Let's face it. Showers are the bathing choice of practically everybody. So if your restroom has actually ended up being a family traffic jam due to the fact that you do not have adequate shower stalls or the one you have is leaking, keep reading. We'll reveal you how to change a leaking base (aka shower), change a tub with a shower only or install an additional shower to handle need. Preformed shower bases have actually significantly streamlined the setup procedure. They're essentially leakproof and are significantly easier to install than standard solid mortar bases.
Still, setting a base can be challenging, especially when you're redesigning older pipes. In this article, we'll show you how to remove an old tub and replace it with a one-piece fiberglass shower base. We'll walk you through the challenging parts, initially how to relocate the drain ideal, then the needed venting. Next, we'll show how to set a rock-solid base-- one that won't crack or leak down the road. Our detailed guidelines will take you right as much as the point where the walls are ready to end up. However we won't go into those surface information here.
This is primarily a pipes project. To take it on, you ought to be familiar with fundamental pipe signing up with techniques. Primarily this involves cutting and cementing plastic pipes and fittings. Do not fret if you make errors. The materials are affordable and corrections are easily made by cutting out areas and setting up brand-new fittings and pipes.
Finishing this task-- getting the old tub out, remodeling the pipes 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 recommend that you rent a 1/2-in. right-angle drill and a 2-in. hole saw (or bit). Otherwise, fundamental plumbing tools and hand tools are all you'll need. Be sure to apply for a plumbing authorization and have an inspection done at the rough-in phase (when everything is still exposed) and after whatever is complete (wall surfaces completed, last hardware set up).
Planning the Job
Start by deciding on the size of the shower base and purchasing it. Delivery can take weeks, so do not rip anything apart until the brand-new one is in hand. If you're replacing an existing base, just get one the same size. If you're replacing a tub with a shower as we did, there are more details to think about. You'll have the fewest problems if you match the brand-new base to the old tub's width (the front of the tub to the wall). Go larger if you like, but you may have to change floor covering. Or you might violate required minimum distances from toilets and sinks. You might have to move the supply valve also. Keeping the exact same tub footprint (or smaller sized) reduces the inconveniences.
We changed a 5-ft. tub with a fairly roomy 4-ft. base the exact same width as the tub. We framed a 1-ft.- broad filler wall at the end, which is a good location to build recessed niches and racks for shower supplies.
Now's a good time to purchase a new shower valve too, particularly if your old one does not have actually heated protection, as all new ones do. It's a huge job to change a valve that fails after tile or wall panels are set up.
You'll need a variety of pipelines and fittings for installing the brand-new drain and for remodeling water lines. Select them up after you open the floor and walls. At that point, you can see what you require, prepare the brand-new drain and water supply runs and make a list of supplies. Make a sketch like Figure A to help you monitor parts.
Shower Base/Drain Particulars
Make a sketch of the project that consists of the waste, vent and supply of water. Drawing the information will help prevent prospective problems and also reduce the variety of journeys to the hardware shop.
It's also essential to note that you will not be able to enter a home center and walk out with a 4-ft.- long shower like the one we display in this project. Ask to go through the plumbing fixture books there to special-order one that fits your bath decor and spending plan. Some come with drain adapters, as ours did. You'll have to check and buy a separate shower drain kit if needed. The maker's directions will help you choose the ideal one.
There is another (but more pricey) option if you 'd like to avoid all of the extra venting and drain work. Select a shower that has the drain situated at one end, right or left, picked to match your old tub drain. Select one the exact same length as the tub and you won't even need to include filler walls. Considering that the drain position roughly matches the tub drain, you might not have to include a separate vent, eliminate and spot the floor, or reroute the drain line.
Get rid of the Wall
First, loosen the showerhead and the bathtub spout. The majority of designs will unscrew, however some will need persuasion with a pipe wrench. If you want to recycle any parts, wrap the tool jaws with a fabric to prevent damage. Then remove the deal with and blending valve escutcheon cover. The majority of deals with have a little plastic cap that pops off to expose a screw. Eliminate the screws and manage the handle and the escutcheon.
Next, strip off the tub surround. Begin by cutting entirely through the drywall around the perimeter with an utility knife. If you have cement board behind the tile, just cut through the tape joint at the ceiling and strip the entire wall. Swindle the tile and drywall together in huge portions. If you have a fiberglass surround with a flange behind the drywall, cut 2 in. outside of the enclosure and pry the sections free one at a time.
Detach the Pipes
With the wall open, disconnect the pipes and turned off the main water supply 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 gain access to, 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 out on, stuck or rusted, shut off the main supply valve, cut off the water lines and install two 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 house. Cover the ends with tape to stay out debris.
Remove the Tub
Detach the trap from the tub drain, then lift the tub free from the wall. Fiberglass and steel tubs are relatively light, so you can simply tip them up and carry them away. If framing makes it challenging to pull out, eliminated more drywall along the plumbing wall. Then you can pull the tub away from the wall before you tip it up. Cast iron tubs, on the other hand, are extremely heavy, and we advise just busting them up with a sledgehammer and carrying out the pieces. (Lay an old blanket over the tub to catch flying fragments, and use shatterproof glass for this!).
Mark the New Drain.
Snug the new shower as much as the wall studs and mark the drain hole.
Cut an Access Slot.
Put the brand-new deep shower tray aside and draw an access slot on the subfloor, roughing in the new P-trap and drain line. Make the slot about a foot broad and extend it just beyond the brand-new drain location. Keep the edges of the slot over the center of the joists any place you can to make patching easier later on. Pull any nails that fall within the cutting lines. Then set your blade depth to cut simply through the subfloor, make the cut and pry it complimentary. Make sure to make reference marks on the floor outside the slot so you can relocate the center of the drain once you eliminate the flooring.
Cut a Course for the Drain.
With the flooring and wall open, you can prepare your brand-new drain and vent lines. Revamping drain and vent lines will be slightly different with every restroom, however our pictures and Figure A will offer you the basic concept together with a take a look at the numerous fittings you may need.
The two secrets for including a drain are to ensure the horizontal lines slope 1/4 in. for every single running foot and that the P-trap opening falls straight listed below the shower drain hole. Start by determining the height of the center of the existing drain line and the range to the new drain. Cut off the old P-trap, then run the drain line to the new drain place. Drill 2-in. holes through the flooring joists for the brand-new drain line. Reference marks assistance you find the drain center later.
Remember to enable 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 essential slope. But don't drill in the lower or upper 2 in. of any joist. A lot of shower drains are developed to receive 2-in. piping, while the majority of existing tub drains pipes are 1-1/2 in. The pipes code calls for the shift to be made with a reducer straight below the shower, nowhere else.
Install the Hygienic Tee.
To run the brand-new vent, mark a section of main stack for removal utilizing 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. sanitary tee, then mark and cut the main stack. Join it to the stack with shift couplings.
Run the Vent.
If your tub didn't have a vent, you'll most likely need to include one. A regional plumbing inspector will tell you the rules (usually within 42 in. of the shower P-trap) when you request a permit. The brand-new vent need to sign up with the main vent a minimum of 6 in. above any "spill lines" (that generally means sink rims) that share the vent. If your primary stack will be plastic, cutting it is easy with a hand or reciprocating saw with an 8-in. blade. If you have cast iron, you'll need to lease a pipeline snapper to make it.
Run the vent line to the drain by drilling 2-in. holes through the studs, sloping away 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 new vent line and drain line fittings one at a time, working your method towards the P-trap. Begin sealing the parts together. If you're using PVC, hold the parts together for about 20 seconds after cementing. Otherwise, the parts will "spray" apart before the solvent treatments. Conserve the P-trap-to-drain-line connection for last. Cement it together, and quickly plumb the P-trap with a 6-in. level prior to the joint sets.
Use reference marks on the subfloor to tweak the area of the drain. Set the shower base in place to double-check the final positioning of the P-trap, inserting a brief, momentary tailpiece. When you set the shower pan permanently, step and cut an irreversible tailpiece and cement it into place. Your structure inspector will wish to see the drain and vent (and possibly the water system rough-in) before you close up the floor.
Close the Floor
Include obstructing to strengthen unsupported plywood edges and screw a patch to the framing with 1-5/8- in. screws. We added a second layer of 1/2-in. underlayment under the whole shower for a stronger floor and to much better match the finished floor height (1/2-in. backer board and tile). If you need to protect the original floor height, avoid the second layer, but include obstructing under the single-layer patch to totally support the shower base.
Mount the Mixing Valve and Renovate the Supply Lines
Unless you're preparing to reuse all of the existing supply lines and valves, merely eliminated and eliminate whatever and begin fresh. Utilize a hacksaw or a reciprocating saw.
If you've chosen a shower base that's broader than the tub, center the new mixing valve and showerhead over the base. Select a valve height that's comfortable to reach and clears any challenges, and ensure the showerhead lands either above or listed below the top edge of the shower enclosure or tile. Mount the mixing valve first, following the manufacturer's directions, 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 mixing valve. You'll require to add obstructing to support it.
There might be a threaded nipple or hole in the bottom of the blending valve for a tub spout. Make certain to cap that. After everything is together, shut off the mixing valve, switch on the water and look for leaks.
Level the Base and Mark the Studs
Level the shower base on all 4 edges, shimming where required. Mark the lip where it abuts studs. Measure, cut and cement the last tailpiece to the P-trap. Take your time. Getting the base level is important for good drainage. Mark the lip height on the studs and describe the shim places so you can raise out the base and return it to the precise position. Some bases require 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 velvety consistency. Prevent concrete mix; stones in the mix will hold the base away from the flooring. Spread the mortar over the floor under the base, about 1 in. approximately thick. Then lower the base into the wet mix, forcing it down to the shims and the stud marks. Make sure to push it against the wall. Let it cure over night. Don't utilize the base as a work platform till the next day or you'll interrupt the mortar prior to it treatments. Clamp the base lip to each stud if clamps are included with the unit. 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 might break and leakage.
Complete the Drain Connection
The brand-new shower stall base will have directions to direct you through the final drain hookup; your drain system might differ from ours. But our shower stall bases directions were to anchor the base to the studs with screws and washers and after that push the rubber gasket into location and seat it with a nut chauffeur. Fundamental directions for how to finish the drain hookup for the brand-new shower stall base are to cut the tailpiece and cement it at the right height. If your drain has a thick rubber gasket, damp it with soapy water and after that work it around the tailpiece pipeline. End up 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 curtain rods. Additionally, our base was much shorter than the old tub, leaving a void between the wall and the base. We filled in the space with a 2x4 wall. Add backing where the new walls satisfy existing ones to make the connection strong and for anchoring backer board. And if you leave it short of the ceiling as we did, you can add a convenient integrated shelf.
Copper vs. CPVC
If you're comfortable dealing with and soldering copper, by all means, go on and utilize it for your water system lines. We show CPVC plastic fittings because the installation is as simple as cutting and cementing plastic fittings, just as you finish with plastic drain and vent lines. To make the shift from copper to CPVC, use compression fittings as shown. You'll discover all the CPVC fittings and pipes you require at any hardware store or home center.
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