them, and they wouldn't be as
> nice to look at.
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Mike
>
It seems to me the best option would be to mount the faucet off to the side,
in front of the tub, with an access door on the wall below the tub. Who says
the faucet needs to be centered? Any thing else is just asking for trouble
down the road. With the access on top, water will certainly get trough at
some point.
Greg
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Posted by HerHusband on June 30, 2007, 12:40 pm
Mike,
> I am installing a whirlpool tub into an alcove, where the center wall
> is an exterior wall. There is room to have about a 6" surround on each
> side of the tub, or I could have it off-center and go up to 9" on one
> side. SWMBO wants the fixtures on the middle (exterior) wall
Are you talking about mounting the fixture on the back side of the tub?
If so, that would be very awkward to use unless you have a small tub or
plan on climbing in the tub just to start filling it with water.
Is this a tub in a platform situation where the fixture mounts on the
deck, or it is a regular tub where the fixtures mount on the wall?
You mention it's an alcove. What's on the two end walls? Could you put an
access panel on the back side of one of the end walls? Our guest bath has
a closet on the other side of the fixture wall, which made it easy to
hide an access panel inside the closet.
> The other alternative is to just install the fixtures on the front
> side, but you'd have to get in around them, and they wouldn't be as
> nice to look at.
I mounted our master tub faucet in the front left corner of our tub
platform. It's easy to access, out of the way when climbing in and out of
the tub, and doesn't get in the way if we both take a bath together (a
person at each end).
> if it's even possible with a topside plumbing access.
I wouldn't recommend top access if you can avoid it. It's just a
potential place for water to seep into.
One end of our master tub butts up against the vanity cabinet. I
originally planned on putting the access inside the cabinet, since the
front of our tub platform had to be waterproofed (we have a large walk-in
shower outside the tub). In the end, I installed the fixture before I set
the tub in. Any typical repairs needed to the faucet can be accomplished
from above the deck anyway. And if I need to repair the plumbing for some
reason, I figured I could remove the tub, or pop a hole up from our
crawlspace. Either way, that's no different than repairing the plumbing
anywhere else in the house.
Anthony
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Posted by Mike Reed on June 30, 2007, 3:38 pm
> Mike,
>
> Are you talking about mounting the fixture on the back side of the tub?
> If so, that would be very awkward to use unless you have a small tub or
> plan on climbing in the tub just to start filling it with water.
That's a good point I hadn't considered.
> Is this a tub in a platform situation where the fixture mounts on the
> deck, or it is a regular tub where the fixtures mount on the wall?
Fixture on the deck
>
> You mention it's an alcove. What's on the two end walls? Could you put an
> access panel on the back side of one of the end walls?
One wall has the master bedroom, the other has the water closet.
Access panel wouldn't look good. I don't mind front access -- I'm
building a jatoba front for the tub too (standard frame and panel A&C
look). It would be easy enough to just caulk that piece in place and
slice it out for access if it was ever needed.
> I mounted our master tub faucet in the front left corner of our tub
> platform. It's easy to access, out of the way when climbing in and out of
> the tub, and doesn't get in the way if we both take a bath together (a
> person at each end).
We'll have to look into that, but this is a pretty crisp rectangular
tub, so corner fixture may look awkward. I'll take a look.
> One end of our master tub butts up against the vanity cabinet. I
> originally planned on putting the access inside the cabinet, since the
> front of our tub platform had to be waterproofed (we have a large walk-in
> shower outside the tub). In the end, I installed the fixture before I set
> the tub in. Any typical repairs needed to the faucet can be accomplished
> from above the deck anyway. And if I need to repair the plumbing for some
> reason, I figured I could remove the tub, or pop a hole up from our
> crawlspace. Either way, that's no different than repairing the plumbing
> anywhere else in the house.
Interesting point. I could plumb the tub around to where there is
access in front, install the tub, then sweat the final connections
from the front. I guess if it's solid soldered copper all the way
through, it is no different than being in a wall. Hmm. There is the
fixture access leanin over the whole tub issue though.
Thanks for the replies so far everyone.
-Mike
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Posted by HerHusband on July 1, 2007, 12:49 pm
Mike,
>> You mention it's an alcove. What's on the two end walls? Could you
>> put an access panel on the back side of one of the end walls?
> One wall has the master bedroom, the other has the water closet.
> Access panel wouldn't look good.
Could you make the entire back side of the water closet wall a removeable
panel?
> Interesting point. I could plumb the tub around to where there is
> access in front, install the tub, then sweat the final connections
> from the front. I guess if it's solid soldered copper all the way
> through, it is no different than being in a wall. Hmm. There is the
> fixture access leanin over the whole tub issue though.
One other thought, you mentioned this was a "whirlpool" tub right? If so
that involves a pump and electrical equipment. In that case, you are
required by code to have an access panel for the electrical connection and
pump maintenance. Sounds like you're OK with a front access panel, so just
mount everything up front (or on an end you can reach from the front) and
you should be OK.
Anthony
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Posted by mm on July 1, 2007, 5:00 am
wrote:
>
>
>SWMBO wants the fixtures on the middle (exterior) wall, and I'm trying
>to decide if it's even possible with a topside plumbing access. Not
>only would it have to be large enough to facilitate installation and
>potentially repair, it would also still need to seal.
I'll say this, when I had a bathtub with the valves and faucet on the
side, it was very convenient. I didn't have to move to adjust the
water. I loved my luxury 1930 bathtub, with the drain control
outside. I could float in it with no more than a square inch of me
touching the sides or bottom.
Now I have one with the valves and faucet near my toes. I've done toe
exercises and greased the stems to make them easy to turn with my
toes, but they got tight again later. I have some control but end up
sitting up to adjust them most of the time.
They couldn't put them on the side here, because under the sheetrock
is the cinder block that separates my house from the next house.
In the luxury building, in my bathroom, the wall only separated the
tub from the kitchen. And in the other full bathroom, I think the tub
was against an outside wall, but the fixtures were still on the side.
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