[Shop-talk] Drop-in tub install question

[David Hillman]

On Sun, 17 Jan 2010, Jim Franklin wrote:
>>  The part I don't understand is why they emphasize not letting the tub's 
>> bottom contact the floor.  It's an American Standard Americast tub ( 
>> Americast is a "unique three-layer construction consisting of a smooth 
>> porcelain-enamel finish bound to high-quality alloy that is backed by an 
>> injection-molded structure" ).
>
> My guess would be the alloy will expand enough that there'd be stress on the 
> screws at the rim if there was nowhere for the expansion to go.

    Isn't it pretty unlikely that triple-layer construction described 
above can expand that much without a) cracking the porcelain finish or b) 
becoming unbonded?  Wouldn't all three materials have to expand at the 
same rate?

> The nails in stringers is plenty of support. It's no different than the nails 
> that support the floor joists in the rim joist or girders. *You* could stand 
> on a stringer supported with one 10d nail. Over 5' you'll have at least 4 
> doubly-nailed connections. It'll be fine.

    I'm not that worried about the strength, it just seems like the wrong 
way to go.  Hanging a tub?  Why?

--
  David Hillman