Inaccessible corner of old corner bath not level

[GeoffG]

Corner bath - fitted about 20 years ago. It's acrylic, on a metal frame. The feet have sunk into the soft pine floorboards. I have adjusted the accessible feet to raise the bath back up to the bottom of the tiles, BUT I can't get to the far corner to adjust the foot there.

There is a dip of roughly 3mm, over a distance of 12-18mm (12 mm along bath width, 18mm along bath length).

I am going to add a shower screen and start using bath as a shower. Ideally I would like it to be level, but is it worth all the hassle, if I have to disconnect the bath from the water and waste and move it, so I can get to this inaccessible corner? N.B. Because it's a corner bath, and there is only 100-150mm underneath between the bottom of the bath and the floor, my arms would have to be about twice as long to reach the far corner!

There was no silicone installed - just grout, and so there would be a rather bigger gap to seal with silicone, at this corner. (I plan to silicone over the grout rather than scrape it all out - apart from any loose bits which I will remove, unless someone tells me different).

My key questions then, to sum up:

1. Will silicone seal the gap with an 3mm extra, OK?

2. Assuming it will, how much of an issue is it, if there is a bit of standing water here that we have to wipe up after showering?

3. Alternatively, I I really have to fix this, is there an easier way to do that without unplumbing and moving the bath?

 

[rpm]

Cut access panel in other side of the wall?

 

[GeoffG]

Cut access panel in other side of the wall?

Thanks - good thought, but the walls are block, so too radical for my situation.

 

[rpm]

Thanks - good thought, but the walls are block, so too radical for my situation.

Ah ok, what about 24" or 36" stillsons, would they reach.

 

[GeoffG]

Ah ok, what about 24" or 36" stillsons, would they reach.

Could work! Not sure I have ones that big, but I suppose I could put a tube over handle to give one more reach.

TBH though I was hoping you'd say I could get away with not doing it. The bath panel is held on with eight mirror screws, and they are a real pain to get the heads off and the screws out!

 

[rpm]

I stand to corrected but that fall over that distance and any water is only going to flow one way so is going to go the direction you want? Also suprised it has grout not silicone tbh.

Guess any adjustable taped to a pole would give the reach you need.

 

[GeoffG]

I stand to corrected but that fall over that distance and any water is only going to flow one way so is going to go the direction you want? Also suprised it has grout not silicone tbh.

Guess any adjustable taped to a pole would give the reach you need.

Yes, I like the Stiltson idea though because it might be easier to get it onto the nut.

I was surprised too at the grout. They did the joint between the tiles and the floorboards with grout too. Not really successful for either job. It was a self-build. Plenty of high-quality work, but some places where maybe they didn't quite do it the best way.

Yes, I can't deny that there would be a puddle if I leave it as is. I thought that if we are prepared to mop it up afterwards, it wouldn't be too bad, so long as the silicone doesn't leak. Not ideal though certainly.

 

[Best]

Was thinking could you not get a long piece of timber and shove it below the the corner bath foot?
Use a piece of timber about the correct thickness needed and first taper the end so it acts like a wedge.
Never seen a bath that I couldn’t reach to the rear feet. Unless there is a basin or toilet in the way?
Lie on floor with shoulder in below bath and you should have a metre of reach if you are a large person.
Or ask Peter Crouch to do it? 😉

 

[GeoffG]

Was thinking could you not get a long piece of timber and shove it below the the corner bath foot?
Use a piece of timber about the correct thickness needed and first taper the end so it acts like a wedge.
Never seen a bath that I couldn’t reach to the rear feet. Unless there is a basin or toilet in the way?
Lie on floor with shoulder in below bath and you should have a metre of reach if you are a large person.
Or ask Peter Crouch to do it? 😉

Thanks!

The bath is 1 metre deep (I.e. front to back) or you might say "wide", at that point, and the tub part is only about 80-100mm from the wall, and fairly vertical as that's the front. And the diagonally oriented tub is close to the front accessible face. The metal support frame is in the space below.

So not much room for arm and shoulder. I'm about 5' 9". But maybe I can do it as you say, perhaps I overestimated the difficulty!

Good point about the wood too - I have some 3mm ply - could work!

Will give it a go, and post back how I get on.