By Murray Anderson
Upgrading a bathroom is one of the best ways you can add value to your home. However, after you've checked out the costs of having a contractor come in to redo your bathroom, you might be looking for a less expensive alternative. While certainly not the same as a totally redone bathroom, installing a new bathtub/shower surround can give your bathroom a clean, new look at a price you can afford ($150 to $500). You can even install it one day and be showering the next.Tools and materials you'll need:
- Bathtub surround kit
- Caulking gun
- Adhesive
- Caulk (mildew resistant)
- Carpenters level
- Tape measure
- Utility knife
- Power drill and spade bits
- Allen wrenches
- Pliers, screwdriver
- Green drywall (possibly)
- Drywall compound (possibly)
Choosing a Bathtub Surround
Bathtub surrounds are readily available at your local home stores. They're made from lots of different materials - ABS or PVC plastic, thick thermal plastic and fiberglass are just some of the options. Any tub surround will do a good job of protecting your walls from water. The thicker the wall panels, the easier the kit is to work with (and of course the more expensive it is). However, since the top priced kits are in the area of $500, opting for the more expensive heavy duty unit will make your life easier since it's more stable and easier to install. You're also more likely to get some extra molded add-ons like preformed soap dishes or corner shelves.
Another consideration when choosing your kit is the number of pieces to install. Bathtub surrounds come in either three- or five-piece kits. While a three-piece kit does require less work to install, the three-piece kits don't readily accommodate bathroom walls that aren't square and plumb. So if your walls aren't plumb (and most of them aren't), a five piece kit is more adjustable and should give you a better fit. The five-piece kit contains a back wall or center piece, two corner pieces and two end pieces. The extra two pieces give you more opportunity to make allowance for out-of-square corners or out-of-plumb walls.
Finally, choose a kit that is easy to keep clean. A smooth, low gloss surface that will wipe off easily and won't show water spots or soap scum is good choice.
Preparation
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| A tub faucet handle with its cap removed, revealing the screw holding it on. |
Take off the existing plumbing fixtures in your tub. The faucet handles will likely have a cap in the center that can be pried up to reveal a screw holding it on. Simply take out the screw and pull the handle off. The tub spout itself may be held on with a small Allen screw or simply be screwed on. Feel around the underside of the spout for a small opening for the Allen screw; if you find it, insert an Allen key and undo the screw, then slide off the spout. If there is no opening, the spout is probably screwed on. Insert the handle of a pair of pliers or a screwdriver into the mouth of the spout and turn it counterclockwise to unscrew it.
Remove any loose or damaged tiles and cut out any damp or wet drywall. Replace with "green" drywall designed for use in bathrooms and damp environments. After replacing any drywall, finish it and paint it with a latex primer. The underlying surface for the tub surround needs to be level (no gaps or missing spaces where tiles used to be), so depending on the condition of your existing walls, you might be better off actually removing the existing walls totally and replacing them with new "green" drywall.
Continue to Part 2: Installing the Tub Surround >
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