Starting planning the design of the bathroom, many owners are wondering how to carry out facing work. Is it possible to pre-mount a new bath, or is it better not to do this? Both ways of installing a bath are possible. But still, the installation procedure depends both on its shape and on the materials from which the plumbing is made. The size of the room is also important. Let's find out in more detail what suits you best - installing a bathtub before or after tiling.
Set before tiling
This method consists in the initial placement of the bath on the floor and its strong fixation. Next, the bath is leveled using a level. In the future, already begin to finish the tiles. Having chosen this method, it is important to understand that the tiles in the bathroom lie from the edge of the bath, and not from the floor. A small indent is made from the edge (a few millimeters are enough),and the resulting gap after the completion of the main work will need to be sealed with a sealant or other moisture-resistant material. The tile will extend a little to the edge of the bath, and from the outside everything looks like the plumbing is connected to the wall.
Installing the bath after tiling
This method is more common than the previous one. It is often used in cases where you need to change the bath to a more modern and comfortable one. To start work, you need to completely empty the room and dismantle all the old plumbing. The actual repair process begins by cleaning the surfaces. The old tile is removed, the paint peels off. Walls must be carefully leveled and primed before tiling. After facing, you can start other work.
The floor also needs to be prepared. To do this, first it is leveled with a screed, and then the tiles are laid or another method of finishing is chosen. After completing the basic finishing work, you can proceed to the installation of the bath. If you decide to install an acrylic bathtub, a frame for a bathtub from a profile will be a big plus, as it allows you to install plumbing not at the wall itself, but at a distance. This is very appropriate in large rooms.
If there is a need to sheath pipes that run along the center of the walls or in the corner, it may be necessary to install the bath in a box. To sheathe the pipe in the corner, you will need two walls (two more are formed by the walls of the bath itself), and for pipes in the center you will need three walls. In the case of installing a bathroom close to the wall, you need to be very careful at the stage of tiling. After all, if you make a mistake when calculating the dimensions, the bath simply will not fit. Then it is necessary to dismantle the freshly laid tiles from the walls and start all over again.
After installing the bath, seal the joint with sealant or any other moisture-resistant material. For this, it is better to use silicone sealants. They are sold in special tubes with a nozzle. To squeeze the composition, you need a special gun. However, it is inexpensive. As a result, we will get a sealed and high-quality seam.
In most cases, this method of bath installation is chosen when installing an acrylic sanitary ware. The edge is not built into the wall, as acrylic is not strong enough material to withstand the load from the tile.
Marking the wall before laying
There is another option. All repair operations are performed in this way: the bath is brought into the room and tried on in the same place where it will be in the future. Having made markings on the wall, the bath is temporarily removed. Next, begin to lay the tiles, following the marks. Be sure to leave a small gap from the edge and lay the tiles from the bottom up.
What's next?
Having completed the lining, the bath should be brought back and installed in the marked place. This method is good because laying tiles is quite convenient. After all, you do not have to go around a bulky bath. But in case of an error, the tiles in the bathroom will be dismantled. Everything will have to be redone again.
When doing any plumbing work, you need to know what the standard installation height of the bath is. The generally accepted norm says that the height from the floor is 0.6 meters. Of course, this standard is often violated by deviating from the figure up or down. You should not place your bath at too high a height, as stepping over a high rim every time will be problematic, especially for older people. The decision to install the bath at a low height will make bathing easier for older owners, but it can easily ruin the look of the room.
So which option is better - installing a bathtub before tiling or after? To answer this question, you need to take into account such important points as the size of the room, the material from which the bath is made, its shape and dimensions.
Room size
If the bathtub is going to be in a fairly small space and takes up space right under the wall, the best option would be to install it before the cladding work begins. The fact is that the square of an already small room will decrease due to the thickness of the tiles, and the opposite walls will converge in such a way that plumbing simply will not fit between them.
Bath material
Installing a bathtub before tiling or after - which is better? It also depends on the materials from which the plumbing is made. If you have chosen a model made of cast iron, be prepared for the fact that a solid weight will prevent it from moving. Even for two or three people of non-fragile complexion, it will be difficult to transfer such a bathtask. It is for this reason that it is advisable to install it before the start of facing work, and only after they are completed, proceed to sealing the side.
Feet for a cast-iron bath need strong and stable. As a rule, they do not allow you to adjust the height of plumbing, they look squat and reliable. For beauty, cast-iron legs are often made in the form of monograms or decorative flowers. The cast-iron bathtub does not deform during filling with water, its geometry does not depend on the weight of the person who is in it.
If you chose a bathtub made of more pliable materials (steel or acrylic), be prepared for the fact that the shape may change somewhat under load, and the edge embedded in the tile may loosen and form cracks over time. Steel or acrylic models do not have the same durability as cast iron. Therefore, if you want to change the bath, the bottom row of tiles will have to be broken. If you install the bath without connecting it to the wall, you do not have to do extra work. To remove this structure from the room, you will only need to remove the sealant.
Shape and type of bathtub
If everything is more or less clear with the usual form, then what to do with models of more complex forms? There are also corner baths with hydromassage, which have not only an overflow and drain, but also several additional piping. In this case, do not wall up the plumbing into the wall. Sometimes the sophisticated electronic equipment that this type of bath is equipped with breaks down. He may needFree access. Therefore, it is better to install the construction of complex shapes only after finishing the facing work.
Helpful tips
There are a number of other factors that can affect the final decision of whether you need a tub before or after tiling. It happens that the apartment is still being renovated, but you need to use the bathroom. Here it would be preferable to put it before laying the tiles, in order to simply be able to wash.
If you're on a tight budget for a renovation, tiling an existing bathtub is the best option, as this saves on the number of tiles. After all, it is not necessary to put it behind the bathroom itself. If you decide to use fitting and marking before starting work, be sure to consider the features of the material from which your bath is made. If the cast-iron model does not react in any way to the amount of water in it, then acrylic and steel products can change shape. Therefore, trying on a bathtub and marking the wall, fill an acrylic or steel container with water. Water must remain in the bath even when sealing the gaps with sealant.
