Eliminating Water Behind a Bathtub Liner

One of the biggest problems with having a bathtub liner is that water can get trapped between the liner and the bathtub itself. If this happens, it can lead to serious problems as mold or mildew could grow in an ideal environment. Many times, you will notice the water because you can feel the difference when you step on the bathtub liner. There are a few different ways that you could eliminate the water effectively. Follow the simple steps below to remove the water behind your bathtub liner.

Step 1 - Remove the Drain Shoe

To gain access to the water, the first thing that you will need to do is remove the drain shoe on the tub with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. This step can be difficult. First, put the handles of the pliers down inside the drain, and then put the screwdriver in between the handles. At that point, you should be able to turn the screwdriver and to unscrew the drain. 

Step 2 - Remove the Water

After you have removed the drain shoe, you need to get rid of the water. In most cases, you can use a shop vacuum to suck out all the water. Be sure that you are thorough with this process because any water that is left in the area can contribute to mold. 

Step 3 - Let it Dry

After you have sucked out as much water as possible, you need to allow the space to dry out. Leave the drain shoe out for about 24 hours so that all of the excess moisture in between the liner and the bathtub can dry out.

Step 4 - Drill

If you have a basement directly under the bathroom, you may have another solution that you could try. You could use a drill to drill up into the bathtub. When you do this, you need to make sure that you only drill through the bathtub surface and leave the liner intact. All of the excess water that is sitting in the bathtub will then drain out. You need to make sure that you collect this water when this occurs. If any water gets in there in the future, it will continue to drain out through the hole.

Step 5 - Fixing the Moisture Problem

After you have successfully removed all of the excess water, you need to focus on fixing the problem. If water got in there the first time, there is no reason to believe that it will not happen again unless something changes. You need to determine where the water is getting in to this area. In many cases, the water gets in around the liner because the area is not sealed properly. If this is the case, you need to use a caulk gun to treat the place where the liner and the bathtub come together.