I have a large Jacuzzi / whirlpool tub in my master bedroom suite which currently has an all wood surround. As part of a renovation I want to get rid of the wood surround (at last partially), waterproof all around it and tile it.
While I could waterproof/tile around it with it in place- there is very little clearance between the tub and the walls so I'm afraid I'll have a hard time getting in there and I would like to potentially replace the piping, jets, pump, etc. as they are all 30 years old or so and I would hate to have to tear everything up in case of a leak down the line (is that a legitimate concern?).
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Is it possible and would it be worth it to remove the tub, do waterproofing/tiling and then reinstall it? I know during installation there is some type of cement poured underneath to help seat it better and prevent vibration – would this need to all be redone or can it just be placed right back on top of the existing poured material?
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If it's best to leave the tub in place: should I be concerned about the jets/piping not accessible from the front access panel leaking at some point in the future?
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If it's best to leave the tub in place: the tub is currently sitting on top of the "decorative" horizontal wood pieces (see photos) – would I just attach backer board to those, waterproof and tile on top of that OR should I cut them out somehow and replace with backerboard? In this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVgCGy7N63s they seem to be attaching the backer board directly to the framing.
Best Answer
As I mentioned in a comment, this is largely a matter of personal preference, available resources, etc. What I would want to do is remove the tub. I can't say if that's what I'd end up doing. My reasoning:
Note that the tub doesn't actually rest on its flange. It's not designed to carry weight. You'll need to plan well and possibly shim up the tub base to meet the height of your tile.