OT-Plumbing Fiberglass tub has water in side

[Kerry Adams]

Good Afternoon, I stop by the neighbors and he shows me his tub in the bathroom. The floor is like a waterbed. It is a fiberglass tub on a slab. It is on an outside wall, so we could take off vinyl siding, foamboard and then the drywall to get to tub and see what is going on. The caulking had failed he said and he just re-did it, but I am assuming thats how the water got in. Nothing is wet on the outside of the house. Has anyone seen this before? Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Kerry

[David G Baker]

Sounds more like a plumbing leak than a caulking problem or a crack in the fiberglass. I think most tubs are built with a lip that goes up around 1 1/2 inches or so behind the sheetrock and the caulking goes between the sheetrock and the flat surface of the tub.

[Joel Goodman]

If you end up redoing the tub surround use duroc (not sure of spelling) or similar fiberglass cement board as "waterproof sheetrock" is not very durable long term as it's sheetrock with a waterproof paper on the side -- it will eventually fail. The cement boards are waterproof all the way through. They are 1/2 thick and use fiberglass and not the asbestos fiber that was used in the old days and is dangerous to saw.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I think most tubs are built with a lip that goes up around 1 1/2 inches or so behind the sheetrock

Maybe it 's just that I've only ever moved and reinstalled older cast iron tubs but I think it's more like a half inch, if that.

And yah it sounds like a plumbing problem and it sounds like a problem that needs fixing pronto

[Kerry Adams]

Thanks guys for all your answers. I think plumbing is the key too and I agree pronto is the way to go.

Thanks again,
Kerry