How to Install an Americast Bathtub

Measure each of the three walls of the alcove where the tub will eventually rest with a tape measure. You’ll need the length measurement of each. Then measure and cut three two-by-fours to the specified lengths to create “stringers,” horizontally placed basic support lines for the tub to rest on. Measure the height of the tub, from the floor to the top of the rim. In some cases this information will be laid out by Americast in the tub’s manual.

Measure from the floor to a point on one of the walls that reflects the tub’s height measurement and lay a corresponding two-by-four horizontally against the wall at this point. Outline the board’s location with a carpenter’s pencil, remove the board and use a stud finder to locate the studs in the wall. Mark the stud’s location, place the board back into place and hammer one nail into each end of the board, all the way through to the stud in the wall underneath. Repeat this step for the other two remaining walls.

Lay out the components of the included drain assembly, the “nuts and bolts” that attach the tub’s basin drain to the drain lines in the bathroom. Smear a generous amount of plumber’s putty around the flange – that’s the actual hole in the tub – from the underside. Thread the assembly down through the hole in the tub, working from inside the basin, and smear more putty around the opening from the underside. Wipe away any excess.

Thread on the rubber ring seal, the brass fitting and the nut, in that order, from the underside of the tub. Use a wrench to tighten the nut to secure the assembly in place but take care not to overtighten or you’ll risk unseating the rubber seal. Position the tub in place by lifting up the basin and setting it in the alcove with the lip of the tub resting on the stringer.

Nail the lip of the tub to the stringer, hammering straight down into the tub and into the wood. Turn on the water supply to the tub and check for leaks around the assembly. If need be, apply a bit more putty for a proper seal. Caulk the lining joint between the tub and the wall to settle the tub in place.