Steel bathtub repair

Hello,

I read a similar thread from several years ago but the poster was asking about repairing on the visible/top side of tub. My question relates to the underside.

We had to remove our tub to repair some rot / mold issues due to old grout (probably, but really who cares, insurance doesn't cover rot either way). We'd discovered the rot when we had a small leak from the outflow drain and realized the rubber washer had disintegrated. Once removed, we were surprised to see that there was a significant amount of rust and corrosion on the steel/outside portion of the overflow drain. It's eaten enough of the metal that I don't think the new rubber washer will even be flush enough to work.

So decisions, decisions... we already have to replace tile and such and even the vanity (separate issue, more rot). The thought of buying a whole new tub irks me.

I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to try and eradicate the rust and fill in the steel with something like FastSteel epoxy. In this situation, the tub is out anyway (on front porch... *cringe*) and there is no corrosion/rust on the white side of the tub.

But am I fooling myself that this will be a real fix?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: An additional consideration is that we're going for a tub surround for sure. Not sure how annoying it is to fit a surround in around a tub it wasn't specifically made for. Novice. =)

SS,
if your tub was that rusted around the drain, I would replace it while you have everything apart. It's another few hundred bucks, but it will be a lot more if you try the fix and put everything else up and then the tub has to be replaced.
Mike Hawkins

I agree with Mike, it just isn't worth it and welcome to the site. So you replaced rotten wood, did you treat what wasn't changed to kill the spores left behind?

nealtw said:

So you replaced rotten wood, did you treat what wasn't changed to kill the spores left behind?

Click to expand...

Not yet, still in replacing process. Sooo... how DOES one treat the leftover wood? Was going to use good old white vinegar.

You guys have me 99.9% convinced about the tub. The last 0.1% is just my scrooge-i-ness.

Thanks for replying, by the way.

Update: found some great information on http://blackmold.awardspace.com/kill-remove-mold.html - thinking of using borax on existing healthy wood after vacuuming with HEPA filter vacuum.

Do I need to buy a commercial fungicide?

(This "mold" is not literally black mold, it's more like mildew. But since we haven't had it tested, we're treating it as dangerous - masks and such, of course!)

Any time we do this kind of work our city inspector and engineers want it painted with a copper base product green like treated wood, at the lumber yard. That's not to say these other products wouldn't work, the latest one discussed here lately is antifreeze. If you have a shower with the tub I would be looking at a two peice Acrylic tub, less tile, less problems. One peice with surround is better but you have to rip down walls to get them in. If you go with new steel tub, they are not all equall, compare the weight and buy the heaviest one.

Interesting, thank you!!

We're down to studs now, when we tore out the existing 30 y/o tile around the tub, there was no saving dry wall.

When you say 2 piece acrylic, the 2 refers to tub + surround? You prefer acrylic tubs over steel?

Knowing nothing about tubs, we were looking at this surround/tub combo: http://www.lowes.com/pd_89229-721-7...uctId=3163433&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1

However, we only chose it because we liked the shelf set up. Ha.

That product is new to me so I don't have an opinion, sorry.