Master Bathroom Shower Demo/Remod.

Viper16 · 10-25-2010, 10:26 AM

I will be remodeling the Master Bathroom as we have had a tile loosen and drop in the shower. I a little history on the home, it was built in 1987 and is roughly <1500 Sq. Ft., Plenty as a first home to my wife, dog, and I. I am located in Tulsa, OK and the home is on a single floor, poured concrete foundation.

I am a 10 year aircraft mechanic, so I am mechanically inclined and have done little jobs here and there already on the home (IE. Small Repairs such as drywall, plumbing, put up crown molding, etc.), I am also somewhat efficient at replacing automobile parts (shocks/struts, brakes, spark plugs, header gaskets, oil pans gaskets, etc.). I feel pretty confident that with this forums help that I could do this to the best of my ability and come out ahead. I just have a few questions, and by all means let me know if I may be above my head.

DEMOLITION:

What is the best method to pull the cement board and the tile of the wall? Pry bar and a hammer? do you think it would come off in sheets?
The shower is in a roughly a 3x4 shower with a 8' ceiling. about 6' up the tile ends and drywall appears. I plan on taking the new tile up and enclose the shower with tile. Should I rip out that old drywall and install cement board?
Shower Pan - I want to say that this is a lead lined shower pan (did they do those back in the late 1980's?). I believe the lead has, overtime, settled in the flooring so the water collects around the outsides of the floor. What is the best method for removal of this?

INSTALL:

Shower Pan - Is a PVC Membrane Liner (40 Mil Thick) efficient enough? Do you think I will need to form the pan or will the poured concrete already be formed? I don't want to tile over existing as this could be a lead liner pan and do not want to have any leak issues in the future. I might as well do it right now then fix later.
Which process of installing cement board is easiest, walls first then ceiling? How to ensure they are plumb enough to the point it doesn't look uneven?
Should I install vapor barrier before the cement board?
When installing the mesh tape on the corners, do i thinset them in when doing tiles or before?
Shower Ceiling Light - I plan on installing a shower ceiling light with an approved shower light enclosure. Are there any special methods of installing one to prevent moisture from escaping? It should come with a gasket correct?
I plan on doing an recessed shelf for the shower toiletries. A couple of my coworkers suggested making one on the spot. Would it be a smarter move to buy a fiberglass enclosure for ~$55.00 that can be screwed in place and then mudded/tiled? I believe the already built enclosures are pitched for drainage and would be the easiest. I want opinions on this.

I should have some of the basic tools required and will borrow a tile saw (I will purchase a new blade for it). would I need a jackhammer for the shower pan? Should I invest in a decent sawzall for this project ( I could use one in future projects)?

I am sure I will have more questions as I dig deeper into the project. I am confident in my skills and believe I can do this, I just need a little helping knowledge to get me through it.

I will provide some pictures and drawings to help get a better idea on the shape and design of the bathroom.

Viper

Bud Cline · 10-25-2010, 06:26 PM

There are several books on the market that may offer some suggestions.

Viper16 · 10-28-2010, 09:30 AM

Okay I have it all demoed out. I now have a few questions that I have not seen in books or online.

I took out the curb as it was attached to the tile rather well, it was made out of concrete. So now I have an open path to the inside of the shower. Do I have to make the shower curb out of concrete or could I use 3 or 4 2x4's nailed to each other and then when it comes time to install shower pan liner, lay the liner and mortar over it with chicken wire to form a rectangle curb?

When I took out the old pan liner, they did not pre-slope on the outside of the liner, but rather laid the liner in there and then put about 1-1/2" of mortar and then pre-sloped a little bit and laid down the tile....to me this sounds wrong. The mortar was very moist to the touch and broke apart with very little effort.

Should I lay down a felt and chicken wire when doing the pre-slope?

Bud Cline · 11-02-2010, 05:20 PM

Schluter Shower Systems are probably going to be your best bet.

10-25-2010, 10:26 AM	#1
Viper16 Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 73	Master Bathroom Shower Demo/Remod. I will be remodeling the Master Bathroom as we have had a tile loosen and drop in the shower. I a little history on the home, it was built in 1987 and is roughly <1500 Sq. Ft., Plenty as a first home to my wife, dog, and I. I am located in Tulsa, OK and the home is on a single floor, poured concrete foundation. I am a 10 year aircraft mechanic, so I am mechanically inclined and have done little jobs here and there already on the home (IE. Small Repairs such as drywall, plumbing, put up crown molding, etc.), I am also somewhat efficient at replacing automobile parts (shocks/struts, brakes, spark plugs, header gaskets, oil pans gaskets, etc.). I feel pretty confident that with this forums help that I could do this to the best of my ability and come out ahead. I just have a few questions, and by all means let me know if I may be above my head. DEMOLITION: What is the best method to pull the cement board and the tile of the wall? Pry bar and a hammer? do you think it would come off in sheets? The shower is in a roughly a 3x4 shower with a 8' ceiling. about 6' up the tile ends and drywall appears. I plan on taking the new tile up and enclose the shower with tile. Should I rip out that old drywall and install cement board? Shower Pan - I want to say that this is a lead lined shower pan (did they do those back in the late 1980's?). I believe the lead has, overtime, settled in the flooring so the water collects around the outsides of the floor. What is the best method for removal of this? INSTALL: Shower Pan - Is a PVC Membrane Liner (40 Mil Thick) efficient enough? Do you think I will need to form the pan or will the poured concrete already be formed? I don't want to tile over existing as this could be a lead liner pan and do not want to have any leak issues in the future. I might as well do it right now then fix later. Which process of installing cement board is easiest, walls first then ceiling? How to ensure they are plumb enough to the point it doesn't look uneven? Should I install vapor barrier before the cement board? When installing the mesh tape on the corners, do i thinset them in when doing tiles or before? Shower Ceiling Light - I plan on installing a shower ceiling light with an approved shower light enclosure. Are there any special methods of installing one to prevent moisture from escaping? It should come with a gasket correct? I plan on doing an recessed shelf for the shower toiletries. A couple of my coworkers suggested making one on the spot. Would it be a smarter move to buy a fiberglass enclosure for ~$55.00 that can be screwed in place and then mudded/tiled? I believe the already built enclosures are pitched for drainage and would be the easiest. I want opinions on this. I should have some of the basic tools required and will borrow a tile saw (I will purchase a new blade for it). would I need a jackhammer for the shower pan? Should I invest in a decent sawzall for this project ( I could use one in future projects)? I am sure I will have more questions as I dig deeper into the project. I am confident in my skills and believe I can do this, I just need a little helping knowledge to get me through it. I will provide some pictures and drawings to help get a better idea on the shape and design of the bathroom. Viper

10-25-2010, 06:26 PM	#2
Bud Cline Tileguy Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,104	Master Bathroom Shower Demo/Remod. There are several books on the market that may offer some suggestions.

10-28-2010, 09:30 AM	#3
Viper16 Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 73	Master Bathroom Shower Demo/Remod. Okay I have it all demoed out. I now have a few questions that I have not seen in books or online. I took out the curb as it was attached to the tile rather well, it was made out of concrete. So now I have an open path to the inside of the shower. Do I have to make the shower curb out of concrete or could I use 3 or 4 2x4's nailed to each other and then when it comes time to install shower pan liner, lay the liner and mortar over it with chicken wire to form a rectangle curb? When I took out the old pan liner, they did not pre-slope on the outside of the liner, but rather laid the liner in there and then put about 1-1/2" of mortar and then pre-sloped a little bit and laid down the tile....to me this sounds wrong. The mortar was very moist to the touch and broke apart with very little effort. Should I lay down a felt and chicken wire when doing the pre-slope?

11-02-2010, 05:20 PM	#4
Bud Cline Tileguy Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,104	Master Bathroom Shower Demo/Remod. Schluter Shower Systems are probably going to be your best bet.

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Master Bathroom Shower Demo/Remod.