Question: "My shower floor feels squishy and hollow...
...and I don't know why or how to strengthen my shower floor, or even if it is possible [to fix]."
Ames, Iowa
Answer: We had to contact this reader to determine if he had owned the shower for awhile, or had recently bought the house. He responded that he had only recently bought the house, and clarified that this was a shower/bath combination and that it was made of fiberglass or acrylic, not ceramic tile.
Since there is little history to go on, we can surmise:
It is a Bathtub Liner and It is Leaking
The previous owner may have installed a
bathtub liner. Liners can allow water to seep between the liner and the original tub. This water can account for the squishy feeling, and worse, may cause mold and mildew to build up. If this happens, this is a serious problem. You need to remove the liner and start over - or install a new tub.
Fiberglass Tubs Just Feel Hollow
If the homeowner was accustomed to a ceramic or natural stone shower before moving into the new house, this fiberglass tub is simply a shock to him. Fiberglass and acrylic tubs can feel hollow, though squishy doesn't describe most of these types of tubs. Even newer tubs made of these materials tend to have better support on the bottom, mitigating this "hollow" feeling of the older-type tubs.
