If it has, you might have to redo the whole shower. As a rule, tubs are mounted to the wall studs with screws under the finish wall material, and are set on top of a bed of mortar. Usually these estimates will be "free". Cut out a section of the wall approximately 6-inches above the tub on each of the three sides and along the front of the tub. I'm assuming that what is underneath is just plywood sub floor. Seal the Joints. How to Change a Powder Room Into a Full Bathroom, The New York Times: Replacing a Bathtub With a Luxury Walk-In Shower, How to Convert a Tub-Shower Enclosure to a Freestanding Shower, How to Remodel a Bathroom With Ceramic Tile, Taking Out a Shower and Bath Combo and Installing Shower Tile. Tile flooring is a great choice for bathrooms, mud rooms or even kitchens. Remove the fiberglass shower surround. Mark the shower tile layout. If you have to replace wall tiles, get bigger tiles, that means less grout lines to have to clean. Slight flexing will quickly crack the grout and even the tiles. Once that foam hardens the only way to separate the tub is with a reciprocating saw. His has been published online through GTV Magazine, Home Anatomy, TravBuddy, MMO Hub, Killer Guides and the Delegate2 group. It is still possible for water to leak below the shower pan if the drain has been improperly installed or if the pan has begun to crack. Bathrooms vary from house to house and can feature bathtubs, bath and shower combinations, stand-alone showers and walk-in showers. A fiberglass or acrylic shower pan is hardly beautiful, but its plain looks can be justified by knowing that most of the shower is made of tile. Tile Shower Floor or Fiberglass Shower pan Tags: Flooring & Stairs My wife and I are currently building a house, and came across the decision of having a fiberglass pan or tile floor for the shower. Sep 1, 2013 - How to Replace a Fiberglass Shower With Tile as a Weekend Project. This layer is then covered with a 2- or 3-inch thick packed layer of concrete that is sloped 1/4 inch for every linear foot to accommodate for drainage. Plastic shower pans are easy to install but you are limited by a specific set of dimensions. Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 12 years. Additionally you can also use glass block panels if you don’t mind a completely visible shower. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. Once your installation area is down to the original skeleton framing you can make a decision regarding the shower pan. Steps to Replacing a Shower Pan: Cut old acrylic shower surround with a reciprocating saw, and remove the surround. Though they are strong, fiberglass and acrylic shower pans are still not 100-percent crack-proof. Install the Tiles. Remove drywall where the new tile will go. He spent more than 15 years as a third-generation tile and stone contractor before transitioning into freelance writing. Leak-resistant. You should expect any estimate to be presented with an in-depth sales pitch/presentation. The process can vary wildly depending on installation methods used. Wipe … Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series. But what about mixing and matching the two materials differently so that the walls are tile and the floor is acrylic/fiberglass? There are two piece fiberglass shower stalls that can be installed in most situations. These shower pans make it easier for the do-it-yourselfer to tile the shower. Take everything down to the wall studs and subfloor. Hammer the end of the chisel with a 3-pound sledgehammer until the tile dislodges. How to Replace a Bathtub With a Walk-in Shower. Leave at least 1/4 inch … It can be difficult to decide whether to install a tiled shower or a pre-fabricated fiberglass or acrylic shower. Doing so can save you money on tile work, plus this system has functional value because it gives you the best of both worlds: tile's beauty, acrylic/fiberglass' practicality. In fact, tiled shower walls typically rise about 80 inches above floor level. The estimated cost to replace a bathtub and shower is around $975 for a 60″ fiberglass or acrylic resin kit with shower walls, new tub, and DIY installation. The space between the top of the shower tile and the ceiling is often painted waterproof drywall. Simply cut the caulking and drain pipe to remove the shower pan. These will instead be down around your knees. Most pans are square or rectangular for walk-in type showers and the pan attaches directly to the wall studs and drain. This project costs an average of $20 to $240 , depending on the extent of repairs needed and whether you hire a professional or handle fixing the damage on your own. As a result, you often see multiple shower heads around the shower, or an overhead custom sprayer that comes in from the ceiling. Shower panels cons Step 2: Install a Moisture Barrier. Sometimes, the tile rises to meet the ceiling, as well. Apply strong adhesive to the tile and the wall. Note that you cannot tile on the floor of standard fiberglass/acrylic shower pans. Over time, your bathroom tiles may get damaged or look outdated, but fortunately, you can replace them in an afternoon. With this type of set-up, the shower pan can flex and thus avoid the cracking associated with tile shower pans. The core of any good shower installation is a solid, waterproof shower floor, formally known as a shower pan. Break and remove tiling around the edges of the pan if it prevents removal. For example, a second-floor bathroom in an older home with a settling foundation will probably benefit from having a fiberglass or acrylic shower pan. From there, the platform can be unscrewed or pried loose with a hammer and pry bar. Not only that, the part of the shower that is most visible is tile, while the least visible area underfoot is fiberglass/acrylic. Scribe bottom tiles. Shower pans consist of concrete mud sloped to the drain, covered by a thin plastic membrane for waterproofing that runs up the walls a few inches and down to the drain. Slight flexing will quickly crack the grout and even the tiles. Mating tile walls with a fiberglass or acrylic shower pan is not only possible but it is a common practice. Hold a chisel along the grout line near one of the center tiles of the shower floor. Before you install the tiles it is best to comb over the thinset mortar you applied in … Conversely, if the bathroom happens to be located on a concrete basement bathroom floor, flexibility is not much of an issue. Tear out of old fiberglass shower & building bigger tile shower. When it comes time to demolish the shower in the future, it is easier because the shower pan will pull up as one piece. However, some plumbers install tubs on top of expanding foam and forget to include a sheet of plastic. Fiberglass/acrylic shower pans are rarely very expensive, so these pans represent only a fraction of the project's overall cost. It is less expensive to install this combination than an all-tile shower because fewer tiles are purchased and less labor is required. bzz Since shower wall panels are non-porous, you don’t have to worry about leaks, mold, and mildew, or spending money on expensive bathroom renovations such as replacing the shower, subfloor, or ceiling. Scribe … Is there anything special that needs to go under the new floor tile? When using these materials for the shower pan, scratching and gouging is a possibility. A traditional mud pan. Tiling your shower walls gives you the ultimate in design flexibility and beauty. Tim Anderson has been freelance writing since 2007. On top of it all, this is very much a one-way choice; it is not easy to reverse a shower installation if, later on, you think you want something else. You also have the option for block walls. They are strong enough to hold in water and hold up bathers, but flexible enough to respond to changes in the house's structure over time. All the walls have to be covered with some type of waterproofing underlayment, which overlaps the membrane or flange of a pan as it comes up the wall studs. Seal the grout joints with a grout sealer, using a foam brush as an applicator. Most tile companies will take on this type of project. Weekend projects are the mainstay of do-it-yourselfers across the nation, and remodeling a bathroom is a common hobby project that DIYers can tackle. Concrete board, paint-on latex waterproofing and membrane sheets are common types of waterproofing systems used with tile. Fiberglass. Tub, Tile and Shower Repair Kit, 5oz Fiberglass Porcelain Acrylic Bathtub Repair Kit, Brown and Gray Series Tile Gap Filler for Cracked Stone, Ceramic Floor 4.2 out of 5 stars 129 $19.39 $ 19 . The first step to getting started is to remove the old bathtub as well as any tub framing that is in place. Replacing a fiberglass shower with tile over a weekend is a challenging task that will require a few ..… However, some specialty shower pans such as those made by Tile-Redi are designed for over-tiling Replacing a bathtub with a full walk-in shower means getting into a remodel project that will render your bathroom useless during the process. There is no overlapping fiberglass wall to impede the removal of the pan. I just want to replace the floor with a fiberglass shower base pan, as it's much easier to maintain and clean. Significant time and money are at stake. Often, showers are created out of one type of material only: either walls and pan made from fiberglass/acrylic or walls and pan made from tile. Tear out of old fiberglass shower & building bigger tile shower. However, some specialty shower pans such as those made by Tile-Redi are designed for over-tiling. Because walk-in showers are large enough for you to walk around in, the shower head can go anywhere. Install the drain fitting into the shower pan, and follow manufacturer instructions. 39 One of the design bonuses of open, walk-in showers is that they are not limited in space or shower-head location to avoid splash back onto the floor. Benefits of Fiberglass or Acrylic Shower Pans, The Pros and Cons of Prefab vs Custom-Tiled Showers, How to Convert an Acrylic or Fiberglass Shower to Ceramic Tile, How to Fix a Shower Pan That Flexes or Moves, How to Repair Water-Damaged Tile Shower Walls, 33 Small Shower Ideas for Tiny Homes and Bathrooms, Bathroom Tile Size Advice: Floors, Walls, Showers, and Tubs, 7 Tiling Tips for Professional-Looking Results, Installing a Tiled Shower With a Polyurethane Pan, How to Easily Repair Shower Stalls and Bathtubs. If you have a fiberglass tub surround, remove that first. Cool to the touch and easy to clean, tile flooring offers a number of benefits over wood or laminate thanks to natural moisture resistance, and it's often cheaper to install than other options. shower  Share. Wall tile in wet areas is installed the same as it is in any other area, with the exception being in the waterproofing that is done in advance. This guide covers the basics for fixing all shower floors, including bases and pans, but it mainly focuses on the most common issue – fiberglass tub repair. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Saw through drainpipe connected to old shower pan; remove shower pan. or if the sub-floor is dry and ready to go, can I just re-mud it/level and go? If your shower is located in an area with a potentially unstable floor, a flexible shower pan may help compensate for some of the floor's instability. Another benefit for the do-it-yourselfer is that these pans immediately establish the shower's footprint: no measuring, no guessing. Because the shower pan has no seams or grout, the shower is easier to clean. Take a look at these 11 Impressive Shower Floor Ideas for Your Bathroom. Tile walls are commonly used in walk-in showers. Fiberglass/acrylic shower pans are pure practicality. Tub, Tile and Shower Repair Kit Fiberglass Repair Kit,3.5 oz Porcelain Repair Kit,Bathtub Repair Kit White Toilet Ceramic Repair Kit for Cracked Bathtub Scratches - Shower Bases 4.2 out of 5 stars 351 There are a lot of tiles for the floor, just make sure that it does say that it can be used on shower floors. Whether you’re replacing tiles on the bathroom wall or floor, first cut out and remove the old tiles to clean out the area.When you’re ready to install your new tile, apply a layer of mortar or thin-set to hold the tiles in place before applying grout between them. ... You will also need to remove the bottom row of tile on the walls above the height that the pan will occupy and then retile that row to properly overlap the pan edge for drainage. Install the Shower Surround. Replacing … Block allows you to run serpentine walls that would be difficult to do with anything other than mosaic tiles. Tile the alcove bottom shelf first, sloping it slightly toward the shower. For some home buyers, these combination showers may be considered aesthetically inferior to all-tile showers, resulting in slightly lower resale value. Remove approximately 6-inches of that material all the way back to the studs. This is the traditionalist approach to preparing a shower floor, and requires … There are other options to replacing your fiberglass shower that can still be a money saver on a bathroom renovation. Shower floor tile repair. Bathrooms vary from house to house and can feature bathtubs, bath and shower combinations, stand-alone showers and walk-in showers. Using fiberglass or acrylic shower pans makes do-it-yourself shower tiling a more realistic project than tiling the pans. Can Fiberglass or Acrylic Match With Tile? Called megabloc is then injected underneath the floor tiles to repair the waterproof membrane at participating franchisees only. Material costs include 4.5% - 8.7% overage commonly needed for on site fabrication and future repairs. These problems allow shower water to penetrate the wall and cause damage, and they are generally found low on the shower wall, down where the tile meets the shower base. tile on the floor of standard fiberglass/acrylic shower pans. Unless you were dealing with a shower/tub combination in the original installation, there will not be a shower head pipe running up the wall, nor will there be a faucet stub-out or hot/cold water stubs at around waist height. If the fiberglass is damaged it is a lot less expensive to repair or to replace than … Cracks and chips can be repaired by a specialist, but if this type of floor develops a leak, it can’t be repaired like a tile floor and will have to be replaced. The end result, however, is an expansive and aesthetically pleasing addition which will also increase the value of your home. Wear your safety glasses and gloves. Planning on replacing my fiberglass shower bottom with tile, along with re-tiling the rest of the shower. If you want to build a custom walk-in shower with curved walls, for example, you will use a custom-floated concrete shower pan. Improve this question. With thousands of available tiles that can be mixed in countless ways, you can create unique shower walls. Shower Tile Replacement cost estimates may require an onsite inspection. You will need to … This means running additional pipe to carry the water up to the new locations. How to Replace a Fiberglass Shower With Tile as a Weekend Project Step 1: Remove the Fiberglass Shower Surround. 5. Check the pan and make sure that's still in good shape. A tile hammer and chisel are ideal for this task. Pros. The two most common materials used in these floors are: Fiberglass; Acrylic; Fiberglass bases are usually the cheapest, so they’re a common sight in bathrooms around the country. Set new acrylic shower pan on floor and check its fit against the studs. 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