Fix the Leak Before a Tub Liner Goes Over It

The Problem

A tub liner (the acrylic skin systems sold as one-day tub makeovers) is a cosmetic shell over the existing tub. Installed over a tub that still leaks, it converts a slow, visible problem into a hidden one: the water keeps coming, and now it has a sealed gap to collect in.

What Happens

The creator tore out exactly this install. The sequence, as found:

1. The old tub leaked; instead of a repair, a liner was installed over it.
2. The liner's perimeter seal wasn't done right, so shower water joined the leak in the gap between old tub and new skin.
3. Over a few months, the trapped water level rose until it wicked up into the drywall around the tub.
4. The result was a full mold tear-out — every course of tile and the drywall behind it — in a bathroom that looked freshly renovated on the surface.

The order of operations is the whole tip: the leak gets found and fixed first, and the liner (if a liner is still wanted) goes over a dry, functioning tub with its perimeter sealed to spec. A liner quote that doesn't start with the leak is a quote for the tear-out above.