ᐅ Tiles under and around the bathtub

Good morning, what is the correct procedure? The bathtub is to be installed on the bathtub support base against two sides of the bathroom interior walls. Does the tiler need to install tiles under the bathtub, specifically under the area where the support base will be placed? Should the wall tiles be installed up to the top edge of the bathtub support base or down to the floor behind the bathtub? The joint pattern with adjacent surfaces is of secondary importance since the remaining walls will not be tiled.

Thank you for your answers.

Hausbau 55 schrieb:

Does the tiler need to lay tiles under the bathtub, specifically under the base frame of the tub?

No! Usually, a bathtub is installed during the shell construction phase even without a screed. Pipes can and are allowed to remain "exposed" there. Therefore, tiling underneath would not be possible…

Hausbau 55 schrieb:

Should wall tiles be installed up to the top edge of the tub frame or down to the floor behind the bathtub?

The tiler works after the bathtub is installed, so the tiling finishes at the edge of the bathtub and ideally includes the tub’s apron or panel. In this way, the tiles essentially overlap the bathtub material. This approach is the only one that makes practical sense.

Just spoke with my plumber about this.
Technically, it doesn’t matter when you install the floor tiles. However, if you can wait, it is more cost-effective not to tile underneath the bathtub.
Wall tiles directly above the bathtub should be installed only after the bathtub is in place, as usually a bathtub sealing tape needs to be applied there.

Hello home builders, how did you handle this topic in your bathroom?

Our tiler coordinated with the plumber to tile under the bathtub, as this made the tile measurement for the drywall partition behind the tub fit better. However, I also understand that it generally does not matter. From a cost perspective, it usually makes sense to tile only after the bathtub support frame has been installed.

Well, that naturally depends on the height of the bathtub. For me, it wouldn’t have made a difference. It doesn’t fit exactly, neither with nor without adjustments. But planning the bathtub based on the tile layout seems quite obsessive.

Possibly, it would have been possible to build up the joist with something like Wedi boards underneath – but I didn’t think of that in time. Also, the measurement given to me by the plumber beforehand wasn’t entirely accurate. With the joist, the bathtub was supposed to be 60cm (24 inches) high, but it ended up being 55cm (22 inches).