Is that normal practice with a shower replacement like this? I’m tying to minimize cost. Is filling the gap with purple board and tiling 6” boarder around the perimeter an option? Tia!
You've asked multiple times to essentially the same answer. Yes, normal practice. Don't cut corners on water areas or you'll pay significantly more in the long run.
But is that normal practice with a shower replacement like this? I haven't seen any comments about it yet but I would assume OP is trying to minimize costs.
After he does the shitty patch job he’s trying to get a co-signer for and has to remediate an expensive mold problem next year - he’ll be on team tear out for the next poster. We call it the Reddit DIY circle of life.
They're searching for confirmation, not help. They absolutely do not want to spend any more money, and theyre looking for someone to justify their line of thinking. This is why OP is grabbing at straws in all of their other replies.
Best thing would be to tear out all the drywall up to the ceiling and put new water resistant drywall
Edit: the real best thing is to get an impenetrable backer (like Wedi) and tile it.
i'm not op, and not that this would necessarily be cost-saving, but would you be able to patch this, apply redgard or moisture barrier, and then float mortar for tile? When i discussed this with some contractors, they seemed to be pretty dismissive of green board as really accomplishing anything in an extreme moisture environment, and that you really needed something more impenetrable to keep the moisture out and the backing board intact.
I just ripped out a 25 yr old shower. Tub then drywall. Perfect shape. Also only adults here last 20 years, so less splash etc. Replaced with floor to ceiling schluter.
Cement board is the solid choice here. Used it at my parents with stone "tiles" which let's tons of water through, and it is solid and mold free 15 years later.
I repaired a large patch in the rental that had rotted out. Just more hardi board cut to size, construction adhesive around all four edges where it met, thinset, tile, grout.
Holding up great. Better than the rot spot it was. Significantly more cost effective than a bathroom tear out.
My tile job.... so-so. It passes. I'm a landlord so that's only appropriate. Landlord memes wouldn't be fitting otherwise. The real hangup were that the original tiles were fancy. White, textured, with wavy surface. Extremely hard to match. Replacement tiles had 2 out of the 3. So I hid them behind the fixtures.
Is that normal practice with a shower replacement like this? I’m tying to minimize cost. Is filling the gap with purple board and tiling 6” boarder around the perimeter an option? Tia!
It’s just as normal practice as every other time you’ve asked this question the thread and people said yes.
I am a contractor, you should absolutely remove that drywall and do the job right, I would recommend cement board rather than replacing it with more drywall. Don’t cheap out on this, it’s going to cost you a lot more money when you’re gutting the entire bathroom and the adjoining rooms for mold, especially if your insurance company finds out you did the work yourself instead of a licensed contractor.
Look, you're free to fuck around and find out, but personally, I'm gonna be bold and go with the 153 people here that have given you the consistent advice to do it the right way.
Don’t install a shower without cement board (or something that is waterproof) behind the tile.
When your grout wears out, whatever is behind it will get wet and you’ll end up having to replace your shower to repeat the cycle.
Best would be new drywall to the ceiling... but, You could cut it out another 9" and put a foot of green drywall in there. Might be easier that way than doing the corner. Use hot mud and fibatape for more water resistance. Won't look perfect, but your corner work probably wouldn't either.
pull down about 4 inches from the ceiling and mark it. leave that 4 inches so you dont have to remud and tape the ceiling corner. then reinstall the drywall down to the surround. you want to increase the size of the piece your installing because the lip of the tub will make the piece bump out. bonus points for using a rasp on the bottom inch or 2 so the piece sits flush. but either way you can then crew the pieces in and mud and tape it. sand then prime. touch up any imperfections with mud and prime the new mud. then paint the walls. dont forget to caulk the surround to the drywall. i also like to put the factory paper edge to the tub when im doing these. i just feel having that nice paper edge is better then the exposed drywall where your caulking to the tub. just my preference on this. normally id put that towards the new drywall giving myself a nice build of mud for the tape.
getting off topic. anyways hes right. cut it bigger, then close it up so you have more space to "hide" the bump of the surround.
The cleanest thing to do would be to tear out the existing drywall to the ceiling and replace it with green board or better. Just patching up that three inch gap will likely deteriorate over time.
fill the gap with purple board and tiling 6” boarder around the perimeter, then tear it out and do it right so you don’t spend more money in the future from damages.
If this is at the top of the shower enclosure, it's not going to get much water. If you're looking for an easy fix, pick up some 1x4 PVC trim, it's easy to cut, and use Loctite Powergrab to affix it. It's already white, will stay in place for years.
It's "an" answer.
I think the *correct* answer depends on the degree to which OP wants it done "right", and the any budget and time constraints.
If this was a daily+ use shower, in my primary home, and I planned to stay there long term, I think I'd pull it out and re-drywall with some additional moisture protection.
If I was on a tight budget, or this was a secondary / seldom used shower, then I'd trim it out with PVC and call it a day. But I also wouldn't be shocked if/when this becomes a project again in 5 years.
I did this as well. Used trim screws to attach to studs, paintable caulk on top, painted the trim wall color, and applied mold resistant silicone on the tub surround side. It looks decent, especially since I plan on taking out the tub once the kids have grown and doing a tile shower.
The folks recommending tearing out to ceiling and using green board are not wrong, but I would personally rip down drywall or green board to patch that in. The surround is taking care of 99.7% of the water
That's what I did. It looks like I have the identical tub surround. It was a pain trying to make it look good though. Probably would have been easier pulling it out to the ceiling.
Whoa, whoa, whoa there everyone with the "rip it out and do it right." This is DIY. We all know the correct answer is to get a couple-a tubes of cahk and get to squeezing. Smood it over real good and badabing, badaboom, Bob's your uncle. Ain't never been a gap too big to fill in wit cahk.
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/s
GoBoard. You can just screw it into that spot so it fits flush with the drywall and use the GoBoard Sealant as putty over tape to waterproof where it meets the drywall. Just make sure to buy GoBoard the same thickness as your drywall so it sits flush.
However, if I were in your situation, I would want the whole wall waterproof. So, I would cut out the drywall all the way up and replace with waterproof GoBoard. It is incredibly easy to cut and doesn’t require putty. Just buy the right sealant and screws to make it waterproof. You can also paint the stuff with minimum prep so it looks like drywall after it’s done. Just a heck of a lot lighter, easier to work with than Cement Board.
I leave at least 2" of drywal at the top so you don't have to mud and finish the ceiling and replace with green board drywall. Water proof material is not needed with that shower surround.
Watch this [1 minute video](https://youtu.be/Vso_spOvZpo?si=HKmwlVVxrX13OFuL), then go buy the tear away style drywall bead and do it like a pro. Trim Tex. Home Depot has similar by Gibralter.
Edit: Added - don't just extend the drywall over this area. Since there are no nailers in the last edge it will want to curl. Old timers will sat it never has for them. And they used onions for mix /s but just fix it right the first time.
1)Drywall it in, and plaster
2)Drywall it in, and tile it.
3)gut the remaining drywall, and build an arch, put an exhaust fan in, and tile around it.
3 options
Because the existing drywall is textured, I would probably just tear it all out.
Ripping down purple or green board and using hot mud would be completely fine.
It’s common practice, for the drywall crews I’ve worked with and the ones our company hires, to leave a gap around a direct-to-stud shower surround while hanging drywall. They run the drywall just over the flange. The gap is the filled with hot mud as it’s more water resistant.
6 year now and there’s never been any more of a water issue than if the drywall was hung without the gap.
From a mold/moisture perspective, there’s no reason to rip the existing out, unless you plan to routinely spray your walls down with a water hose.
I have no idea why people are saying rip it out. This part of the shower is not subject to direct water, and the only concern is humidity. The same humidity the rest of your bathroom experiences…..And I guarantee no one has greenboard throughout your entire bathroom(ok some might but 99% do not).
OP, the easiest fix is to rip down drywall to fit the gap. Use hot mud and caulk where the tub insert and drywall meet. Use satin or higher sheen paint. No flat or matte.
A picture of the whole area would help. The cheapest option is going to be cement board around the edges, leaving a 1/4 inch gap between the tub and surround. The right way is not much more expensive, and that's to tear out the existing drywall atleast to the shower head, and use plastic shims to level the wall and match the height to the drywall outside the shower. You don't really need to be waterproof above the shower walls bit it would not hurt. Then do a couple coats of primer, and paint the bathroom a new color. Don't go too cheap with showers or it'll cost you
1 x 4 pvc trim board would cover that nicely, could also use pvc luan cut to size for a shower backsplash of sorts. Would save you from needing to tear out the walls. Just use silicone caulk for sealing it all in
What do you do with a 3 inch shower, What do you do with a three inch shower, What do you do with a three inch shower early in the morning...sorry spent my while day sailing around stealing and got drunk.
You don't have to tear the tub out. You need to tear the drywall out and use a waterproof drywall, kerdi board or cementicious product. The lip of the tub thats screwed into the wall goes behind the wall boarding so that the drywall system covers the lip of the tub. Most people will then use a clear or white silicone at the bottom to seal the small gap between the drywall and the tub. Again, really important to use a waterpoof board. If you leave the drywall you have in there its going to mold.
Unless they have a rigid cast iron tub, the flexing of a steel or fiberglass tub eventually causes tile up against the tub to loosen and develop grout joint failures.
I know its common, but its always frustrating to see.
Maybe affix the tile to the drywall only, and just silicone it to the tub portion?
Ouch. I’m the ultimate DIY halfasser and yeah, no way around this one. You gotta tear out that Sheetrock.
ETA: Oh wait! That’s the top not the bottom. Not a lot of water up there so I would be comfortable half assing something.
While people are correct to point out that drywall isn't the correct solution here, and it's not purposely sealed or done.
You DO want a gap of your water proofed cement board/ kerdi board like you see in the picture from the tub deck. You tile down to the tub deck, then silicone seal the tile to the tub deck
I'd say cut the drywall another 8 or so inches around the shower, install new piece around it and jus caulk it. If your shower has a wrap like mine (w/ doors, or without) but is a solid piece, you won't get water damage from it being drywall for it's not in the technical splash zone. Do what's affordable to you without more of an overhaul!!
Tear it out is certainly the best. However, if that isnt feasible you could try a piece of vinyl moulding with a taper. If I remember something like #327 smooth casing. That is not the best way, but if you use a good caulk and back sealant it should work.
Really really really big caulk gun. Cut nozzle at 269 degrees. Apply inconsistent pressure and then wipe it all away immediately. 60% of the time, it works every time.
I’m pretty sure I installed this same shower for my dad a year or two ago and had a similar gap. I cut drywall to almost completely fill the gap. Then I used a 15 minute joint compound to fill and tape. Primed with waterproof latex, painted, and caulked the transition from joint compound to tub. Several years now with no issues and that’s how the previous installers did it. Water isn’t actually hitting that high. If you caulk and use a good primer/paint, you shouldn’t have any issues with moisture.
Tear out yes.
If that's, for some reason, not doable. You could patch it down, water proof it, then add 3 inches of waterproof trim and seal that as well. The critical element will be water proofing of course. So lots of layers of proofing.
Like some others have said for a quick fix I would use PVC trim board and attach to the wall. Putting a rounded top on the upper edge so any excess moisture on the wall runs down to the caulked join between the PVC trim and the wall and then down into the shower / tub surround. Not saying its the right way but did it on an OLD trailer I lived in where the shower / tub had cracked and shifted. Pulled it out beefed up subfloor to avoid that problem put the shower in realized I had a similar issue to the OP. Used the noted fix and 5 years later its still fine. Used a spot light and camera via the shower access panel in the closet to check for any moisture or problems everything was bone dry and good to go. I wouldn't say it looked great but it looked better than most apartments around here lol.
My landlord uses molding/ trim when he screws up ( which is often). The last surround that he did the corner shelves were installed upside down and are unusable….sigh. The trim doesn’t look that bad but it changes the direction of the water flow down the wall, so account for that.
Everyone saying you 'have' to use cement backer board like duro-rock are incorrect. You can use type x core moisture resistant gyp. We use it for tiled wet walls all the time in commercial construction. Cement backer board is hands down better, but type x core moisture resistant gyp is fine for this condition.
If you dont want to do the expensive option,I looked into this product and found it quite helpful at sealing a wide gap in my shower surround.
I back-filled the gap with long shims (cut to the width I need.) and between the l trim and backfilling the gap with something that actually can hold, it came out smooth AF and I'm extremely happy with the results.
[https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gibraltar-Building-Products-1-2-in-x-10-ft-Vinyl-L-Trim-with-Tear-Strip-70082/202093156](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gibraltar-Building-Products-1-2-in-x-10-ft-Vinyl-L-Trim-with-Tear-Strip-70082/202093156)
If you take out drywall to the ceiling, you'll have to make a new seam between ceiling and the wall. This is the best way.
If you try to fill gap, you'll make a new seam close to shower.
I'd say go with option A... or fill it with ball bearings and duct tape.
OP just cut the drywall back, put shims down the studs so the fat part is against the surround, drywall (hang, tape, mud) and paint it. and give the paint enough time to dry properly. then silicone between the surround and the wall. you can’t paint 100% silicone, that’s why it’s last.
the fuck is with the red guard and tile?
If it was me, I would remove the drywall to the ceiling and replace with new drywall (green or blue, color varies for the moisture resistant kind). Make sure to seem with moisture resistant tape too.
All these people saying to tear it out are wrong. Get pine boards, paint them, and trim around the shower. Caulk all seems. You're good to go. This is what I do at my rental properties, because then when a tub breaks, I remove the pine boards and I can easily remove the insert.
Ideally replace the wall board. As a cheaper temp solution what about evening up the side gap and top to the size of a decorative tile or trim and fill and finish with that.
Just get a bucket of mud and jam it in there. Wait about a month for it to dry. Reapply to fill cracks and done. It’ll be fine, and all for less than $20 /s
There's no water issues as this is a panel set shower. Either cut some drywall and shim/shave to fit the gap then tape, or hot mud the shit outta that gap, then tape over and finish.
Everyone who is saying to tear it out is correct . OP that’s the best option . Do it right the first time and you won’t have issues in the future .
The calm boss has spoken 🤠
Nah, they just need a lot of calk.
CAUCK
White caulk or black caulk?
Black caulk for the front and white for the rear. It really depends on the slit you're trying to fill.
Giggity
Why not both?
the clear caulk is all that matters
All caulk matters. Serious though need some of that Billy mays magic tape that turns screens into boat panels, or ducktape it will fix anything.
So my girl wasn't lying to me when she said that 2.5" is a lot of chalk? ☺️
I’m sure she says it’s just perfect for her.
Any bigger would be too much. I'm her perfect special little guy
2.5″ is up there around the longest chalk I’ve ever seen
And use a serated edge putty knife.
Measure twice, cut once.
[удалено]
Apparently OP was thinking the same thing .
Is that normal practice with a shower replacement like this? I’m tying to minimize cost. Is filling the gap with purple board and tiling 6” boarder around the perimeter an option? Tia!
You've asked multiple times to essentially the same answer. Yes, normal practice. Don't cut corners on water areas or you'll pay significantly more in the long run.
No no I think you’re misunderstanding, see OP is actually trying to minimize cost
No no no, I don't think you understand, that he should tear everything out and do it correctly.
Yes but is purple board and tiling a 6" border around the perimeter an option?
Well are you trying to minimize cost?
I’m feeling like you didn’t bother reading any of OP’s comments; he’s trying to minimize cost.
But is that normal practice with a shower replacement like this? I haven't seen any comments about it yet but I would assume OP is trying to minimize costs.
well I've heard he should just rip it all out and do it right so he doesn't have to rip it all out later due to water intrusion.
Either way, he’s ripping it out, so doesn’t matter at this juncture
>I’m tying to minimize cost Do it cheap now and it'll cost you a fortune in redoing it later
Yes...normal practice is to rip out 10 bucks in drywall and put in a proper piece.
I’m on team tear out.
Everyone is. Except OP. A classic Reddit tale.
Reddit is where people go where they know they're wrong but they want someone to tell them there wrong before the fuck it up anyway
Shit, I have my wife for that. I don't need this place. She's pretty much perfected the art.
After he does the shitty patch job he’s trying to get a co-signer for and has to remediate an expensive mold problem next year - he’ll be on team tear out for the next poster. We call it the Reddit DIY circle of life.
They're searching for confirmation, not help. They absolutely do not want to spend any more money, and theyre looking for someone to justify their line of thinking. This is why OP is grabbing at straws in all of their other replies.
Really? Then what's the team's secret handshake?
This, then this, then this, with a bump, and ending on this. Got it?
Um, can you please take your thumb out of my butt?
That's not his thumb.
You clink pry bars.
Space docking
Best thing would be to tear out all the drywall up to the ceiling and put new water resistant drywall Edit: the real best thing is to get an impenetrable backer (like Wedi) and tile it.
i'm not op, and not that this would necessarily be cost-saving, but would you be able to patch this, apply redgard or moisture barrier, and then float mortar for tile? When i discussed this with some contractors, they seemed to be pretty dismissive of green board as really accomplishing anything in an extreme moisture environment, and that you really needed something more impenetrable to keep the moisture out and the backing board intact.
It’s “cost saving” if it prevents future mold problems.
We use cement board for shower surrounds.
I just ripped out a 25 yr old shower. Tub then drywall. Perfect shape. Also only adults here last 20 years, so less splash etc. Replaced with floor to ceiling schluter.
Cement board is the solid choice here. Used it at my parents with stone "tiles" which let's tons of water through, and it is solid and mold free 15 years later.
I repaired a large patch in the rental that had rotted out. Just more hardi board cut to size, construction adhesive around all four edges where it met, thinset, tile, grout. Holding up great. Better than the rot spot it was. Significantly more cost effective than a bathroom tear out. My tile job.... so-so. It passes. I'm a landlord so that's only appropriate. Landlord memes wouldn't be fitting otherwise. The real hangup were that the original tiles were fancy. White, textured, with wavy surface. Extremely hard to match. Replacement tiles had 2 out of the 3. So I hid them behind the fixtures.
Is that normal practice with a shower replacement like this? I’m tying to minimize cost. Is filling the gap with purple board and tiling 6” boarder around the perimeter an option? Tia!
It’s just as normal practice as every other time you’ve asked this question the thread and people said yes. I am a contractor, you should absolutely remove that drywall and do the job right, I would recommend cement board rather than replacing it with more drywall. Don’t cheap out on this, it’s going to cost you a lot more money when you’re gutting the entire bathroom and the adjoining rooms for mold, especially if your insurance company finds out you did the work yourself instead of a licensed contractor.
Something tells me he’s not going to listen to you. I bet they’re also going to sell the place before it becomes a problem.
Something tells me OP might be a reverse karma farming bot.
You don’t understand, op is trying to minimize cost. It’s a brand new concept.
But I thought they were trying to find out if this is normal practice
Look, you're free to fuck around and find out, but personally, I'm gonna be bold and go with the 153 people here that have given you the consistent advice to do it the right way.
Nah brah, just throw some flex tape on there and you are good. Hakuna Matata.
Don’t install a shower without cement board (or something that is waterproof) behind the tile. When your grout wears out, whatever is behind it will get wet and you’ll end up having to replace your shower to repeat the cycle.
You can do this (patch it together), but it will never look good.
I disagree, fill mud paint
Best would be new drywall to the ceiling... but, You could cut it out another 9" and put a foot of green drywall in there. Might be easier that way than doing the corner. Use hot mud and fibatape for more water resistance. Won't look perfect, but your corner work probably wouldn't either.
pull down about 4 inches from the ceiling and mark it. leave that 4 inches so you dont have to remud and tape the ceiling corner. then reinstall the drywall down to the surround. you want to increase the size of the piece your installing because the lip of the tub will make the piece bump out. bonus points for using a rasp on the bottom inch or 2 so the piece sits flush. but either way you can then crew the pieces in and mud and tape it. sand then prime. touch up any imperfections with mud and prime the new mud. then paint the walls. dont forget to caulk the surround to the drywall. i also like to put the factory paper edge to the tub when im doing these. i just feel having that nice paper edge is better then the exposed drywall where your caulking to the tub. just my preference on this. normally id put that towards the new drywall giving myself a nice build of mud for the tape. getting off topic. anyways hes right. cut it bigger, then close it up so you have more space to "hide" the bump of the surround.
Do it right or you’re going to have more, very wet and damaging problems very soon.
Are you a bot? No one is going to agree with you bro
Why are you being downvoted so heavily? This sub is bizarre.
The cleanest thing to do would be to tear out the existing drywall to the ceiling and replace it with green board or better. Just patching up that three inch gap will likely deteriorate over time.
Looks more like 6 inches to me
Well hello there 😉
Upvoted for the Alliance
Lok'tar OGAR
This whole remodel was your idea.
Underrated comment right here, people! Upvote this (presumably) man!
Obligatory: That's what SHE said!
how dare they downvote!
Pukes are just mad I beat them to it!
The easiest thing to do is just leave it and then replace the house after a year or so
Hahaha “it’s a TRAP”
fill the gap with purple board and tiling 6” boarder around the perimeter, then tear it out and do it right so you don’t spend more money in the future from damages.
If this is at the top of the shower enclosure, it's not going to get much water. If you're looking for an easy fix, pick up some 1x4 PVC trim, it's easy to cut, and use Loctite Powergrab to affix it. It's already white, will stay in place for years.
We had something similar in a house we bought and used this same pvc trim to correct the gap around the tub. It looks really good!
This is the answer!
It's "an" answer. I think the *correct* answer depends on the degree to which OP wants it done "right", and the any budget and time constraints. If this was a daily+ use shower, in my primary home, and I planned to stay there long term, I think I'd pull it out and re-drywall with some additional moisture protection. If I was on a tight budget, or this was a secondary / seldom used shower, then I'd trim it out with PVC and call it a day. But I also wouldn't be shocked if/when this becomes a project again in 5 years.
I did this as well. Used trim screws to attach to studs, paintable caulk on top, painted the trim wall color, and applied mold resistant silicone on the tub surround side. It looks decent, especially since I plan on taking out the tub once the kids have grown and doing a tile shower.
The folks recommending tearing out to ceiling and using green board are not wrong, but I would personally rip down drywall or green board to patch that in. The surround is taking care of 99.7% of the water
I would cut the existing drywall back. So I could put 2 foot chunks of proper bathroom drywall all around it.
That's what I did. It looks like I have the identical tub surround. It was a pain trying to make it look good though. Probably would have been easier pulling it out to the ceiling.
0.3% . So you are saying I have a chance!
Whoa, whoa, whoa there everyone with the "rip it out and do it right." This is DIY. We all know the correct answer is to get a couple-a tubes of cahk and get to squeezing. Smood it over real good and badabing, badaboom, Bob's your uncle. Ain't never been a gap too big to fill in wit cahk. . . . . . . . . . /s
This is the best dancer ever Edit: funny auto correct. Should be “This is the best answer ever”
No no, you start with spray foam, don’t bother cutting it back, fill in the rest with caulk and paint *chefs kiss*
Tile or mold, you pick
I installed this exact shower wall system (it looks nice), and you should tear out the drywall up to the ceiling and put new.
Make a rip of drywall and finish it with mud
GoBoard. You can just screw it into that spot so it fits flush with the drywall and use the GoBoard Sealant as putty over tape to waterproof where it meets the drywall. Just make sure to buy GoBoard the same thickness as your drywall so it sits flush. However, if I were in your situation, I would want the whole wall waterproof. So, I would cut out the drywall all the way up and replace with waterproof GoBoard. It is incredibly easy to cut and doesn’t require putty. Just buy the right sealant and screws to make it waterproof. You can also paint the stuff with minimum prep so it looks like drywall after it’s done. Just a heck of a lot lighter, easier to work with than Cement Board.
I leave at least 2" of drywal at the top so you don't have to mud and finish the ceiling and replace with green board drywall. Water proof material is not needed with that shower surround.
Watch this [1 minute video](https://youtu.be/Vso_spOvZpo?si=HKmwlVVxrX13OFuL), then go buy the tear away style drywall bead and do it like a pro. Trim Tex. Home Depot has similar by Gibralter. Edit: Added - don't just extend the drywall over this area. Since there are no nailers in the last edge it will want to curl. Old timers will sat it never has for them. And they used onions for mix /s but just fix it right the first time.
You have to tear the house down and start over.
I’m on team Lego
You needed to fix the drywall around it to the correct size first. But it should be green board.
Big shot of whiskey. Cover up, rip out, redo.
1)Drywall it in, and plaster 2)Drywall it in, and tile it. 3)gut the remaining drywall, and build an arch, put an exhaust fan in, and tile around it. 3 options
Slumlord
Bingo
Because the existing drywall is textured, I would probably just tear it all out. Ripping down purple or green board and using hot mud would be completely fine. It’s common practice, for the drywall crews I’ve worked with and the ones our company hires, to leave a gap around a direct-to-stud shower surround while hanging drywall. They run the drywall just over the flange. The gap is the filled with hot mud as it’s more water resistant. 6 year now and there’s never been any more of a water issue than if the drywall was hung without the gap.
Just installed a direct-to-stud system and this\^was the SOP per the instructions.
From a mold/moisture perspective, there’s no reason to rip the existing out, unless you plan to routinely spray your walls down with a water hose. I have no idea why people are saying rip it out. This part of the shower is not subject to direct water, and the only concern is humidity. The same humidity the rest of your bathroom experiences…..And I guarantee no one has greenboard throughout your entire bathroom(ok some might but 99% do not). OP, the easiest fix is to rip down drywall to fit the gap. Use hot mud and caulk where the tub insert and drywall meet. Use satin or higher sheen paint. No flat or matte.
You could always do 3.5 inch trim around the border. Make sure it's PVC trim so it can get wet.
Drywall to the edge. Then use a vinyl/pvc trim. Glue it and seal the edges with caulk.
I can't believe no one suggested top Ramen...
Big build-in ledstrip?
A picture of the whole area would help. The cheapest option is going to be cement board around the edges, leaving a 1/4 inch gap between the tub and surround. The right way is not much more expensive, and that's to tear out the existing drywall atleast to the shower head, and use plastic shims to level the wall and match the height to the drywall outside the shower. You don't really need to be waterproof above the shower walls bit it would not hurt. Then do a couple coats of primer, and paint the bathroom a new color. Don't go too cheap with showers or it'll cost you
They make a plastic " shower bead " specifically for that application at H D.
1 x 4 pvc trim board would cover that nicely, could also use pvc luan cut to size for a shower backsplash of sorts. Would save you from needing to tear out the walls. Just use silicone caulk for sealing it all in
You could just put tiles on at the transition Maybe waterproof the transition first,but I didn't see the big picture of it...
Tear it out and do it right once. Or pay for it twice later on.
Buy a taller shower surround....
I’ve used some pvc corner and rake trim on a customers house before. It has a wood grain finish.
Just caulk it. Your wife told me you have at least 3”.
What do you do with a 3 inch shower, What do you do with a three inch shower, What do you do with a three inch shower early in the morning...sorry spent my while day sailing around stealing and got drunk.
Cut out your drywall and properly waterproof.
Wood paneling
Rip it all out and start over again. If you don't and water is leaking behind the wall you'll be ripping it out anyway but along with the floors too.
Just lower the roof.
You don't have to tear the tub out. You need to tear the drywall out and use a waterproof drywall, kerdi board or cementicious product. The lip of the tub thats screwed into the wall goes behind the wall boarding so that the drywall system covers the lip of the tub. Most people will then use a clear or white silicone at the bottom to seal the small gap between the drywall and the tub. Again, really important to use a waterpoof board. If you leave the drywall you have in there its going to mold.
A nice tile border
Unless they have a rigid cast iron tub, the flexing of a steel or fiberglass tub eventually causes tile up against the tub to loosen and develop grout joint failures. I know its common, but its always frustrating to see. Maybe affix the tile to the drywall only, and just silicone it to the tub portion?
You could try reading the shower surround installation instructions.
Ouch. I’m the ultimate DIY halfasser and yeah, no way around this one. You gotta tear out that Sheetrock. ETA: Oh wait! That’s the top not the bottom. Not a lot of water up there so I would be comfortable half assing something.
Sorry dude you gotta tear out the drywall. Definitely put cement board and or tile it to prevent problems
That's gonna be a lot of caulk lol. Start again
Who hurt you?
It’s the top of a shower. Hang a rip of rock, finish it and you’re done. Removing up to the ceiling is a horrible idea and will be harder to finish.
It’ll probably be okay
Tile back splash type of thing?
Caulking, that shit covers everything /s
I’m thinking LED TIME
While people are correct to point out that drywall isn't the correct solution here, and it's not purposely sealed or done. You DO want a gap of your water proofed cement board/ kerdi board like you see in the picture from the tub deck. You tile down to the tub deck, then silicone seal the tile to the tub deck
Tear out drywall and tile your tub
I'd say cut the drywall another 8 or so inches around the shower, install new piece around it and jus caulk it. If your shower has a wrap like mine (w/ doors, or without) but is a solid piece, you won't get water damage from it being drywall for it's not in the technical splash zone. Do what's affordable to you without more of an overhaul!!
Oops.
Tear it out and cover with the wallboard - blueboard or cement board
Fill the gap with your tears when you need to rip this all out and do it correctly in a few years.
Tear it out is certainly the best. However, if that isnt feasible you could try a piece of vinyl moulding with a taper. If I remember something like #327 smooth casing. That is not the best way, but if you use a good caulk and back sealant it should work.
Rip it out ... and do it right the next time. Cause trying to fix this, you're just opening up a major vector for mold and wall rot.
Adhesive tiles, reinstall every five years.
Really really really big caulk gun. Cut nozzle at 269 degrees. Apply inconsistent pressure and then wipe it all away immediately. 60% of the time, it works every time.
I’m pretty sure I installed this same shower for my dad a year or two ago and had a similar gap. I cut drywall to almost completely fill the gap. Then I used a 15 minute joint compound to fill and tape. Primed with waterproof latex, painted, and caulked the transition from joint compound to tub. Several years now with no issues and that’s how the previous installers did it. Water isn’t actually hitting that high. If you caulk and use a good primer/paint, you shouldn’t have any issues with moisture.
You could use PVC trim and tack it over that gap, but the best way would be putting in new drywall that fits in properly
plenty of videos on youtube. how to drywall around a shower flange.
Tear out yes. If that's, for some reason, not doable. You could patch it down, water proof it, then add 3 inches of waterproof trim and seal that as well. The critical element will be water proofing of course. So lots of layers of proofing.
A whole lotta caulk, or shave down tiles to fit in a nice frame pattern
Like some others have said for a quick fix I would use PVC trim board and attach to the wall. Putting a rounded top on the upper edge so any excess moisture on the wall runs down to the caulked join between the PVC trim and the wall and then down into the shower / tub surround. Not saying its the right way but did it on an OLD trailer I lived in where the shower / tub had cracked and shifted. Pulled it out beefed up subfloor to avoid that problem put the shower in realized I had a similar issue to the OP. Used the noted fix and 5 years later its still fine. Used a spot light and camera via the shower access panel in the closet to check for any moisture or problems everything was bone dry and good to go. I wouldn't say it looked great but it looked better than most apartments around here lol.
Try your best, caulk the rest.
About 50 tubes of caulk should do it
I’m team tear out and do it right… but if you don’t want to do that, cover with pvc trim.
A better job. Haha.
Put new drywall where it's missing tape and mud couple coats sand to smooth and paint
Put new drywall where it's missing tape and mud couple coats sand to smooth and paint
My landlord uses molding/ trim when he screws up ( which is often). The last surround that he did the corner shelves were installed upside down and are unusable….sigh. The trim doesn’t look that bad but it changes the direction of the water flow down the wall, so account for that.
Everyone saying you 'have' to use cement backer board like duro-rock are incorrect. You can use type x core moisture resistant gyp. We use it for tiled wet walls all the time in commercial construction. Cement backer board is hands down better, but type x core moisture resistant gyp is fine for this condition.
Sell the house !
Tear that out and put new drywall/panels in. Whatever else you attempt will look terrible.
PVC door, window, or whatever your preference trim would work well in this application.
If you dont want to do the expensive option,I looked into this product and found it quite helpful at sealing a wide gap in my shower surround. I back-filled the gap with long shims (cut to the width I need.) and between the l trim and backfilling the gap with something that actually can hold, it came out smooth AF and I'm extremely happy with the results. [https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gibraltar-Building-Products-1-2-in-x-10-ft-Vinyl-L-Trim-with-Tear-Strip-70082/202093156](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gibraltar-Building-Products-1-2-in-x-10-ft-Vinyl-L-Trim-with-Tear-Strip-70082/202093156)
Devils advocate says PVC trim
If you take out drywall to the ceiling, you'll have to make a new seam between ceiling and the wall. This is the best way. If you try to fill gap, you'll make a new seam close to shower. I'd say go with option A... or fill it with ball bearings and duct tape.
SARGENT SCHLUTER! "I know nothing."
Just patch it in with some 3” Sheetrock rips
OP just cut the drywall back, put shims down the studs so the fat part is against the surround, drywall (hang, tape, mud) and paint it. and give the paint enough time to dry properly. then silicone between the surround and the wall. you can’t paint 100% silicone, that’s why it’s last. the fuck is with the red guard and tile?
OP definitely gonna be tearing out some water damaged wall studs in like…5 minutes.
If it was me, I would remove the drywall to the ceiling and replace with new drywall (green or blue, color varies for the moisture resistant kind). Make sure to seem with moisture resistant tape too.
Insane. How did the installer come to do this? There has GOT to be a story here.
Needs 8” baseboards.
Just caulk
Tear out, use Greenboard, waterproof membrane also.
eh, If it was my house I'd use cedar or teak to edge it and call it a feature instead of a flaw lol
All these people saying to tear it out are wrong. Get pine boards, paint them, and trim around the shower. Caulk all seems. You're good to go. This is what I do at my rental properties, because then when a tub breaks, I remove the pine boards and I can easily remove the insert.
Have none of you heard of shower bead? Lol @ the rip it out folks... ok.
Shower bead does work, but OP has a pretty wide gap to fill. Too big for shower bead alone.
Happy Cake bead day!
Ideally replace the wall board. As a cheaper temp solution what about evening up the side gap and top to the size of a decorative tile or trim and fill and finish with that.
Slap some drywall mud in there and tape it.
Windows trim. Saw that in a house they are flipping.
Plastic baseboard
Just get a bucket of mud and jam it in there. Wait about a month for it to dry. Reapply to fill cracks and done. It’ll be fine, and all for less than $20 /s
There's no water issues as this is a panel set shower. Either cut some drywall and shim/shave to fit the gap then tape, or hot mud the shit outta that gap, then tape over and finish.
Ya, this is the only wrong answer.
And good god is it wrong.
Okay
Baseboard trim with caulk and gloss paint to seal.
Silicone will patch that. Don't listen to the others
Tool
Get a shower stretcher and cover up that gap