How to replace a hob with a free standing bath?

David85

We had a hob bath installed as part of our new house build a few years ago. It is way too high do it is really dangerous to get in and out of.

I want to smash it out and probably replace with a free standing. A couple of questions.

I see there is a bit of advice around on applying waterproof membrane, but I thought you needed to be licensed to do this. Can it be diy?

Are free standing baths hard against a wall just siliconed to it?

Pics below during construction of the home years ago and what it looks like now.

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @David85. It's marvellous to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about removing a bath.
 

It would be best to enquire with your local building authority, council and insurance provider as to whether you're able to complete the waterproofing as a D.I.Y. job, as requirements vary from state to state. You might be required to have it signed off by a registered and licensed waterproofer. Regarding the waterproofing, it is to go under your tiles in one continuous layer. So, you can't really just waterproof under the bath; the bathroom tiles would need to be removed to do so. Do you know whether the area under the bath has already been waterproofed? It appears that the grey layer is waterproofing, which does extend under the bath. Hopefully, removing the bath doesn't damage it. I note that after waterproofing was done, the floor appears to have been raised significantly, covering half the height of that first course of bricks. If that's the case, you'll need to be prepared to raise the floor under the bath once the bricks have been removed.

Freestanding baths are typically just that, freestanding. They are not connected to the walls. If they are hard up against the wall, silicone can be added, but it can get a bit messy as the joint to cover would be quite large. If it's a rectangular freestanding bath, it's possible to silicone the joint against the wall, but this isn't possible for oval varieties.
 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell