Whirlpool/jacuzzi bath frame and tiling advice required please!

[GARYF123]

Good morning! First post looking for advice on an issue I am having with a bath installation. Although I have installed many baths before, mainly using perimeter battens for support, I am attempting to install a fancy whirlpool/jacuzzi bath for my son. Plumbing and electrics are sorted but my concern is the frame required. The baths long edge is up against the wall but the bath is 900mm x 1800mm. The bath is going in between a wall that is 2300mm wide therefore has a 250mm gap at either side. He wants these Gaps and the same 250mm at front tiling to give an inset look. I have seen this done before where the frame has been made and tiled then the bath has been dropped in and sealed. This is not possible in this instance due to the weight of the bath. The bath cannot be fitted then tiled under the lip as when the tile is pressed into the adhesive, it will leave a gap under the lip of the bath. I was thinking of building the end frames, sliding the bath in so the lip is resting on the timber frame (weight obviously supported by feet on floor), then building the front frame and fitting Marmox board or similar and tiling. This will not look as pleasing as tiles under lip but cannot think of anything else. I have allowed for maintenance access as the back wall joins onto a big cupboard so am making access panels in there. Sorry for long post but find it hard to explain! Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Photo attached of similar result I want to achieve.
Hope to post my results on here to aid any other members.

Gary.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I’ve rigged up a pulley system before fixed temp to the ceiling joists and lowered it down could you make that work ?

Or an engine hoist eg before the floor is tiled ?

 

[oz-plumber]

Can't you raise the feet the bath is sitting on, tile and then lower into place.
If the feet don't give you enough height, pack them up with 5mm packers to the required height and then you can lower each one by 5mm without causing any stress on the tiles.

 

[Timmy D]

Either way, built in and tiled or tiled first, the joint between bath edge and tiles will need to be siliconed.

The only difference I can see between the two methods in terms of appearance will be the if built in and then tiled, is that the tiles will be +- 10mm higher up the bath edge.

If the bath edge is 30-50mm, I can’t really see it being noticeable.

I’d build it all in. I’ve installed baths with tiled ends (at the customer request), level with the top of the edge with a slight fall towards the bath. This allows any water splashes to drain bath into the bath, rather than pool or on the floor.

 

[Ben-gee]

I have recently done a similar job with drop in, inset bath with a tiled surround.
This was an oval double ended bath and the under side of the rim was not too true so would not have sat very well on top of tiles.
I built framework of 12mm hardie backer and fitted the bath to this. I could pack under the rim to ensure no movement and then tiled around it , covering the packers and giving the level tiled surface that the customer wanted.
I left a 2mm margin all around and siliconed this, came out really well.
(As it was oval I dry fitted the bath 10mm too high and tucked tiles under the rim to make perfect templated cuts. Then removed the tiles, dropped the bath into final position and then the tiling was trivial- wouldn’t have fancied trying to cut them afterwards.)