Need to replace one-piece fiberglass shower/tub unit

[Suceress]

So, I adjusted the sketchup image of my mother's bathroom to show closer to the current color of the sink, walls, cabinets, shelves, etc. But the shower, curtain rod, etc are more along the lines of what will be in the bathroom when we renovate & I added a light over the vanity. Mom nixed the idea of the nicer light in her bathroom so I found an LED one that can stuck to the wall above the window. I'll have to get my left shoulder working again to have enough mobility to reach up. I also need to compensate for a weird detail near the ceiling on all of the walls.

There is a strip going up diagonally and then another smaller strip horizontal and then it goes straight up a few inches and then diagonal again. This poses a problem over the shower if I want to run cementboard up if I don't want to tear out that detail above the shower area. I suppose I could remove it above the shower, but that would take more cutting. So, I'm thinking of just running the cementboard up to the lower angled piece and adding some sort of trim or just caulking.

I did my best approximation. I don't have exact measurements so this is just guessing.

I suppose I could try to chamfer the back of the cementboard where it will meet the lower angled trim.

Any other ideas or suggestions?

 

[Suceress]

Meanwhile, the surround for the adjacent bathroom came in. The upper left corner was damaged before they even put it in the truck. They also put it in the truck upsidedown but it turned out ok. I couldn't see anything broken but I need to open the box to inspect more thoroughly. I was so exhausted last night that I almost collapsed.

I hope its the plastic wrapping or the lighting, but it looks to be more of a beige or ivory than white. I can live with it not being white but it will slightly annoy me. Still better than the current yellowed walls. It's thicker/sturdier than I thought it would be at least.
Now I need to put up cementboard. I think I need 6 boards to cover the area. I'm still trying to figure out what sort of thinset or mud to use on the cementboard before glueing these up. I want something that can be painted. I also want something that isn't too heavy or difficult to work with.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

Meanwhile, the surround for the adjacent bathroom came in. The upper left corner was damaged before they even put it in the truck. They also put it in the truck upsidedown but it turned out ok. I couldn't see anything broken but I need to open the box to inspect more thoroughly. I was so exhausted last night that I almost collapsed.

Hopefully its not damaged. We just got a new soaking tub in that had been punctured by the forklift.

 

[Suceress]

Oh man, that sucks. I still haven't completely opened the box to look bc I'm still sick and my balance sucks. I managed to cut my finger on a toaster and I don't want to use anything sharp.

We once had a toilet tank arrive broken. My brother went to pick up the box and the broken tank cut his hand (not badly though). I called HD customer service & they apologized profusely & sent another tank with an additional discount. It was packed much better. I'll be pretty mad if this thing is cracked somewhere, but it feels pretty sturdy so I'm crossing my fingers and knocking on wood.

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

We once had a toilet tank arrive broken.

I had a $10 toto neorest arrive in pieces with sharp bits poking out of the box. I got lucky and heard it before I picked up the box and skewered myself.

 

[Suceress]

Oh, I would have been pretty damn upset about the toilet being in pieces. I'm glad you didn't get hurt.

Right now I have a bit of a dilemma trying to figure out what to do with the walls. I currently have 1/4" printed wood panels-- the ones with blue stripes. I have to tear down to the studs. There were wood panels with images of ducks painted in blue (more outlines than actual detailed) on the original walls around the tub. At some point a flimsy glue-up surround was put on. The wall panel behind peeled off so they are falling down.

Someone on another forum said 1/4" cementboard could crack too easily so I should go with 1/2".
The new tub surround is 58" high. The old one is probably higher or at least the panels that are delaminating are taller than that. My original plan was to use the purple drywall but the drywall manufacturer said it was not suitable for glue up surrounds and the surround manufacturer said the same thing. Said it needs to be cementboard or something that won't delaminate.

My ceiling is just shy of 9' tall. The tub is ~16" high. The cementboard is supposed to have a 1/4" gap above the tub (which I believe has no flange, but I'll have to see when I get the old wall panels off). Cementboard is 3'x5'. I can put one panel on each end wall vertically going up 5' above the tub. On the back wall I can put two panels horizontal going up 6'. So the tops of the cementboard would not be at the same height for sides and back. I'm debating where to cut the cementboard off. I could either go all the way to the ceiling with the cementboard-- but I was told it would look bad. I think the cementboard has a rough texture? I'm not sure. Or I could convert to purple drywall to go up to the ceiling. That would make it so it would be 1/2" all the way up framing the tub. It would also mean I'd have to transition from cementboard to drywall.

Then on the one edge of the tub where the wall is continuous and goes to 1/4" printed wood paneling, I'd have to transition from cementboard to wood. I can cover it with moulding (it already has vertical strips of wood to cover the existing transition), but I'm not sure how to seal the edges properly. I don't think I can use thinset over the wood.

Any suggestions?

 

[Suceress]

Go to stores to pick up supplies/materials
Sort out the plumbing valves & controls and such (I should have everything I need already)
Make template out of cardboard for holes that need to be cut
Put plastic sheets up on walls over studs so wood will not be in direct contact with cement board
Run cement board up to the height of the new surround (58").
Paint Mapei AquaDefense on all edges that will not get thinset and around any holes cut
Cut it off just above the surround-- enough to put the tear away trim on.
Run sides of side wall cement board out to end of wall on the right and same distance on the left
Use tear away trim at edges
Use trimmed off cementboard to go down just above floor next to tub (may need to add some blocking in wall for reinforcement)
Use leftover tear away beads next to tub side
Spread thinset (still trying to decide on type-- need modified thinset)
Use aquadefense over thinset in corners, top, and bottom perimeter as extra precaution
Glue up surround
Paint drylok on any exposed pieces of cement board to be painted over with Killz later
Trim existing 1/4" printed plywood panels above surround enough to put up 3.5" PVC boards
Drill hole in middle of PVC board on right wall for showerhead (need to get correct sized bit for boring through)
Put pvc boards up on side edges of shower to cover exposed painted cement board
Caulk with 100% silicone everywhere that needs it

I know it is a lot of work, but I'm hoping things will go smoothly. I may have to shim behind some walls to make sure everything is straight so I'll pick up some shims. I need to make sure I find all of my tools and materials that I already have at home before picking stuff up.

I already started gathering the supplies I have in the house and I cleared half of the bathtub out. There was a dresser in there that gave me trouble and I got winded since I'm still sick.

I'm limited to the thinset options available at home depot or lowes in Alexandria - zipcode 71303. Anyone have suggestions? I don't want it to dry too fast to work with, but still want it to dry fast enough to be able to move on to sanding. Dry time maybe 45min to an hour? Even 30min might be enough. Gotta ask my friend how fast he is at mudding.

Is thinset about the same as drywall mud in terms of application?

I think I will use this thinset: https://www.lowes.com/pd/MAPEI-Rapid-Setting-50-lb-Gray-Thinset-Tile-Mortar/5014025091

 

[Suceress]

I cleaned the junk out of my tub and started demo. I thought it would be studs behind those cruddy wall panels, but it was plywood. Left wall was intact. Right wall is intact. Back wall crumbled to pieces. shelf pieces peeled off fairly easily. I still need to get the tub spout and shower arm off. I also need to get the right drill bit to bore for the shower arm. I think I found one so I added it to my cart.
This is my progress thus far:

 

[Suceress]

We removed the damaged plywood and discovered wooden planks with old termite damage

I cleaned debris out of the tub and vacuumed.
Removed the plumbing and got the side panel off, measured and marked for new holes, dry fit cementboard, & put up plastic to keep the boards from touching wood.

There appear to be studs behind the boards because they are nailed to something in there. The old caulk was on super thick and has been a royal pain to remove. It's like rubber. I made a cleaning paste out of baking soda and vinegar and caked it on & let it sit overnight.

I scrubbed the hell out of it. Used vinegar to rinse and rubbing alcohol as well. Had to resort to using a chisel to scrape that adhesive residue off. It is tedious but its working. My hand hurts though.

It was too hot in there and my hand kept cramping up so I've been doing it in sessions and taking breaks. I finally squirted a bunch of rubbing alcohol all over because it seemed to soften the gunk. I'm letting it soak in (partially to let it take effect but also bc the smell is strong). Got a fan in there to circulate the air.

 

[Suceress]

Hmm.. Some of my pics aren't working. I had to use a chisel to get the crud off of the tub (it didn't damage the finish)

After much debate I decided to remove the damaged tongue and groove boards on the wall. They were very soft in some spots but incredibly sturdy in others so it made removing them a bear. Glad I did though because one of the studs was eaten by termites in the middle.

It took 2 days to remove stuff (I didn't have the right prybar & I was wary of using a sawzal when I didn't know what was behind). Discovered some of the studs didn't go all the way up & some were pieced together.
I left a drawing and some comments for whoever opens the wall up next. This was as far as I got before I got too overheated and couldn't remove anymore. I'm still recovering from that deltoid injury and the AC isn't working in the house. It has been hotter than usual this time of year. I took my friend to HD so he could get some lumber for his house & he came over with me to get the rest of this mess off.

Left the very bottom two boards. Added some more 2x4s and some furring strips. Reused the least damaged board for the corner grab bar (I stood in the tub and decided what height would be comfortable). More furring strips and boards will go up as reinforcement and to bring the cementboard in front of the tub flange. The tub slopes downward to the right a bit but we will shim the cementboard to be level. That tub is not moving. LOL.

I'm going to get some 1x4s to pad out the top, bottom, and sides. Will use more 1x4s for the middle. That will bring it out so the cementboard will be in front of the flange. I cleaned the wood out and vacuumed since this photo was taken. I went in and took measurements. My friend has a handy miter saw that can be used to cut the boards for me. I just have to grab them from the hardware store and bring them over to his house and then take them home.
My plan (unless I can find the right size plywood lying around-- that stuff is like $50 plus tax here).

Still have a ways to go and my friend is working on his house right now and I have to wait for him to be available again. He put up drywall in his house so I will be going over to paint. Primer first and then his awesome new gf (who has been a mutual friend for years) will pick a paint color. As a personal aside, my friend is doing so much better since he got with this new gf. Her life is better & everyone (except her ex) is happy for them.

 

[Reach4]

Interesting artwork on one of your uncovered boards.

 

[Jeff H Young]

So you removed the fiberglas tub and put the beat up press steel tub in , I think you need another new tub? Dont fix it maybe that was a temporary as its been decades this job. but glad its going well now

 

[Suceress]

So you removed the fiberglas tub and put the beat up press steel tub in , I think you need another new tub? Dont fix it maybe that was a temporary as its been decades this job. but glad its going well now

Sorry to confuse you-- the fiberglass tub is in the adjacent bathroom. That ugly thing is still there. The steel tub has been in this bathroom since the 70s & it is not budging. To give more reference to the layout-- the adjacent bathroom is to the right-- toilets are not quite back to back. There is a linen closet in between both that helps create the alcoves for the tubs.

If the wall in the other bathroom is like this one, I will have to pry off the 1/4" plywood and tongue and groove boards all around for the direct-to-stud surround and showerpan.

I will have to work on the plumbing to both bathrooms for the DWV part and that will come when I get the cut joist reinforced.

Maybe I should have made a separate thread for the 2nd bathroom with the cast iron tub.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Oh I see I thought you stopped the project and now restarted.

 

[Suceress]

Oh I see I thought you stopped the project and now restarted.

Yeah. I had a lot going on. I have multiple projects. Need to renovate 2 bathrooms and flip the guest bathroom with the laundry room because the use of space for both is awful. Toilet is in an alcove so small my brother's shoulders can't fit.
I started this and then got discouraged & had a lot happening and finally got the motivation to work on it again. I've had a lot of health issues and even though I'm working with an injury, I am getting stuff done.

Tonight I decided to try a 3/4" chunk of plywood that was lying on the porch. It was the right thickness to fill out to the flange. It was as tall as the ceiling but not very wide. I didn't bother to measure how wide it is. Cutting through it was a bear because I didn't have the right blades and couldn't find my regular handsaw.

I went to put the longer piece up and that was where my injury came into play. I can't lift my left arm all the way up. It has limited mobility (although I'm doing exercises to try to get mobility back). I couldn't get my arm high enough to get the board in position, so I had to ask my brother for help. He's almost a foot taller than me so it was easier for him. He held it while I got a couple screws in and tried to help me with the crappy bit that came with the screws. It was too short and kept sinking into my drill. Ended up having to use a different bit. Ran out of battery but charged it and went back and got all the screws in.

I used the rest of the chunk of plywood over the spot where the grab bar will go. It was just the right length to go all the way to a stud.

I still need some 1x4s for the bottom, edges, and other studs so I'll have something solid to grab when installing cementboard

 

[Suceress]

I had to deviate from my plans a little because of a measuring fail, but I got it framed out more. I think I need to patch just a bit more.

It is plumb vertically in the center but is off on the edges. The adjacent walls also need to be shimmed. I plan to add a bit more filling out on the right side of the back wall so there aren't such large gaps. It is all framed out where the edges of the cementboard will go and where I will need to drive screws.

 

[Suceress]

I did a little more shimming and added another 1x4. Still need to do more shimming.

 

[Suceress]

So, I did more shimming (no pics) but the old studs were so warped that it's plumb in some spots but not others. Plumb in the right corner and not plumb in the left and plumb halfway through the middle but then a little over to the left it is out. Some of the screws are stuck in there so I can't get them out, otherwise I'd pull stuff off and try to use 2x4s to level it all out. In retrospect I wish I'd gone with 2x4s instead and added in new ones. But, I have to work with what I have here. I wonder if I can just fill in spots that won't be screwed into with some wood putty to fill it out to make it level. The spots where screws will go on the top and bottom of the lower cement board will be plumb. Need to check the side corner better. I think it's the top cement board I will likely have more trouble with. Getting the sides plumb and even is going to be a pain too. My friend said he'll come over sometime this week to help though.

 

[Suceress]

Things have been crazy. I pulled the muscles in my sore arm again so it is giving me more trouble. Still working on regaining mobility and strength in it. Friend who helps me has been too busy to come out. Right now he's got a painful broken tooth so we're trying to get him to a dentist.
I decided to unbox the wallset and set the box in my room (along with the old corner shelf pieces). Sir Hammington decided it was the perfect place to nap.

The wallset takes up a lot less space out of the bag (I cleaned the floor up after this pic-- the debris from the back of the old wall panels fell off and made a mess)

I added more notes inside the wall, measuered and marked screw locations, put plastic in the tub secured with painter's tape and marked the screw locations on the tape. Will make a backup cheat sheet for screw locations in case I am unable to read my notes on the tape.

 

[Reach4]

Are you going to take a photo of the artwork before closing the wall?