Cast iron tubs are always used in houses around the USA. This is a sign of luxury for some people, but this product’s wide availability makes this luxury a typical household belonging. The décor of your restroom gets increased manifold by installing this iron tub. There are various advantages that you get with the iron tub. The iron tubs are concrete, so there is a high possibility for these cast iron tubs to be long-lasting.

Besides, the ceramic coating and the enamel finish provided on these iron tub can withhold the water’s temperature. So when the tub is filled with hot water, you can quickly get the warmth while bathing for a long time. Besides, the chemicals used in the process are powerful, and the outer coating used in the process is purely abrasion-free. And there is minimal possibility of scratching on the wall of the iron tub. The cast iron tubs will provide a vintage look to the room.

But when you are planning to install a cast iron tub in your washroom, there are specific steps that you should follow. For the betterment of our readers, we have shortlisted the steps that are incorporated into this method. We have divided the process into different parts in which we will discuss the tools and materials needed for this process, and then we will discuss all the steps elaborately.

Required Materials

Before starting the process, there are certain things that you will need to gather to make the process work properly. We hope that these discussions will be highly helpful to readers.

These are the prerequisite that you need to follow for having a correct installation process of the cast iron tub. At first, you will need a trowel. This is highly essential for making the surface flat after pouring the putty. This instrument will assure the evenness of the construction. Next, we will need a silicone sealant. This sealant is sold in many forms.

But we highly recommend the silicone sealants sold in tubes, which are highly efficient as adhesives. You can use it to seal the gaps and prevent leakage. Then you will need some metal shims. These are required to lessen the gap between two objects, and it will allow adjusting the fitness of the tub, and the surface will be very smooth as we are going to install a cast iron tub in the restroom so that you will need some plumber putty for this process.

This putty is almost similar to silicone sealant, but it is more affordable to seal the leakage in the tub, and the plumbing faucets can be adequately controlled. You will need some wall-coverings, but you have to make sure that these wall-coverings’ requirement is a must because there are some conditions when you do not need these wall-coverings.

When you have to drill through the wall while installing the cast iron tub, you will need wall-coverings. After this, you will need some wooden boards. This will help make the installation stable, and sometimes to create a partition wall, you will also need these wooden boards. Before installing the wooden panels, you must judge the wood’s quality to prepare the boards.

One of the most critical aspects while installing the cast iron tub is making the reference datum horizontal. For this reason, you must need a plumb line. You can hang this plumb line and mark the frame of reference. This will be highly efficient for the proper placement of the tub in the restroom. These are the essential materials that you will need for the appropriate execution of the process. But we highly suggest that you check the materials before buying them.

Before starting the process, there are certain things that you will need to gather to make the process work properly.We hope that these discussions will be highly helpful to readers. These are the prerequisite that you need to follow for having a correct installation process of the cast iron tub. At first, you will need a trowel. This is highly essential for making the surface flat after pouring the putty. This instrument will assure the evenness of the construction. Next, we will need a silicone sealant. This sealant is sold in many forms. But we highly recommend the silicone sealants sold in tubes, which are highly efficient as adhesives. You can use it to seal the gaps and prevent leakage. Then you will need some metal shims. These are required to lessen the gap between two objects, and it will allow adjusting the fitness of the tub, and the surface will be very smooth as we are going to install a cast iron tub in the restroom so that you will need some plumber putty for this process. This putty is almost similar to silicone sealant, but it is more affordable to seal the leakage in the tub, and the plumbing faucets can be adequately controlled. You will need some wall-coverings, but you have to make sure that these wall-coverings' requirement is a must because there are some conditions when you do not need these wall-coverings. When you have to drill through the wall while installing the cast iron tub, you will need wall-coverings. After this, you will need some wooden boards. This will help make the installation stable, and sometimes to create a partition wall, you will also need these wooden boards. Before installing the wooden panels, you must judge the wood's quality to prepare the boards. One of the most critical aspects while installing the cast iron tub is making the reference datum horizontal. For this reason, you must need a plumb line. You can hang this plumb line and mark the frame of reference. This will be highly efficient for the proper placement of the tub in the restroom. These are the essential materials that you will need for the appropriate execution of the process. But we highly suggest that you check the materials before buying them.

Required Tools

Now you need some essential tools to complete the task. The materials that we have discussed earlier are helpful, but you will need some extra tools related to maintaining the workflow. The first thing that you will need is to ensure safety during work. For this, you will need safety shoes and safety glasses. The safety shoes will help save the toes from a ceramic hit, and the glasses will protect your eyes from flairs and metals.

One of the essential materials that is needed while installing the cast iron tub is pliers. This will help you hold and bend then pipes and screws while working. You will also need a screwdriver for tightening the bolts and fasteners. It is better to use a metal screwdriver, these are sturdier, and it also helps to attach the screws firmly. For drilling purposes you will need a drilling machine, we highly recommend our users to use the drill machines which can be used without cable.
These drill machines will help you reach the tiniest places in the restroom, and using the cable drill machines might be harmful s you are working in the washroom, and there might be water leakage through the faucets. You will also need a measuring tape because you have to keep the tub’s proper measure before installing it. The accuracy in-wall measurement is highly required in this process. Besides, you will need some square and level for this process.

Procedure

• Step One  The first step you need to do to install the cast iron tub is to gather all the materials and tools. We have already listed all the necessary tools that you will need, and the materials are also correctly described. Once you have gathered all these, you can dive into the installation process. Then you have to detach all the existing plumbing lines from the washroom. Installation of the cast iron tub will require drilling and hammering, so all of these water faucet openings should be cut off temporarily.

• Step Two Now you have to remove the old tub if there is any installed in the place. For this, you need to detach all the drains and pipes from the old tub. Before that, you have to turn off the entire water supply system from the house. This will reduce the possibility of water leakage. You have to take out all the artificial wall materials installed, and then you have to lift the tub gently and slid a wooden board beneath the tub. This will help you move the tub smoothly. There will no scratch and marks on the floor of the washroom.

• Step Three Sometimes there is a subfloor installed beneath the tub, this is specifically done to protect the bathroom floor, and the load of the tub does not affect the main base of the house. So before installing the tub, you need to check the subfloor. The main thing that you need to be aware of the subfloor is the materials and cracks. If the subfloor is not leveled, you should use some cement to make the floor level ad. For damages, you can easily use the silicone sealant or the plumber’s putty to fix it.

• Step Four Once the base and the place where you want to pace the tub are marked, you should start measuring the tub. Naturally, the new tub may have some variations in weight than the older one. So you have to count all the dimensions correctly, and then you have to mark them on the subfloor. Another essential aspect that you have to observe is the drain line for the tub, so you have to keep the subfloor clean for the drain line marking. Now you have to construct a framing recess for the tub, and it is better to use the 2×4 planks; these are very sturdy.

• Step Five Now you have to determine the drainage for the tub, there are no predetermined dimensions provided for drainage, but for the betterment of our readers, we highly suggest cutting a 6″x12″ hole for drainage. This dimension is applicable for the drainage system, which below the floor, but for above the floor drainage system, specific instructions will be provided by the company for installation. After the drainage system is cut, you have to install the bath drain in the tub. You can install this bath drain following the instruction manual.

• Step Six Now you have to install the cast iron tub. Before installing the tub, you have to put a towel underneath the tub. This will prevent all the scratches that might have been caused to the floor by the cast iron tub’s dragging. Once the tub is placed in the right position, you can easily take out the towel. You have already prepared the frame using wooden planks at this stage, so you have to carefully lift the tub and then place it on the wooden frame. You have to make sure that the lower end of the tub is correctly fitted inside the frame.

• Step Seven Once the tub is fitted, you have to gently insert the drainpipe on the drain hole and seal the extra openings around the line using a sealant. Then you have to level the bath using metal shims and make joints using the plumber’s putty. After this, you have to check the level from the top and side of the tub. You can use the plumb line and level for this. After this, you have to connect the water connection to the tub and repair the wall finish around the tub.

Conclusion

We can quickly get a good idea about the steps that we need to follow to install a cast iron tub by the above discussion. We hope that the process will be highly advantageous to our readers. The entire process is based on the experience of a certified professional. Thank you for your patience, and have a nice day!