Let's face it. Showers are the bathing option of practically everybody. So if your bathroom has ended up being a family bottleneck due to the fact that you don't have enough shower stalls or the one you have is dripping, read on. We'll reveal you how to replace a leaking base (aka shower base), replace a tub with a shower just or set up an extra shower to handle need. Preformed shower bases have vastly streamlined the installation procedure. They're practically leakproof and are vastly much easier to set up than conventional solid mortar bases.
Still, setting a base can be difficult, specifically when you're remodeling older plumbing. In this post, we'll show you how to rip out an old tub and replace it with a one-piece fiberglass shower base. We'll stroll you through the difficult parts, first how to move the drain perfect, then the necessary venting. Next, we'll demonstrate how to set a rock-solid base-- one that will not crack or leak down the road. Our step-by-step guidelines will take you right as much as the point where the walls are ready to end up. But we won't go into those finish information here.
This is primarily a plumbing project. To take it on, you need to be familiar with standard pipeline joining methods. Primarily this includes cutting and sealing plastic pipelines and fittings. Do not fret if you make mistakes. The products are inexpensive and corrections are quickly made by cutting out sections and setting up new fittings and pipes.
Finishing this job-- getting the old tub out, revamping the plumbing and installing the brand-new base-- will take a Saturday at least, a weekend at most. If you need to run a drain line through joists or studs, we suggest that you lease a 1/2-in. right-angle drill and a 2-in. hole saw (or bit). Otherwise, standard pipes tools and hand tools are all you'll require. Make certain to make an application for a pipes authorization and have an inspection done at the rough-in phase (when whatever is still exposed) and after whatever is total (wall surface areas completed, last hardware set up).
Preparation the Job
Start by choosing the size of the shower base and purchasing it. Shipment can take weeks, so do not rip anything apart until the brand-new one remains in hand. If you're replacing an existing base, simply get one the same size. If you're changing a tub with a shower as we did, there are more information to consider. You'll have the fewest issues if you match the brand-new base to the old tub's width (the front of the tub to the wall). Go wider if you like, but you may need to replace flooring. Or you might overstep needed minimum distances from toilets and sinks. You may have to shift the supply valve as well. Keeping the very same tub footprint (or smaller) lessens the troubles.
We replaced a 5-ft. tub with a fairly large 4-ft. base the very same width as the tub. We framed a 1-ft.- large filler wall at the end, which is a great place to construct recessed specific niches and shelves for shower products.
Now's a great time to buy a brand-new shower valve too, particularly if your old one does not have heated security, as all new ones do. It's a big task to change a valve that stops working after tile or wall panels are installed.
You'll require a selection of pipes and fittings for installing the new drain and for remodeling water lines. Pick them up after you open the floor and walls. At that point, you can see what you need, plan the new drain and water supply runs and make a list of products. Make a sketch like Figure A to help you keep track of parts.
Shower Base/Drain Particulars
Make a sketch of the job that includes the waste, vent and water supply. Drawing the information will help prevent prospective issues and likewise minimize the variety of trips to the hardware shop.
It's also crucial to keep in mind that you won't have the ability to enter a home center and leave with a 4-ft.- long shower base like the one we show in this job. Ask to go through the plumbing fixture books there to special-order one that fits your bath decoration and spending plan. Some featured drain adapters, as ours did. You'll need to inspect and acquire a separate shower drain set if needed. The manufacturer's directions will assist you select the right one.
There is another (but more pricey) choice if you want to avoid all of the additional venting and drain work. Select a shower tray that has the drain located at one end, right or left, selected to match your old tub drain. Select one the exact same length as the tub and you won't even require to include filler walls. Considering that the drain position roughly matches the tub drain, you might not need to add a different vent, cut out and patch the flooring, or reroute the drain line.
Get rid of the Wall
Initially, loosen the showerhead and the bathtub spout. A lot of styles will unscrew, but some will require persuasion with a monkey wrench. If you want to recycle any parts, wrap the tool jaws with a fabric to prevent damage. Then remove the handle and mixing valve escutcheon cover. The majority of handles have a little plastic cap that pops off to expose a screw. Remove the screws and manage the manage and the escutcheon.
Next, strip off the tub surround. Begin by cutting entirely through the drywall around the perimeter with an energy knife. If you have cement board behind the tile, just cut through the tape joint at the ceiling and strip the entire wall. Rip off the tile and drywall together in big chunks. If you have a fiberglass surround with a flange behind the drywall, cut 2 in. beyond the enclosure and pry the sections totally free one at a time.
Disconnect the Pipes
With the wall open, detach the plumbing and shut off the primary supply of water valve. Generally, you can access the trap from a gain access to panel in the room behind the tub or from an incomplete basement. If you don't have access, you'll have to cut a hole in the wall from behind the tub base. If your shutoff valves remain in good condition, cut off the water lines above them. If they're missing, stuck or corroded, shut down the primary supply valve, cut off the water lines and set up 2 compression fitting-- design ball valves and leave them in the closed position so you can turn the water back on to the remainder of the home. Cover the ends with tape to stay out particles.
Eliminate the Tub
Disconnect the trap from the tub drain, then raise the tub free from the wall. Fiberglass and steel tubs are fairly light, so you can simply tip them up and carry them away. If framing makes it challenging to pull out, cut out more drywall along the plumbing wall. Then you can pull the tub far from the wall before you tip it up. Cast iron tubs, on the other hand, are very heavy, and we suggest just busting them up with a sledgehammer and carrying out the pieces. (Lay an old blanket over the tub to catch flying shards, and use shatterproof glass for this!).
Mark the New Drain.
Snug the brand-new shower pan liner up to the wall studs and mark the drain hole.
Cut an Access Slot.
Put the brand-new shower tray aside and draw a gain access to slot on the subfloor, roughing in the brand-new P-trap and drain line. Make the slot about a foot broad and extend it just beyond the new drain location. Keep the edges of the slot over the center of the joists any place you can to make patching simpler later. Pull any nails that fall within the cutting lines. Then set your blade depth to cut simply through the subfloor, make it and pry it complimentary. Be sure to refer marks on the floor outside the slot so you can relocate the center of the drain as soon as you eliminate the flooring.
Cut a Path for the Drain.
With the flooring and wall open, you can plan your brand-new drain and vent lines. Revamping drain and vent lines will be slightly different with every bathroom, however our pictures and Figure A will offer you the general concept in addition to a look at the different fittings you may need.
The two keys for adding a drain are to make sure the horizontal lines slope 1/4 in. for every running foot and that the P-trap opening falls straight listed below the shower drain hole. Start by measuring the height of the center of the existing drain line and the range to the brand-new drain. Cut off the old P-trap, then run the drain line to the brand-new drain area. Drill 2-in. holes through the floor joists for the brand-new drain line. Reference marks aid you discover the drain center later.
Remember to allow 1/4-in.- per-foot slope when you drill holes in joists. Drill 2-in. holes to leave some room to move the 1-1/2- in. pipeline up or to get the needed slope. However don't drill in the lower or upper 2 in. of any joist. The majority of shower drains are designed to get 2-in. piping, while a lot of existing tub drains are 1-1/2 in. The pipes code requires the transition to be made with a reducer straight listed below the shower, nowhere else.
Set Up the Hygienic Tee.
To run the brand-new vent, mark an area of main stack for removal using the 3 x 1-1/2- in. tee (with 6-in.- long nipples) as a guide. Cement 6-in.- long nipples to both ends of a 3 x 1-1/2- in. hygienic tee, then mark and cut the primary stack. Join it to the stack with transition couplings.
Run the Vent.
If your tub didn't have a vent, you'll probably need to add one. A regional pipes inspector will inform you the guidelines (normally within 42 in. of the shower P-trap) when you look for a permit. The brand-new vent must sign up with the main vent a minimum of 6 in. above any "spill lines" (that typically suggests sink rims) that share the vent. If your primary stack will be plastic, sufficing is easy with a hand or reciprocating saw with an 8-in. blade. If you have actually cast iron, you'll have to lease a pipe snapper to make it.
Run the vent line down to the drain by drilling 2-in. holes through the studs, sloping far from the tee 1/4 in. for every single 1 ft. of run.
Dry-Fit the Waste and Vent.
Cut all the pipelines and dry-fit the brand-new vent line and drain line fittings one at a time, working your way toward the P-trap. Start cementing the parts together. If you're utilizing PVC, hold the parts together for about 20 seconds after sealing. Otherwise, the parts will "spray" apart before the solvent treatments. Conserve the P-trap-to-drain-line connection for last. Cement it together, and rapidly plumb the P-trap with a 6-in. level prior to the joint sets.
Usage reference marks on the subfloor to tweak the place of the drain. Set the shower base in place to verify the last placement of the P-trap, inserting a short, momentary tailpiece. When you set the shower base permanently, step and cut an irreversible tailpiece and cement it into location. Your building inspector will wish to see the drain and vent (and possibly the supply of water rough-in) prior to you close up the flooring.
Close the Floor
Include blocking to reinforce unsupported plywood edges and screw a spot to the framing with 1-5/8- in. screws. We included a second layer of 1/2-in. underlayment under the whole shower for a stronger floor and to much better match the completed floor height (1/2-in. backer board and tile). If you require to maintain the original floor height, avoid the 2nd layer, however add blocking under the single-layer patch to totally support the shower base.
Mount the Mixing Valve and Redo the Supply Lines
Unless you're planning to recycle all of the existing supply lines and valves, just cut out and eliminate everything and start fresh. Utilize a hacksaw or a reciprocating saw.
If you've chosen a shower base that's larger than the tub, center the brand-new mixing valve and showerhead over the base. Choose a valve height that's comfortable to reach and clears any barriers, and make certain the showerhead lands either above or below the top edge of the shower enclosure or tile. Mount the blending valve initially, following the producer's instructions, and run new CPVC or copper tubing from the ball valve to the blending valve and showerhead. Cap the tub spout outlet on the underside of the blending valve. You'll require to add obstructing to support it.
There may be a threaded nipple or hole in the bottom of the mixing valve for a tub spout. Be sure to cap that. After everything is together, shut down the mixing valve, switch on the water and look for leakages.
Level the Base and Mark the Studs
Level the shower base upon all four edges, shimming where needed. Mark the lip where it abuts studs. Procedure, cut and cement the final tailpiece to the P-trap. Take your time. Getting the base level is critical for good drain. Mark the lip height on the studs and outline the shim areas so you can raise out the base and return it to the exact position. Some bases need that you fit it over a tailpiece when you set it in the mortar.
Set the Base in Mortar
To set the base, mix up about half a 60-lb. bag of mortar with water to a creamy consistency. Prevent concrete mix; stones in the mix will hold the base far from the flooring. Spread out the mortar over the flooring under the base, about 1 in. approximately thick. Then lower the base into the wet mix, requiring it down to the shims and the stud marks. Make sure to push it against the wall. Let it treat over night. Do not utilize the base as a work platform until the next day or you'll interrupt the mortar before it treatments. Secure the base lip to each stud if clamps are included with the system. Otherwise, secure it with fender washers and 2-in. screws. Avoid drilling through the lip and screwing the base straight to the studs. The base may break and leakage.
Total the Drain Connection
The brand-new shower stall base will have instructions to guide you through the final drain connection; your drain system might differ from ours. However our shower stall bases directions were to anchor the base to the studs with screws and washers and then press the rubber gasket into place and seat it with a nut driver. Basic instructions for how to complete the drain connection for the new shower stall base are to cut the tailpiece and cement it at the ideal height. If your drain has a thick rubber gasket, damp it with soapy water and then work it around the tailpiece pipe. Finish seating it by driving it down with a blunt tool.
Drain pipes Cover
Connect the drain cover to the drain opening.
Complete Shower Framing
Frame completion wall at least 80 in. high for shower doors and drape rods. Additionally, our base was shorter than the old tub, leaving a space in between the wall and the base. We filled out the area with a 2x4 wall. Add backing where the new walls fulfill existing ones to make the connection solid and for anchoring backer board. And if you leave it short of the ceiling as we did, you can add a hassle-free integrated rack.
Copper vs. CPVC
If you're comfortable dealing with and soldering copper, by all means, go ahead and use it for your water system lines. We show CPVC plastic fittings since the setup is as easy as cutting and sealing plastic fittings, just as you finish with plastic drain and vent lines. To make the transition from copper to CPVC, utilize compression fittings as shown. You'll find all the CPVC fittings and pipelines you need at any hardware shop or home center.
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