ᐅ Bathtub – The general contractor does not want it to be installed recessed or lowered.
Created on: 5 Jan 2020 13:05
B
bauenmk2020
Hello everyone,
We have a large 80x180 cm (31x71 inch) bathtub in our bathroom. The bathtub is placed in front of a window with a sill height of 69.5 cm (27.4 inches) above the finished floor level. The tub itself is about 60 cm (24 inches) high. It is installed on a bathtub support frame set on the finished floor. The construction manager insists on this because I mentioned that the tub feels too high for us and we would prefer to place it directly on the rough floor. He says that it must be placed on the finished floor to prevent water damage from penetrating the building structure.
I continued planning and realized that there will be almost no space left for the faucet fittings, as there are only a few centimeters between the top edge of the bathtub and the window sill height. So, the faucet cannot be installed where it is planned in the execution drawings.
After confronting the construction manager, he now says he will check possible solutions. For example, removing the faucet fittings and instead supplying water through the overflow. This would incur additional costs, which we would have to bear!
I’m really not satisfied with this! Someone else who is also building with the general contractor has their tub placed directly on the rough floor—it seems they have a different construction manager.
My question to you:
What arguments can I give the construction manager to have the tub placed on the rough floor after all? Are there regulations or current best practices that require placing it only on the finished screed/floor for reasons like “water tightness” in case of water damage?
Is such a “compromise solution” to be paid for by the homeowner, or is it the contractor’s responsibility? According to the construction manager, “it’s your house, individually planned and built, so your wishes and your costs”...
Edit:
We set the window sill height as high as possible. Higher than 69.5 cm (27.4 inches) is not possible due to the window and knee wall.
We have a large 80x180 cm (31x71 inch) bathtub in our bathroom. The bathtub is placed in front of a window with a sill height of 69.5 cm (27.4 inches) above the finished floor level. The tub itself is about 60 cm (24 inches) high. It is installed on a bathtub support frame set on the finished floor. The construction manager insists on this because I mentioned that the tub feels too high for us and we would prefer to place it directly on the rough floor. He says that it must be placed on the finished floor to prevent water damage from penetrating the building structure.
I continued planning and realized that there will be almost no space left for the faucet fittings, as there are only a few centimeters between the top edge of the bathtub and the window sill height. So, the faucet cannot be installed where it is planned in the execution drawings.
After confronting the construction manager, he now says he will check possible solutions. For example, removing the faucet fittings and instead supplying water through the overflow. This would incur additional costs, which we would have to bear!
I’m really not satisfied with this! Someone else who is also building with the general contractor has their tub placed directly on the rough floor—it seems they have a different construction manager.
My question to you:
What arguments can I give the construction manager to have the tub placed on the rough floor after all? Are there regulations or current best practices that require placing it only on the finished screed/floor for reasons like “water tightness” in case of water damage?
Is such a “compromise solution” to be paid for by the homeowner, or is it the contractor’s responsibility? According to the construction manager, “it’s your house, individually planned and built, so your wishes and your costs”...
Edit:
We set the window sill height as high as possible. Higher than 69.5 cm (27.4 inches) is not possible due to the window and knee wall.
The general contractor can deliver a proper solution without any tricks: fitting the fixtures on the narrow side, on the partition wall next to the toilet. This was done in the past (TM) as well. At that time, the bathroom heater was placed there. Whether that is modern or aesthetically pleasing is another matter.
However, the original poster first needs to clarify whether the 10cm (4 inches) by which the bathtub can be set deeper will provide enough space for installing the fixtures. If it is a timber-framed house, there is a beam running under the window, so you cannot simply install the fixtures directly under the windowsill.
However, the original poster first needs to clarify whether the 10cm (4 inches) by which the bathtub can be set deeper will provide enough space for installing the fixtures. If it is a timber-framed house, there is a beam running under the window, so you cannot simply install the fixtures directly under the windowsill.
Vicky Pedia5 Jan 2020 19:36@guckuck2 That may be true. The client is the layperson; if they request something unreasonable, they need to be informed. However, there obviously are plans that show this as feasible. It does not matter whether the architect or the contractor drew them. At the time the contract was signed, both parties agreed to carry out the work. It is technically possible, too. But the client cannot be held responsible for additional costs. They expressed their wish (bathtub under window), and the contractor provided a fixed contract price for it.
Heating in the shower, yes, no question. But what use is it beneath the polystyrene support of the bathtub?
Heating in the shower, yes, no question. But what use is it beneath the polystyrene support of the bathtub?
Pinky0301 schrieb:
Is installing underfloor heating beneath the bathtub really effective?Yes.
bauenmk20205 Jan 2020 21:13Basically, I only noticed this because I am recreating the house in 3D. Apparently, no one else had spotted it before. The bathtub has always been positioned in front of the window, and the window sill height was only changed because I (the client) wanted it as high as possible.
The floor plan was adjusted by the sales representative/architect and then used as the basis for the contract. Six months later, these were turned into the execution drawings for the trades, which apparently had already been tendered, as the “issue” was also sent by email to the plumbing company.
Essentially, I uncovered a planning deficiency that would have been more complicated to resolve at a later stage of construction due to missing plans and time pressure.
I assume that these costs are included in the fixed price. After all, I have already paid the second installment, and the shell construction will soon continue.
If their heating capacity is insufficient, I would install an electric towel radiator.
The floor plan was adjusted by the sales representative/architect and then used as the basis for the contract. Six months later, these were turned into the execution drawings for the trades, which apparently had already been tendered, as the “issue” was also sent by email to the plumbing company.
Essentially, I uncovered a planning deficiency that would have been more complicated to resolve at a later stage of construction due to missing plans and time pressure.
I assume that these costs are included in the fixed price. After all, I have already paid the second installment, and the shell construction will soon continue.
If their heating capacity is insufficient, I would install an electric towel radiator.
Yes, it definitely sounds like the detailed planning was left to the contractor on site. With our general contractor, we were required to select all sanitary fixtures including fittings by name and type BEFORE the selection appointment. During the appointment, the detailed specifications such as washbasin and toilet heights were defined. The technical dimension drawings of the fixtures were provided as an attachment to the selection documents, so there were no uncertainties. Afterwards, the results went to the plumbing foreman, who validated the planning and added the routing of pipes. Any issues would have been noticed there. Additional work, such as an extra stud wall or different pipe routing, would have been our responsibility. I personally needed a changed pipe routing in the cold water line due to a fireplace boiler with a thermostatic control valve. I discussed this with the plumber, received a price quote by email, confirmed it, and that was it.
A small side story: Of course, something went wrong!
We have a recessed fitting from Grohe in the guest bathroom. Grohe has a separate installation body for almost every fitting. The general contractor selected and installed the appropriate item number from their database. At the end of the tiling work, we wanted to install the mixer lever and spout ourselves. THEY DIDN’T FIT!! The set was correct, but the cartridge in the installation body had a too-large diameter. After three days of research, we found out that Grohe changed the design of the series one year before installation (about three months before the selection appointment) and significantly slimmed it down. This required a new installation body, but the general contractor’s database still contained the old item number. The parts matching the old installation body were no longer available from Grohe either. So, the general contractor replaced the installation body from behind... the bathroom was already fully tiled. Luckily, I have a timber frame house. But the installer really had a hard time.
A small side story: Of course, something went wrong!
We have a recessed fitting from Grohe in the guest bathroom. Grohe has a separate installation body for almost every fitting. The general contractor selected and installed the appropriate item number from their database. At the end of the tiling work, we wanted to install the mixer lever and spout ourselves. THEY DIDN’T FIT!! The set was correct, but the cartridge in the installation body had a too-large diameter. After three days of research, we found out that Grohe changed the design of the series one year before installation (about three months before the selection appointment) and significantly slimmed it down. This required a new installation body, but the general contractor’s database still contained the old item number. The parts matching the old installation body were no longer available from Grohe either. So, the general contractor replaced the installation body from behind... the bathroom was already fully tiled. Luckily, I have a timber frame house. But the installer really had a hard time.
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