In this do it yourself renovation post, we will cover in detail how to take out an existing bath tub. The following tools you will need to complete this task are as follows:
- hammer
- pry bar
- utility knife
- linesman pliers
- slip joint pliers
- drywall saw
Before you begin this project, you will need to shut off the water supply to the bath tub. In some cases, there is an access panel located behind where the tub shower controls are located; such as a closet. In this access panel, there will likely be two water shut offs for the tub water controls. If so, turn them to the off position. If there are no shut offs, you must turn off the main water supply for your home.
Once the water is off, you can start removing the tub and controls. There are a couple of things that can be done now, but I prefer removing the waste and overflow drain first. There are specialty tools made to remove the waste and overflow, but you can do this easily with two pairs of pliers.
Insert the linesman pliers into the drain, locking them in position. Now, grasp the linesman pliers with another pair of pliers and turn counter clockwise to remove the waste assembly.
The cover of the overflow assembly can be removed with a philips screw driver. See illustration.
The possibility of removing the tub without removing the shower control is unlikely, therefore I recommend removing the unit completely. You will have to remove the handle caps with a flat tip screw driver, and the handle screws with a philips screwdriver.
Once the handles are removed, you can now remove the control flanges. This can be done with slip joint pliers, turning counter clockwise. If you plan on re-using these parts, wrap a cloth around the flanges, because the pliers will mark the chrome.
The tub spout and shower head are the next two items to be removed. The tub spout can usually be removed by hand, but the shower head should be removed with the use of the slip joint pliers.
Normally, a soaker bath tub is secured to the wall with screws, into each bare stud behind the drywall. With this in mind, you must remove the tub surround kit and drywall to access these screws. This process is going to be very messy, and I recommend having a garbage bag ready.
You can start by prying out on one corner of the tub surround, and pulling it off the wall. The tub surround will most likely be unusable, and should be replaced.
Removing the drywall is a messy process. If you are not performing a complete bathroom reno, you will have to mark the area of the surround on the wall and score that area with a knife or cut it with a drywall saw. Once the area is scored, you can remove all the drywall around the tub. I recommend trying to break off large peices of drywall to make it easier to remove and reduce the amount of mess created.
Once the drywall is completely removed, the inside wall plumbing should be taken out, unless you want to re-use the old taps and that they are not in the way during the tub removal. If you do decide to take them out, you can cut the supply piping off above the floor, unscrewing the whole unit from the wall. Like I stated previously, that most tubs are secured to the wall studs by screws. Simply unscrew all the screws at the top and sides of the tub in order to set the tub free.
At this point, you should have every obstacle out of the way, and ready to move the tub. Position the claw portion of the hammer or pry bar in the back of the tub, and pry out and up on the back of the tub. Once its away from the wall, you should be able to grab it and lift it out. Some tubs, like the one in this post are molded cast and are very heavy…so have an extra hand to help lifting.
The tub may need a little pursuation to get out of the bathroom, because it is made to the exact measurements of the bathroom, but it will go…trust me.
After the tub is gone, you may notice that the tub surround didn’t do its job, and allowed water to leak by the sides of the tub, and as a result…the walls and floors are rotting and moldy. If this is the case, this material needs to be repair and or replaced before a new tub is installed.
Coming soon to diyrenos.com is “How to Install a new Bath Tub”. Happy Renovations!
To find out take out install a toilet, visit “How to Install a Toilet”.
If you are interested in learning more about the details of plumbing, I recommend visiting: http://plumbinghelp.ca/
