Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Floor under bathtub rotted

I have about a 2 foot square section of floor board under my tub that has rotted due to water leakage from bad calking. I can get at it reasonably from the basement. So I was wondering ,can I somehow replace the rotted parts without tearing the tub out or is this a bad idea! Thanks all!

...can I somehow replace the rotted parts without tearing the tub out...

Don't see how!

What condition are the floor joists in?
Has the leak been repaired?
Is floor collapse a threat?
:)

Joists look to be in order and yes, leaks are taken care of. I don't see a collapse as a threat. Thanks!

Why do you want to close up the space under the tub? If tub is supported fine I'd leave the space open to breathe.

There is a big hole under my tub :eek: it doesn't present any problems except when a critter gets in the crawlspace and removes the insulation. Now that will make the tub cold in the winter! The hole was there when I bought this place in 1991.

Sooner or later I plan to gut the bath rm and remodel. I'll deal with the hole then :D

Most tubs are supported by the stud wall on 1 side and rest on the floor at the room side.

The stud wall doesn't support any tub I'm aware of.

You could scab-on a couple pieces of plywood from the bottom side, could you not? That would keep some cold and critters out.:)

I've used hardware cloth in this situation. Yep, there were rats.

The space under a bathtub, of all places in a house, really wants ventilation IMO. If (when) there is a leak someday you do not want that contained, unnoticed, and festering in a sealed cavity.

See:
I have about a 2 foot square section of floor board under my tub that has rotted due to water leakage

Why set yourself up for the same again?

Sometimes, you guys make my head spin!

Mysterbluez has a tub over a basement...he just wants to know about putting the plywood back that used to be under the tub, but rotted from water. I don't think he has any critters in the basement.

Mark has had critters in his crawlspace, but Mark hasn't had that problem for a while.

I can thankfully say I have neither a leak or critters.

Kobuchi probably has trained his critters to come and go at his behest.

Bud probably scares all critters away, just by his demeanor.

I let my critters loose in a well-ventilated cage, looking at it right at it. :D

But Connie, is your tub supported by the subfloor or the studwall, and do you really think that's right?

...

Any wood soft enough to beat out with a wrecking bar should go, for starters. It has no structural value, and only breeds more rot.

What? Are you tormenting me deliberately?:D

No, the stud wall has nothing to do with it.

Yes, away with the old, wet plywood.

We don't care if he puts it back or not...it is not structural, the floor joists are!

I'll be back as soon as I get an aspirin...that I never take...until now...because you all make my head spin like Linda Blair in that old movie.

OIC...marksr hijacked this thread and that's when a critter-free basement became a cold open hideout for critters.:wall:

And Connie (our hostess) wonders why Bud's demeanor is what it is.:wall: :wall:

LOL, ok, so , I gather from what you are all saying is __ I don't really need to replace it . I just need to get rid of it. yes? no? I don't have critters or anything it just bugs me(no pun!) I could feasably scab in some plywood. I suppose THAT was my original question. So I don't need to bother? or yes? Thanks for your answers and entertainment!!! keep 'em commin'!!

I'll hazard the consensus, is, first start gnawing away any soft wood. You'll begin to see the underside of your tub, and solve the mysteries of whether all tubs are supported by wall studs or all tubs are supported by the (squishy) floor only; and whether critters are trapped in that moist, sealed environment.

That's enough for now, from me at least. :D

Good Morning Myster, (O-o-o-h look, we're on a first name basis already!)

It is correct that you should remove any wet or distressed wood, as the damp may spread to the undamaged wood.
What is the floor surface in this bathroom with no critters?
Do you have tile, vinyl, something unknown?

I'd be cautious about removing the plywood with a crow bar, lest it splinter out from under the tub into the main floor.

Connie

The stud wall doesn't support any tub I'm aware of


Maybe just the older mobile homes have tubs supported that way :confused: either that or maybe my brain doesn't remember [or work] like it ought to :eek: :D

Mark, I'm sure your brain is working better than most of ours:)

I think it's the continual hopping from one subject to another...makes us ALL confused.

One the other hand- research shows mental stimulation deters Alzheimer's disease! So, we're all exercising our brains.

Dementia is not reserved for only the demented.:D

Now let's see......which pill do I take next?









Have no idea where that came from!