Installing a podium tub

For a new bathroom or a renovation project, a lot of people opt for a podium tub.

This type of installation confers a rich, comfortable look to help transform a bath into a time of relaxation. In addition, if the podium surface surrounding the tub is large enough, you can place decorative objects such as flower vases, sculptures, etc. that make the appearance more attractive and contribute to the relaxing effect.

Installing a bathtub is an arduous task that should be reserved for experienced do-it-yourselfers. We strongly advise you to seek help, because a bathtub is heavy and awkward to handle.
Difficulty level :
Tools list
Material list
Project guide service
Related Projects
Related Tips
Page 1/4
Before starting
Preliminary plumbing
1. Building the podium
2. Build the walls
3. Position the casing
4. Install the top of the casing
5. Cut the opening
6. Connect the plumbing
7. Install the tub
8. Install the faucet
9. Test
10. Closing the casing
11. Variations
12. Finishing

Before starting

As with any major project, good preparation will contribute to the project’s success. So please follow these instructions:
  • Check the floor’s level and solidity. The floor must be able to support 50 lbs/ft.² (245 kg/m²).

  • To save space, podiums are often supported on two walls, which leaves two apparent sides. However, if you have sufficient space, nothing prevents you from building a three-sided casing or even a four-sided “island”, i.e., a podium accessible from all sides.

  • If you want lighting on the podium perimeter, or if you plan to install a whirlpool or therapeutic bath, this is the time to route the electricity to the area (must be done by a professional, who will take adequate safety measures, including the installation of a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet).

  • Don’t build the podium before obtaining the tub’s specifications.

  • When unpacking, inspect the tub to make sure it has no defect or broken parts.

  • You may find a full-length template printed on the tub packaging. In that event, keep it for guidance when cutting the plywood that will be installed over the podium.

  • If a plastic film is covering the tub, leave it there.

  • Place cardboard at the bottom of the tub to protect it. If you use pieces from the box’s cardboard, remove its metal attachments and take care not to use the part of the box that includes the template (if applicable).

  • If your bathroom is new (e.g.: new construction, basement installation), place the tub inside that room before building the walls.

  • If carrying out a renovation project, the existing wall covering must be removed where the podium is to be supported (if applicable). If you want to keep the bathroom door intact, choose a tub that can pass through it.

  • Plan for a trap of at least 30" × 15" (75 × 40 cm)* on the podium of a whirlpool or therapeutic tub, so you can easily access the piping and system, and have additional points of access if the podium houses other components (e.g.: lights, water heater, electronic components, etc.). Some manufacturers also require a ventilation trap.

    Another solution consists of making the trap on the other side of the wall on which the podium is supported. The classic example: a trap hidden behind furniture or in the closet of a room adjacent to the bathroom. For that purpose, you can buy a ready-to-install access trap.

    *This trap, although mandatory only for system tubs, is also strongly suggested for ordinary tubs, to enable easy access to the plumbing if necessary.

  • Plan for a practical location for faucets: they must be easily accessible from outside the tub (for example, to prepare a child’s bath) without making it difficult to enter the tub.

  • If you’re wondering whether you should install a faucet with hose spray, don’t hesitate: do it! It’s essential for making it easy to clean and rinse the tub.

  • Use only pipes recommended for bathtub faucets (inside diameter of 1/2 in.): those pipes are not the same as for sinks because they supply a greater flow.

  • Resist the temptation to make a casing rim that is too large on the side where you enter the tub: that would hamper entry in the tub (particularly for children and the elderly) and make it difficult to clean the tub or for parents to wash their young children. A maximum width of 3 - 4 inches is recommended.

  • The contour of the tub itself should usually be sufficiently large for installing faucets. However, if you want (or must) make faucets come out of the casing and not the tub, make sure that the spout’s “neck” is long enough to pour water into the tub.

  • The bottom of the tub must rest on the ground; the tub must never be supported solely by its rims.

  • The tub’s contours must be level, and not its bottom. So place a spirit level on the tub’s rims, in both directions: the tub must be level on both its length and width.

  • You don’t have to worry about the flow: if the tub is level, the flow will be adequate.

  • Some tubs are already installed level on platforms: in that case, if your floor is level, no adjustment is necessary.

  • Whether or not the tub is equipped with a platform, levelling is done with wood shims. It’s also possible to use masonry to level a tub with no platform.

  • Make sure that your installation will comply with building codes in effect in your area.

  • It is strongly suggested to have the plumbing and electricity (if applicable) installed by a professional.

Preliminary plumbing

In the case of a renovation without moving the plumbing, you will of course have to choose a tub whose waste pipe location will allow an installation using the plumbing in place. Take precise measurements: the pipes you will secure to the tub drain have to fit perfectly with the floor siphon!

As for water-carrying pipes, accuracy is less problematic, because today’s PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) pipes facilitate installation, but you should make sure that you will be able to extend the pipes to the faucets’ planned location.

During a new installation in which the plumbing is not yet in place, you have the possibility of adapting the drain’s position to the bathtub you want to install. Here too, your measurements must be accurate!

The drain hole in the floor should be approx. 6 in. wide × 12 in. long, to allow the insertion of the ABS waste pipe assembly to be secured to the bathtub. Before making this hole, make sure there are no joists, wires, pipes or other components under the floor.

In this project, we consider the water inlet and waste trap to be already installed.
Page 1/4