The petrifying feeling of the bathtub hurtling down the floor is quite real. As per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, bathtubs falling through the floor is the topmost cause of toilet and bathroom accidents in the United States. It is reported that approximately 235000 individuals have injured themselves in their bathroom over fifteen years due to this cause each year.
Will my Bathtub Fall Through the Floor? Your bathtub can fall through the floor if your floor structure is damaged or has become rotten due to flooding or the materials of your floor have become weak to withstand the pressure of a heavy structure like a bathtub.
Different Reasons How Can My Bathtub Fall Through The Floor
There is a complete list of several causative factors which can make the bathtub fall through your floor.
- The natural aging factor of floors
The rate at which the flooring of your house ages depends on several factors, such as carrying out cosmetic changes on your floor structures. If your home is older, it will be a great risk to install a bathtub on your floor. With time, the materials included in your floor become weak and ultimately reach their sagging point, which can’t be noticed easily unless it’s very late. The floor will show cracks when materials tend to become weak. So repair the floor to spot cracks in your floor structure before installing a bathtub. Although if you have not repaired your floor, it will start leaking and age with time.
- Flooded floor
If you let water collect on your floor, the floor structures will become weak or rot, which can damage your flooring glue and the plywood. This will rot the wooden structure and cause the floor to become weakened. Concrete floors, just like wooden floors, can become weakened if water gets collected for a prolonged time. Moisture accumulation in minor amounts can also result in excessive rotting/damage in the longer run. Your bathtub can fall through the floor if the floor remains moist or damaged by water.
- Previous damage
It is advisable not to install a bathtub on a floor that has been damaged previously due to drilling, crackling, or fire. If the floor has sustained damages in considerable amounts, then it’ll leave flaws on your floor that often become less observable. If you try installing a bathtub without realizing such damages, this may result in the floor’s collapse.
Which Type Of Floor Is Good For Bathtub Installation?
Floors that are not piled with several heavy items can easily take the bathtub’s pressure without any fallout problem. For instance, floors containing only one bathtub can tackle pressure more easily than floors where two bathtubs are installed and other items and cabinets that are not important.
You need to consider that floor has some weight limits, so don’t overload it with unnecessary home equipment. A bathtub installed in the strongest section of the floor reduces the risk of falling through the floor.
How Does Non-Conformity With Specific Building Regulations Make Your Bathtub Fall Through The Floor?
It is important to use specific requirements recommended by the local authority, which your building contractor should follow. There are building codes recommended for the floor thickness, and it can be dangerous to go beyond that as it will not support the weight adequately.
If your contractor doesn’t pay attention to these regulations, you’ll get a dangerous and substandard floor that can’t take the pressure of your bathtub and will fall out. Therefore, conformity with the building regulation is important to prevent bathtub fallout.
How Can I Prevent My Bathtub From Falling Through The Floor?
Some quick tricks can help you to avoid the bathtub fallout issue. One simple trick is to avoid installing a bathtub upstairs, especially if you reside in a manufactured house or homes made using assembled parts. Although concrete flooring is a good option for installing a bathtub, nothing is guaranteed. The following are the precautions that help you eliminate bathtub fallout.
- Avoid going for major alterations or changes to the floor
One main cause of floor problems and bathtub fallout is floor alterations. A tailor-made house floor is made by your builder, which goes with your general home structure to preserve its integrity. It is important to leave the floor the same way your builder has left it. If the floor gets damaged, repair it instead of modifying it because floors have certain capacity calibration.
- Accurate bathtub positioning
It is important to install your bathtub in the right position and direction of the floor. Check the joists of the floor, which are known as the backbone of your floor, as they support the weight of your floor structure. Install a bathtub where the joists are positioned as it can support the weight of the heavy bathtub. If the joists remain in good condition, they can take all weight of the bathtub. This is the best thing if you have repaired your floor recently.
- Keep floor dry
As water can damage your floor, you should not allow water flooding, especially if floors are made of wood. Flooding will rot the wood and disintegrate in bolted and glued areas which weakens the integrity of the floor.
How To Know Whether My Floor Can Handle The Pressure Of A Bathtub?
The first thing to take into consideration is installation flaws. If a builder constructs your home according to the building standards and there are no such installation flaws, then your floor is fit to withstand the heavy installation of the bathtub.
You need to consider if your floor is installed in the right environment. If your builder has laid hardwood in a moist or damp environment and your house is in high humidity and cold climate, the wood would warp during the drying process.
Final Verdict
Your bathtub falling through the floor is a frightening factor that you can never imagine. The main reasons and causes of falling bathtub issues are associated with your floor’s integrity. Poor construction of the floor structure by the builder cannot handle the pressure of installing a heavy bathtub. Prevent your bathtub from falling by protecting it from water flooding and floor alterations. Eliminate overloading your bathroom floor with a heavy installation that is not required.