A cast iron bathtub, according to professionals who do professional renovation work, is the most durable accessory. However, there comes a time when it needs to be replaced. Many owners of old bathtubs try to delay this moment as long as possible by covering the product with new layers of enamel. Some take a radical approach to solving this issue. This category prefers to completely remove the old bathtub from the house rather than install a new one in its place. It can be dismantled with or without preservation. Having tried to remove this accessory intact, beginners encounter difficulties and wonder whether it is possible to break a cast-iron bathtub. Or will I have to take it out whole? In this case, you will have to hire a team or call someone for help.
How to break a cast iron bathtub in the bathroom? This question becomes very relevant for those who have decided not to use the old accessory anywhere else. Coping with this task will not be difficult. You will find information on how to quickly break a cast iron bathtub in this article.
About dismantling methods
There are two ways to replace an old bathtub:
- With saving. The bathtub is carefully disconnected from the rest of the communications in the house and taken out. It can be used in the future. Judging by the reviews, this method is complex and time-consuming.
- No saving. In this case, you can either break the cast iron bathtub or saw it using an angle grinder. The bath pieces are then taken out. Due to the fact that the product now weighs much less, one person can handle this work. According to experienced craftsmen, if it is necessary to dismantle the bathtub, they mainly resort to this method. The disadvantage of this method is that the procedure is accompanied by a very large roar.
What is special about the method?
Based on reviews, we can conclude that the procedure for breaking a bathtub using a sledgehammer is the most proven dismantling method in practice. However, it requires considerable physical effort. Not everyone can afford to destroy a bathtub into several parts. The work must be performed by a physically trained person. In addition, the procedure itself should be performed during the day. Otherwise, a scandal with neighbors is inevitable.
Methods for dismantling an old bathtub
If the service life of the bathtub has expired, the siphons have rusted and become unusable, and the legs are holding on to your word of honor, then it is better to replace the old bowl with a new one. At first glance, it may seem that this is quite easy, but keep in mind that dismantling is quite a responsible job, associated in most cases with an increased risk of injury. Always use protective equipment while following safety rules.
Removing the bathtub while preserving it
This method involves removing the bathtub while maintaining the integrity of the bowl. The bathtub is quite large in size and weight, so when dismantling the old bathtub, it is better to enlist the help of another person. Over time, the bowl can be fixed to the wall and floor so firmly that it will not be possible to carry out all the work yourself.
To remove the old bathtub, while keeping it intact, proceed as follows, proceeding in stages:
- Before starting work, make sure you are safe. To do this: put on special protection (gloves, shoes, goggles, respirator).
- Make sure the legs are securely attached to the tub. During dismantling, the bathtub may fall on your foot or pinch your finger. This happens if one of the legs is rotten or broken. Please note that the legs are often fixed using special wedges. Check that everything is secured properly. Adjust the wedges if necessary.
- Disconnect the siphon and drain from the bathtub. Unscrew the screws and disassemble the drain structure. It is possible that the siphon, like the bathtub, is made of cast iron. In this case, during operation they may rust to each other. Then it’s better to take a grinder with a metal disc and simply cut off the siphon in the place where it is attached to the bowl.
- The perimeter of the bath is secured with cement-sand mortar. To remove the connecting layer, use a hammer with a chisel, or a hammer drill with a spade attachment. Carefully beat off the hardened mortar if you want to preserve the tiles. If not, then feel free to knock down all the elements fixing the bathtub.
- Now nothing is holding the bathtub, and you can proceed to the next stage. Armed with a nail puller or pry bar, insert the tool into the gap between the bathtub and the wall. Using a pry bar as leverage, move the bathtub away from the wall just enough for a person to fit in it.
- With a partner, grasp the sides of the tub and lift the tub until it is in a standing position. Please note that the cast iron bowl is very heavy. Her weight sometimes reaches 180 kg, so make sure in advance of the assistant’s physical abilities. If necessary, ask a neighbor to back you up at this stage.
- Holding the legs and sides of the bowl, remove the bathtub from the room. Turn the bathtub at a 45° angle. Bring the first two legs into the doorway first, moving around the door frame. Do the same with the second pair of legs to completely remove the bowl from the bathroom.
- Take the cast iron bathtub out of the apartment through the front door. Don’t rush to dispose of it right away; it’s better to take it to your dacha. A used bathtub can be used as an artificial pond, barbecue, or even made into a chair.
Cast iron bathtubs have a very long service life, due to which they are in quite high demand. Therefore, when starting to dismantle the old bowl, first make sure that the protective coating can be restored. Today, there are a variety of ways to extend the life of a bathtub. This method of dismantling is the same for any type of bathtub, be it acrylic or steel. The difficulty of performing such work depends on the weight of the bowl, as well as on the space required to dismantle the old bathtub and then remove it.
Removing the bathtub without saving
If you decide to completely renovate the bathroom and are going to replace the tiles and all the sanitaryware, then you can dismantle it without saving the bathtub bowl. This method will become easier and faster thanks to a simple algorithm of actions. But, as in the first case, pay special attention to safety precautions, since the method of dismantling without preservation is even more dangerous.
To remove an old bathroom, proceed as follows:
- At the preparatory stage, just as in the first case, it is necessary to cut off the bowl from the drainage systems. This can be done using a grinder.
- To detach the bathtub from the wall, use a hammer drill. Using a nail puller or any other lever, move the bowl from the wall to a distance of 10-15 cm.
- Armed with a grinder, cut through the bathtub in the places where it bends, clearly in the middle. Any bathtub has stiffening ribs necessary to impart strength to the structure during deformation. The role of the ribs in all three cases is played by its wings, which also need to be completely cut, which will significantly weaken the entire structure.
- Now take a sledgehammer and hit the bottom of the bath well. Usually, one hit is enough. If necessary, repeat the blows until the bathtub “folds” in half. When you dismantle a metal bathtub, it is enough to simply cut it into two equal parts using a grinder. The cut can also be made using the gas cutting method.
If you work alone, then removing half of the cast iron bathtub will be problematic for you. In this case, the bowl is broken into small pieces. To do this, it is enough to hit her body several times with a sledgehammer. Then the bowl will break into several parts, which can also be broken into several small pieces, put into garbage bags, and taken out yourself.
When starting dismantling work, always pay attention to the characteristics of the material from which the bathtub is made. This will help you decide on the dismantling method. When dismantling, for example, a shower stall in a bathroom, it is better to preserve it. And you can come up with a further use for an old steel or cast iron bathtub.
Tools
Since the bathtub will first need to be disconnected from the pipes, the master will need to acquire the following:
- Adjustable and regular wrenches.
- Screwdrivers.
- With pliers.
- A hacksaw and a grinder.
- With a crowbar.
- With a sledgehammer.
Due to the fact that rough physical work will be carried out, the master should worry about protective equipment. It is necessary to prepare special gloves and safety glasses.
Where should I start?
Before breaking a cast iron bathtub, it must first be disconnected from all communications. The first step is to disconnect the overflow. According to experts, cast iron pipes were installed in many old houses. Therefore, after many years, they become very rusty, covered with scale, and the master may have difficulties dismantling cast-iron plumbing fixtures. The situation is better if communications are represented by metal-plastic components. In this case, they simply unscrew. The master only needs to prepare the pliers. There are often cases when the overflow grate gets very stuck.
Before breaking a cast iron bathtub, you need to dismantle this element. Many craftsmen clamp it with pliers and turn it counterclockwise. If it is not possible to dismantle the overflow in this way, it is cut off with a grinder. Judging by the reviews, fasteners often have heavily rusted threads, which can only be dealt with after cutting them. First, several cuts are made on the grate, and then the overflow is knocked off with a chisel. Then the crosspiece under the grille is knocked out. As a result, the siphon should hang freely, connected to the rest of the sewer line. To remove it, the master needs to get rid of the coupling. Some beginners wonder if it is possible to break a cast iron bathtub with a sledgehammer. According to experts, this is quite possible to do. You just need to adhere to a clear sequence of actions.
Using a grinder
How to break a cast iron bathtub using an angle grinder (grinder)? If you have an angle grinder at home, you can cut the bathtub with it. However, this is such a long, labor-intensive process with a large amount of construction dust (which will cover both you and the entire surrounding area), that the leader in demolition still remains a sledgehammer. And to make the work easier, you can use a grinder to make several cuts on the sides of the bathtub. This will help you split it much faster.
And do not forget that the process of breaking a cast iron bathtub is quite noisy, so all work can only be carried out during the daytime. And to minimize the discomfort of neighbors, it is advisable to warn them in advance.
Using the tips from this article, you can break a cast iron bath yourself without any problems. Before you break your bathtub because it doesn't fit into the doorway, consider how you'll move the new one in.
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Progress
Once the most vulnerable point in the product has been found, the following steps must be performed:
- The first step is to move the bathtub a little away from the wall. To complete this task, you will need a chisel and a hammer, with the help of which the plumbing product is removed from the cement mortar around the perimeter. The optimal distance of the bathtub to the wall will be from 100 to 150 mm.
- Using an angle grinder equipped with cutting wheels, make several cuts on the bathtub. The master’s task is to deprive the product of its strength. The cutting areas on the bathtub should be its curved edges on both sides. They are used as stiffeners. If the work is done correctly, then strong blows to the bottom of the cast iron product will cause it to collapse.
- Break through the drain hole. There is no need to turn the bath over at this stage. The master only applies very strong blows with a sledgehammer to the drain from the inside of the bathtub. Judging by the reviews, after these steps the bath is divided into two separate halves. If this does not happen, then you will have to deal with its sides.
- Turn the bathtub on its side and cover it with old rags. Burlap also works well. The blows are applied to the outer part of the cast iron product. As a result, the previously broken drain hole in the bathroom should become even wider. After several blows in the bathtub, a long strip forms along its entire bottom.
Bathtub dismantling: preparatory work
Before starting dismantling work, you need to remove all unnecessary things from the room. And this applies not only to furniture and household appliances; the sink and toilet are also removed if the bathroom is combined. Sometimes, in order to remove the bathtub from the room, you have to remove the doors, separately or together with the frame. The next stage, or the initial one if you are only replacing the bathtub, will be to disconnect the plumbing from the sewer. After many years of use, it can be almost impossible to unscrew the siphon; you have to cut it down with a grinder, and for this you do not need instructions.
Carefully disconnect communications
The perimeter of the bathtub is lined with tiled or plastic rim, which also needs to be dismantled. Remove the protective screen under the bathtub. And only now can the bathtub be slightly moved away from the wall.
Dismantling a cast iron bathtub
Important! Dismantling the bathtub can be done in several ways, but before you begin, you should determine whether the legs are securely fastened. If they are poorly secured and half a ton falls during dismantling work, injuries cannot be avoided.
Dismantling a one-piece bathtub
Once all the preparatory work has been completed and the plumbing is no longer fixed in place, you can begin dismantling the bathtub. She is turned over on her side and transported through the doorway. It is worth considering that the weight of cast iron plumbing fluctuates around 400-500 kg, and there is not much room in the bathroom for maneuvers, so the work will require fairly strong assistants who can carry it not only into the corridor, but also outside. However, standard elevators are not designed to transport such large cargo. The further fate of the bathroom depends entirely on the imagination of the owners.
Break a bathtub with a sledgehammer
Sometimes a cast-iron bathtub is impossible or does not need to be taken out of the room as a whole, then the question of breaking it up and taking it out in parts is decided. In this case, work is carried out with a sledgehammer. To make it easier to break the bathtub, a cut is made on its sides, after which they hit the bottom and it breaks. But in practice, it is not always possible to obtain a beautiful, even fracture; more often, brittle cast iron shatters into shapeless pieces with many chips and fragments. It is very important to follow safety rules during such work: tight clothing should not leave exposed areas of the body, and the eyes should be hidden with safety glasses.
strikes on a cast iron bathtub should be made from the side
When breaking a bathtub, do not lay it bottom up. Thus, it will not be easier to break it, but the neighbor below will definitely be covered with plaster. All impacts on cast iron plumbing must be done from the side. Breaking it is not as easy as it might seem at first glance, and the speed of flight and the size of the fragments are impressive.
Cut into several pieces with a grinder
Cutting cast iron plumbing with a grinder using a metal disc is much easier than breaking it. They start sawing the bathtub from the side, then turning it upside down. A lot of dust is generated during such work, so it is important to protect the respiratory tract with a respirator. Before dismantling cast iron plumbing in this way, it is important to decide whether a complete replacement of the bathtub is really necessary or whether the old enamel can still be restored. This will not only save money, but also eliminate labor-intensive work.
Removing a steel bathtub
The preparatory work for dismantling a metal bathtub is similar to that carried out for cast iron plumbing. The weight of a metal bowl is much less and it is usually dismantled in its entirety. The bathtub will be cut down if it does not fit into the doorway or will be taken to a scrap metal collection point, and a jacuzzi will take its place.
Steel and acrylic bathtubs, usually taken out entirely
Removing an acrylic bathtub
The advantage of acrylic plumbing, first of all, is its low weight, which greatly simplifies the dismantling process. Acrylic plumbing rarely needs to be sawed. Dismantling an acrylic bathtub can be difficult to do on your own, only if it is a hydromassage bathtub that will be installed a second time, and it is important not to damage its additional equipment.
Advice! In order not to damage the box, trim and walls, when transporting plumbing fixtures, it is recommended to cover it with a soft cloth. You need to worry in advance about how to dispose of bulky waste.
Some advice from experts
For those who do not know how to break a cast iron bathtub, professionals recommend following safety precautions. Mostly this work is performed by two people. Since the procedure involves a grinder and a sledgehammer, you can protect yourself from injuries if all actions are coordinated.
Due to the fact that particles of broken cast iron can get into the face from strong blows of a sledgehammer, the plumbing product should first be covered with burlap. This will also protect the bathroom itself. The speed of dismantling and safety directly depend on the proper organization of work.
Technological process
Scheme of the structure of a bathroom with legs and bricks
First you need to disconnect the old bathtub from the fastening elements with which the bathtub was attached and dismantle the drain. If the drain cannot be disconnected, it is cut with a grinder. You should also remove all objects that may interfere with dismantling the bathtub (both under and above the bathtub) and remove the faucet. To dismantle a bathtub, the edge of which is embedded in the wall, you need to dismantle the legs of the bathtub (starting with the farthest ones) and, after that, pressing on it from above, “drop” it onto the floor. Before dismantling an old cast-iron bathtub in this way, you need to place a thick layer of some soft material under it to soften the impact of the bathtub on the floor.
Breaking a cast iron bathtub will not be easy. This job requires a strong man and a sledgehammer. Before you begin demolition, you need to clear the space around the bathtub, lay a soft cloth on the floor (to protect the floor), and lay the bathtub itself on its side so that it can be easily accessed from both sides. Breaking a cast iron bathtub is quite a dangerous job: there is a high risk of injury from flying bathtub fragments. To protect yourself from these fragments, you should wear thick clothing, shoes, a hat, construction gloves and a protective mask. To protect your ears from fairly loud noise, you can wear sound-isolating headphones.
To minimize the risk of injury from bathtub fragments, remove household members from the premises
How to break a cast iron bathtub without using extra effort? The weakest point of the bathtub is near the drain hole. To break it, you should apply a series of blows from the inside to the bottom near the drain hole.
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Lay the bathtub on its side, this will make it easier to break.
Once the bottom has been broken, the bathtub should be covered with burlap and struck with a sledgehammer, widening the gap along the entire bottom. Do not forget that the bathtub should lie on its side during the entire process of breaking through the bottom, because the vibrations of the bathroom, which, when the bottom is broken, lies upside down, can contribute to the fall of the plaster in the apartment located below you. All blows must be struck from the side.
Once you have managed to break the bottom, turn the bathtub upside down and continue to strike the walls from the side, trying to break it into pieces. If necessary, large pieces can be broken into smaller pieces: the smaller the fragments, the easier it is to remove them from the apartment. At the end of the work, collect the fragments in bags: they can be taken to a scrap metal collection point.
