[1] If you haven’t checked your bathtub spigot for proper installation, you might have a problem.  The spigot must be seated squarely against the wall, and sealed with caulk all around the perimeter.  This spigot was poorly installed.  It must be fixed to prevent water leaking down into the wall where it will cause mold and all kinds of other undesirable consequences.

[2]

The spigot can be removed by using a wrench inserted into the screw on the underside. 

Once the spigot is removed, all of the other parts which are under the spigot can be removed by sliding them off the end of the copper pipe.  Notice their sequence, so they can be installed properly when repairs are made.  The chrome ring should also be sealed against the wall with caulk.

[3]

Now for the horror story.  After removing the chrome ring shown above, hopefully you won’t see a sight like this.

[4]

Notice the gap around the pipe, that’s not watertight!  In this case, the plumber stuffed wadded up paper into the gap, then smeared on a little caulk.  Of course that’s very poor workmanship.  The paper stuffing and the caulk has to be removed, and the hole, which is too large and not centered in the first place, must be filled thoroughly with caulk.

 Wait at least 24 hours for that caulk to dry, then apply another layer to insure that the pipe is watertight to the wall.  Then install the chrome ring and caulk around the edge of it.  Slide the parts back on the pipe, install the spigot tightly against the wall, and tighten the screw.  Finally, apply a bead of caulk around the base of the spigot and you’ve completed the job much better than the builder. 

There’s one last point I’d like to make.  When we were having a lot of problems with construction defects, sloppy construction, you name it we saw it, a Pulte official told us “we slap the houses up then come along later and fix the problems”.   That is of course if the owner finds all of the problems before the warranty runs out.  Pulte officials bragged about building a house in 75 days.  We’d rather have quality than speed. 

Caveat Emptor.