dburn
New Member
Hi, I have spent the last month or so reading about shower installs and I decided that my original idea of a simple home depot shower base with direct to stud plastic walls was not the best idea and I would prefer to tile the walls.
I started by seeing what I had to work with so I removed the original shower which consisted of a 3x3 fiberglass pan, drywall for the walls, and countertop laminate glued over that. I was surprised after removing it all that it wasnt completed rotted out but there was some water stains, Im not sure if there is anything I should do about those like spray them with bleach or something but the wood seems solid.
I am now left with studs, some 2x6s on the subfloor, and 40 year old plumbing that backs up to the second bathroom tub.
I would like to ask for some advice so that I can work on my plan for this renovation.
Flooring:
The subfloor looks to be in good condition, but I was planning to put a piece of plywood over the 2x6s and screw it down. If anyone is familiar with this type of subfloor (Portland Or) and has a recipe for success they could share I would appreciate it, i.e. leave a 1/8th gap all around, screw it on X" centers. The rest of the subfloor in the bathroom is 1/2" particle board (which i know everyone will tell me to remove) but due to the asbestos sheet flooring I intend to cover it in a new layer of vinyl or something so I do not want to go too thick on the subfloor under the shower.
Plumbing:
I realize this is a plumbing forum first and foremost but I am undecided if I will do the plumbing myself or hire someone who can pull the permit and do soldering of some new fixtures ensuring I wont screw up this critical step.
Since the bathtub in the second bathroom is on a common wall with the fixtures and I see some green/blue staining on the pipes, can I replace that plumbing through this back wall? It seems like a great time to do it since it will be accessible and a permit will be pulled anyways (I am not sure if we will renovate the second bathroom before we move in a few years).
Should I go down into the crawlspace and run new pipes up to the shower/bathtub? They are 40 year old copper but now would be the time to do it to make sure they last. If they would last no matter what I will just cut them off below the Tee which goes from the bathtub to the shower faucet and put in all new from that point up. You can see the tub faucet in this picture and from there the pipes run up to the shower faucet which is on this side above where the picture ends. The pipe is 1/2" copper and there was never any noticeable issue with using both showers at the same time so I don't know if the piping size would need to change or if it can just be replaced starting below the existing tub faucet but I would want it to meet code.
There is a 2" drain pipe in the crawlspace (which had a small leak as you can see) which I had to cut to remove as it was cemented to the drain in the the fiberglass pan. I think I need to either cut that clean and install a longer piece up to the finished subfloor, or if there is somethinn more needed I will need to replace some more piping back behind the trap.
Shower install:
Once the above is sorted I can start with the new shower install. I am not interested in attempting a tile floor so I would like to purchase some pre-made shower base to use with tile walls. If people have recommendations on bases that are good but dont break the bank I would really appreciate it. I have looked at the Swanstone SS-3636 in a show room and it seems pretty sturdy but I dont know if I am in love with the surface finish, it was $350. I also saw this Jacuzzi JCAY3636 which was acrylic instead of the swan material and it was ~$400. There are a lot of cheaper ones like Dreamline or something but I worry about those being too flimsy.
After I determine which base to get I will move on to the walls. Based on my reading for this simple install I could go with poly sheeting behind some CBU and then tile, or, no polysheeting and either paint on waterproofer, or membrane such as Noble valueseal or similar. I am undecided what direction I will go for this but will take any advice you can offer for a first timer with no tile/mudwork experience. I understand the detail when mating the wall waterproofing to the shower pan is crucial and I have read about most common methods but will probably ask again as I finalize my plans.
I appreciate any advice you can offer as this is my first shower install. I have a lot of experience at general DIY tasks and basic fabrication so I think the above is within my abilities if I have a good plan.
I started by seeing what I had to work with so I removed the original shower which consisted of a 3x3 fiberglass pan, drywall for the walls, and countertop laminate glued over that. I was surprised after removing it all that it wasnt completed rotted out but there was some water stains, Im not sure if there is anything I should do about those like spray them with bleach or something but the wood seems solid.
I am now left with studs, some 2x6s on the subfloor, and 40 year old plumbing that backs up to the second bathroom tub.
I would like to ask for some advice so that I can work on my plan for this renovation.
Flooring:
The subfloor looks to be in good condition, but I was planning to put a piece of plywood over the 2x6s and screw it down. If anyone is familiar with this type of subfloor (Portland Or) and has a recipe for success they could share I would appreciate it, i.e. leave a 1/8th gap all around, screw it on X" centers. The rest of the subfloor in the bathroom is 1/2" particle board (which i know everyone will tell me to remove) but due to the asbestos sheet flooring I intend to cover it in a new layer of vinyl or something so I do not want to go too thick on the subfloor under the shower.
Plumbing:
I realize this is a plumbing forum first and foremost but I am undecided if I will do the plumbing myself or hire someone who can pull the permit and do soldering of some new fixtures ensuring I wont screw up this critical step.
Since the bathtub in the second bathroom is on a common wall with the fixtures and I see some green/blue staining on the pipes, can I replace that plumbing through this back wall? It seems like a great time to do it since it will be accessible and a permit will be pulled anyways (I am not sure if we will renovate the second bathroom before we move in a few years).
Should I go down into the crawlspace and run new pipes up to the shower/bathtub? They are 40 year old copper but now would be the time to do it to make sure they last. If they would last no matter what I will just cut them off below the Tee which goes from the bathtub to the shower faucet and put in all new from that point up. You can see the tub faucet in this picture and from there the pipes run up to the shower faucet which is on this side above where the picture ends. The pipe is 1/2" copper and there was never any noticeable issue with using both showers at the same time so I don't know if the piping size would need to change or if it can just be replaced starting below the existing tub faucet but I would want it to meet code.
There is a 2" drain pipe in the crawlspace (which had a small leak as you can see) which I had to cut to remove as it was cemented to the drain in the the fiberglass pan. I think I need to either cut that clean and install a longer piece up to the finished subfloor, or if there is somethinn more needed I will need to replace some more piping back behind the trap.
Shower install:
Once the above is sorted I can start with the new shower install. I am not interested in attempting a tile floor so I would like to purchase some pre-made shower base to use with tile walls. If people have recommendations on bases that are good but dont break the bank I would really appreciate it. I have looked at the Swanstone SS-3636 in a show room and it seems pretty sturdy but I dont know if I am in love with the surface finish, it was $350. I also saw this Jacuzzi JCAY3636 which was acrylic instead of the swan material and it was ~$400. There are a lot of cheaper ones like Dreamline or something but I worry about those being too flimsy.
After I determine which base to get I will move on to the walls. Based on my reading for this simple install I could go with poly sheeting behind some CBU and then tile, or, no polysheeting and either paint on waterproofer, or membrane such as Noble valueseal or similar. I am undecided what direction I will go for this but will take any advice you can offer for a first timer with no tile/mudwork experience. I understand the detail when mating the wall waterproofing to the shower pan is crucial and I have read about most common methods but will probably ask again as I finalize my plans.
I appreciate any advice you can offer as this is my first shower install. I have a lot of experience at general DIY tasks and basic fabrication so I think the above is within my abilities if I have a good plan.