Shower Surround?
Question:We've bought our first home and will be signing the deed on the 1st of August once it's vacant. The bath tubs have nothing around them, no tile or plastic shell stuff or anything. They actually have like plywood around them and what I would call vinyl shelf paper covering the plywood. So we cannot take a shower until this is fixed. My mom said she thought you could buy something called shower surround and caulk it in. Is it this simple? Where do you buy it? Anyone know an estimated cost? I've never seen the "shell" for the top of the tub without the actual tub being incorporated. Thank you.
Answers:
I did just about the same thing. I got my 5 piece kit at Home Depot, just a basic model, for about $70 and then two tubes of liquid nails, $10, one tube of silicone bath tub caulking, $4, a caulking gun that dispensed both the liquid nails and caulking, $6. Total bathroom face lift: $90. And I did it all by myself. Remember, measure twice or even thrice, cut once!
your mother is correct go to any dyi used one in a rental worked great easy to install and not real expensive comes in several colors
Since you will have to remove the plywood and shelf paper anyway, why not just have some nice tiles installed. You could also purchase some stuff called swanstone (which I just installed in our bathroom during a major remodel) which will cost you about $1,000+ for the 3 sheets needed for the shower surround. It goes on pretty easy and they say you can glue it on to existing drywall or cement board. Personally I would use this as a negotiating point to demand that either the seller fix this prior to closure or reduce the price by an amount that a contractor says it will cost to fix it.
First of all, you should have had the previous owners fix this before you signed on the dotted line. It is major but not a major problem to fix.
You can go to a Home Project Store (I would suggest a Bath and Kitchen Store) and perhaps they will have something in stock. If not, you can order a surround to match your tub. Take the dimensions of the bathtub with you !
You use an adhesive to bond it on the wall and then a caulking where the surround meets the tub. It is not that difficult at all.
Cost should be minimal.
FYI-- You may want to check out some nice tile and go that route. Nothing to the tiling and the salesperson can give you a crash course on how to do it.
Contrary to what "Wesley" said.you will need plywood as a backing for the surround. I know this because I've been the surround route.
the best type - well the easiest with the highest do-it-yourselfer gratification are the 5 piece kits- available at any home center. they have a rear panel, two side panels and 2 corner shelf units.
most important is to start with good sound walls, no flaking paint or unpainted surfaces. make sure the plywood will not come loose in the future and it should be painted with a good semi-gloss paint, wait a week for the paint to cure then tackle the tuib surround. if you follow the instructions you'll end up with a nice looking tub surround and be sure to use the caulking that says tub and tile( its a water based caulk and works best), dont use silicon, it wont stick properly, plus it's a mess to clean up after ( many people will dis-agree, but take it from experience)
the other thing, use a water based adhesive and a 1/8" v-notch trowel and cover every square inch of the wall that will be covered- some stores sell a adhesive pack for the surrounds they carry - usually 6 tubes. try and stay away from solvent based adhesive - some of them will actually eat or dissolve the very plastic your surround is made of and void your warranty.
I don't know what state you live in, but from what you're saying I would say there is going to be alot more problems ahead for you. There should have been an inspection of this house before going on the market, unless this is a deal that you just couldn't pass up, and the real estate person or people you're talking with aren't looking out for your best interest. Walk away from this house deal, and look for a home that you can enjoy without alot of work needed before you move in. Good Luck
Lowe's or home depot approx 20 bucks a sheet it is called tile board you will have to cut it yourself or you can buy a tub surround kit that has every thing with it. you will have to glue either of these the tile board comes in a variety of designs and colors and looks like small tiles, grout lines and all. make sure you cut the 4x8 sheets from the same side on each one so the lines meet up in the corners for a great looking job. it will take 3 sheets per normal size tub. cut with paneling circular saw blade. the tub surround comes in 1 or 2 colors and has little soap holders and all the other stuff you expect to see in a bath tub as well as instructions. read the box before you leave the store to see what all you ll need for installation. both are easy to install be sure to buy at lest 1 to 2 small tubes of caulk per tub if you use the tile board you may also want to replace the plywood with treated (green) dry wall no need to finish with drywall mud since you re covering it up. total time for both baths approx. 7 hrs without dry wall or 9hrs with make sure your faucets are good too before you cover them in for good this will save a lot of time ,money,and aggravation later
Yes they have surround units you can get for under 100.00 us..and they can simply be put on with "liquid nails" or any other grade of tubed construction adheisive..it works from a regular caulking gun..
This fix is not going to be as easy as installing a tub surround. The adhesive used for tub surrounds will not bond with the vinyl paper for long and you will have the surround pulling off the walls. I would also guess that the existing wall has moisture issues and maybe mold. Tear down the existing walls and replace with moisture resistant drywall or cement board. You will have to remove the tub to do this. Before putting up the drywall make sure the walls are square. If they are not the surround will not fit properly and moisture will penetrate seams and collect behind the surround creating mold and deterioration of the drywall. If the tub is on an outside wall you will have to replace or install insulation and vapor barrier before putting up the new walls. I agree with countryboy, it's not as simple as it sounds. It's sometimes easier to start from scatch than to do bandaid fixes that will create more problems in the future. If you plan on doing anything else in the bathroom, toilets, flooring, vanieties etc, I would gut the whole room and start over. More time, energy and money will go in but in the long run your bathroom will be done right and last 20-30 years. My husband and I just did this and we started out with replacing the tub and then tiling. We came across mold, rotten wood and drywall and a multitude of other things. You had your house inspected, but the inspector can't inspect what he can't see.
You can't paint over vinyl wall covering. It won't bond or stick to it no matter what paint you use.
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