William Britten
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When I was home for the holidays, my buddy called me up to help him remove a bathtub from his sister’s house. I went over there and we carried the cast-iron bathtub out onto the porch. He said he was going to take the tub to the dump, and I tried to convince him to sell it for scrap metal and told him he could probably get a pretty decent price for it. He said, “Maybe.” And that was that. I don’t know what he ended up doing with it, something responsible I hope. Anyways, here is how to reclaim a bathtub.
Reclaim vs. Replace:
In these reclaim posts, we are salvaging useful bits from an imagined derelict house. This post is not designed for removing a bathtub in a working, livable home. This post is all about architectural salvage. I don’t want you smashing your own walls, then realizing I haven‘t given you instructions on how to put them back together again.
Turn off the Water:
You can turn off the water to a house or use cut-off valves to turn off the water to the room. Cut-off valves can be located behind the bathroom’s access panel or in the basement if bathroom is on the first floor. If the bathroom doesn’t have an access panel and there is no basement valve, you may have to put a hole in the wall. If the house is derelict, there may not be water coming to it, but I wouldn’t take any chances.
Detaching the Pipes:
Get an adjustable wrench or Channel-lock pliers. Disconnect the drain. Then you should loosen the slip nut that joins the overflow pipe which runs from the drain pipe. The drain strainer might need to be disconnected as well. If the faucets are in the wall, you’ll need to remove those. If the faucets are in the tub, you need to disconnect those fixtures from their connections to the water supply.
Removing the Tub From the Wall:
If the wall is tiled, you’re going to need a hammer and chisel. Yay! This is the best part. Use the hammer and chisel to separate the tub from the wall by chiseling where the tub and wall connect. Be careful not to damage the tub, but have fun damaging the walls. Also, you should wear safety goggles or you’ll get debris in your eyes. I once caught a piece of hot metal in the eye while cutting iron with a torch. It’s a lesson that needed no repeating.
If the walls aren’t tiled, you’ll still need to remove some material to see how the tub is attached. The tub can be attached by clips or it sits in a strip. Remove or unfasten clips or lift out of the strip. Once that is done, grab yourself a crowbar and try to pry the tub away from the wall. If you get stuck, you might still be connected somewhere.
Moving Tub Out:
If you are lucky, you can move the tub straight out of the wall. If you are unlucky, you’ll have a toilet in the way or the door will be too narrow or something unexpected will happen. You can do three things.
- Smash everything in order to get it out. Not very eco-friendly or responsible but effective and fast.
- Remove the toilet and cut holes in the wall so the tub can fit through.
- Take the tub through the plumbing wall. You’ll have to cut pipes and cap them or remove them altogether.
Once that is settled, it’s just a matter of carrying the tub to your ride. Learn how to install that tub at DIY.com.
More On Reclaiming:
How to Reclaim a Ceiling Fan
How to Reclaim a Doorbell
How to Reclaim a Door
Whether it's DIY green renovation tips you're looking for or 5 ways to reuse nearly everything you can think of, learn how with Planet Green Home & Garden.
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