If your mobile home bathtub has extensive cracks that you cannot repair with an epoxy repair kit because the cracks are too deep or the bathtub has actual holes in it, consider installing a new bathtub. Installing a new bathtub requires understanding the different bottoms of a mobile home bathtub, properly removing the old bathtub, and installing the new bathtub.
Mobile Home Bathtub Bottoms
How the bathtub adheres to the mobile home floor affects the installation process. There are two types of bathtub bottoms: bathtubs that secure to the mobile home floor with plastic pegs, and those that adhere to the mobile home floor with a Styrofoam insert. The plastic pegs require more care because you need to delicately and accurately slide the plastic pegs into the adjoining holes in the mobile home floor. The Styrofoam bottoms are easier to install, and tend to be more stable than the plastic pegs.
Removing the Old Bathtub
The most important step of removing the old bathtub is to shut off the water. Afterward, simply unscrew the water pipes from the bathtub drain and remove the water lines from the faucet handles and shower head. Keep in mind that some older faucets have a more complicated construction and require disassembling the actual handle or shower head itself. Continue removing the old bathtub by pulling the surrounding plastic that is attached to the walls just above the bathtub. Cut around the edge of the tub with a utility knife and pull the plastic away from the wall. Some plastic surrounds (or wall kits) have screws attached to them, so you will need to unscrew these. Finally, unscrew the tub itself from the wall and discard it.
Installing the New Bathtub
Installing the new bathtub requires reversing the procedure of removing the old bathtub. Locate the same type of bathtub as the one you have removed, as making alterations to a mobile home to accommodate a different-sized bathtub is exceptionally difficult.
When installing the new bathtub there are three fixtures to consider: the support board for the rim of the bathtub, the drain, and the skirt track. The skirt track sits along the ground opposite the support board, which is attached to the wall of the mobile home. The skirt track helps stiffen the side of the bathtub that is not attached to the wall. Make sure these three fixtures are not overly worn and needing replacement.
Attach the drain to the new bathtub, and place the bathtub rim on top of the support board, sliding the bathtub onto the skirt track. Screw the bathtub into the wall and attach the new plastic surround to the wall, using water-resistant glue. Select a plastic surround that has minimal seams, which reduces the likelihood of leaking.
Tags: mobile home, home floor, mobile home floor, plastic pegs, skirt track, installing bathtub
