Bathroom remodel issues, need help and advice

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Chris Evans

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Looking for experts to tell me if my contractor is feeding me BS or this is how it is. Long story short, I hired a local company back in dec. 2016 to remodel 2 showers in my townhouse. In the master bathroom, they were removing the cast iron tub and tile walls and installing acrylic walls, flat shower pan and sliding glass doors and same in the spare bath except a plastic tub. Anyway after the installation was done in feb, I noticed that various sections of the bathroom walls can easily be pushed in where others areas are solid. Almost like there is dead air space or not enough sealant behind the panels. I brought this up to the contractor who gave me this reply.

""""All of our walls are designed to expand and contract as the house moves we us a butyl tape, it's a flexible product. I have photos of all the new green board that was installed last week. Where the wall comes down to the tub or shower pan there is a lip/flange behind it the wall goes over so water doesn't get behind the walls. It is integrated into the product. The installer checked it today and everything is solid. Of course around the flange/lip it's gonna be "spongy". see photos of un installed material showing the flange. It is also used to secure the tub and base in location. I sent them Just for reference""""

My question is, is my contractor feeding me BS or is it normal for there to be spongy areas in the acrylic walls? Not sure about the butyl tape as I have seem some of the panels off and it looks as if there is a white thick sealant holding the walls on.
 

Cacher_Chick

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Much depends on the brand and quality of the panels being installed. Some are approved for attaching directly to the wall studs, with no wallboard whatsoever.
 

Cacher_Chick

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behind the walls is the greenboard, which is attached to the studs.
That does not explain how is is possible that the assembly can flex the way that you have described.

Some composite wall sets protrude out from the backerboard, and the connection to the wall is at a perimeter flange. Others are a solid surface material that will be over 1/4" thick stock which is bonded to the backerboard. It can be made from marble, soapstone, or plastic laminate.
 
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Sylvan

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Yikes...

I never get involved in a job where the GC or carpenter considers using anything but wonder board for the walls. Then they can use tiles or other materials placed on top of it.

As far as the shower pan

I personally never use anything other then 4 PSF sheet lead for custom sized showers or a Terrazzo shower base.

It cost more money but what is peace of mind and longevity worth

My own home I installed Terrazzo shower bases over 40 years ago still in perfect shape

The lead pans I installed in the 1970's not a single call back in all these years

I figure your home is possibly your biggest investment
 

Jadnashua

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Lead pans can last, but often, they end up being installed flat on the floor, and that does NOT meet plumbing codes which requires the waterproofing layer (it's NOT the tile) be sloped to the drain. A properly installed pvc liner or a properly installed surface membrane is, IMHO, a much better install when building a tiled shower.
 

Chris Evans

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so my question still remains, is the flex in the walls normal or not??? my issue is, I can go into my spare bathroom where the acrylic walls and tub were installed and on back wall right were the tub and wall meet, it seems solid. if I go into my master bathroom where the acrylic walls and shower pan were installed, on the back wall where the pan and wall meet, there is extreme flex, like I stated before, almost as if there is a large section with no sealant on the wall to greenboard. if I go to one of the side walls, it is fine at the bottom.
 

Cacher_Chick

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so my question still remains, is the flex in the walls normal or not??? my issue is, I can go into my spare bathroom where the acrylic walls and tub were installed and on back wall right were the tub and wall meet, it seems solid. if I go into my master bathroom where the acrylic walls and shower pan were installed, on the back wall where the pan and wall meet, there is extreme flex, like I stated before, almost as if there is a large section with no sealant on the wall to greenboard. if I go to one of the side walls, it is fine at the bottom.

I invite you to use the knowledge that you already have.

"Greenboard" is drywall, and we have not used it for well over 10 years, because it does not provide any more protection than does regular drywall which has been finished and painted.
You still have not told us what kind of shower walls have been installed, so you leave us very little information to work with.
If a shower wall flexes any more than any other wall in a house, I would not be very impressed with it, even though it might be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, which are the minimum requirements for a contractor to achieve.
 

Chris Evans

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I invite you to use the knowledge that you already have.

"Greenboard" is drywall, and we have not used it for well over 10 years, because it does not provide any more protection than does regular drywall which has been finished and painted.
You still have not told us what kind of shower walls have been installed, so you leave us very little information to work with.
If a shower wall flexes any more than any other wall in a house, I would not be very impressed with it, even though it might be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, which are the minimum requirements for a contractor to achieve.

the manufacture of the walls is BCI acrylic. I just found that out.
 
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