[klmeenan]

I was helping to take a shower door off a friends shower. Once the door was off, we started taking off the trim. My friend didn't realize that all the screws weren't out of the trim and when it was pulled off, it pulled off part of the wall. This shower is at least 20 years old. They used metal corner pieces which were totally rusted and I believe they used greenboard (which was totally soaked) for the walls.

We have decided that we are going to go down to the studs on the walls since we believe they used greenboard. We will use durock and paint on redguard.

I am just really concerned about the floor of the shower. The stud is soaked (and I am assuming needs to be replaced on each side although the other side isn't as bad) and I am sure the curb/step into the shower is soaked as well. Can I get away with doing the walls for now and going back later and doing the floor?

 

[oh'mike]

Looks like you have a nice little project there----Post a picture of the shower pan,if you can.---Mike---

 

[klmeenan]

I will be taking the tiled walls down tomorrow. In the mean time we sprayed bleach water to kill the mold/mildew (since I'm allergic to mold this seemed a wise choice). I will try to take pictures of what we see of the pan.

 

[Bud Cline]

If that shower (of that vintage) is built semi-correctly then the shower pan liner is basically an integral part of the walls. I can tell you from looking at the photos so far no more pictures are necessary. That shower is at the end of its useful life in total. There is no way to partially fix that mess. I can smell it from here.

 

[klmeenan]

Does the shower pan need to be replaced? This is on a concrete floor in the basement.

 

[Bud Cline]

You say the shower is (at least) twenty years old, you see the deterioration of the walls and substructure, and you ask does the shower pan need to be replaced.

I would say well-yowh.! Best to renew the whole thing, that would be the least expensive approach.

 

[klmeenan]

It's my first huge project. All the other things have been painting or flooring. At least I'm saving by doing it ourselves. It's going to be my mantra for my little $300.00 project blowing up in my face. To tile the walls with 12x12 only requires 67 tiles most of which I got at .58 a sq ft. Was going to do a one food band of different tiles as an accent but may have to skip that.

Shower is a corner shower so it is small.

 

[Jim F]

While you are at it, why not make the shower bigger if space allows. That's how it often goes with home improvement projects. Little ones become big ones. You want to take Bud's advice about rebuilding the whole thing. Were it my project, I would be looking for prebuilt shower base recommendations. It depends on your skill and confidence level though. I have seen some fairly novice individuals take on the task of building their own shower base with success. You've come to the right place for answers. However you go, post pictures and ask questions as you go and you should come out the other side OK.

 

[klmeenan]

These are pictures we just took. First should be from inside shower at left stud where the shower door was.
Second pic is the tight stud from inside shower. Third pic is outside the shower on the right, then outside the shower on the left. Then one from dead on.

 

[klmeenan]

There is no room to make it bigger. Shower dimensions are 14.5 on left which has the nozzles/controls, then 37.5, next 33.25 and finally 18. The door opening is 28. All in inches. Oh an height is 85 inches. There literally is no additional room. We have a toilet and our vanity is 36 width but the depth on one side is 16 oh the right where it meets the shower and 21 on the left.

 

[oh'mike]

I would re do the pan---you can see that the curb and bottom of the walls were exposed to water.

There are several ways to build that shower system---Waterproof membrane of surface applied (paint on) waterproofing.

Leaving the old curb is a bad plan---Time for a new shower---make it all new.---Mike---

 

[klmeenan]

Ugh. The first photo is behind the 18" wall on the right. The second is the 33" wall next to it. Now on to do the 2 walls that worry me the most. Bottom 2 ft of each wall peel away and crumble. Last photo shows a nail about 1/4 inch above the floor. Knew you guys were totally right when I saw the screw and no evidence of a liner. Glad the kids aren't here the smell is not pleasant. Especially since the oldest has asthma.

 

[klmeenan]

At this point were thinking Portland cement/sand, PVC liner. Quick question does the cement sand then go on again or is it something else. I know we do another layer. I'm just not sure what. We are planning on doing redgard on the durock cause the other is so much more. Trying to be cheap but thorough. Or do we do hydoban on the 1st cement mix and the durock which cuts the cost of the second layer? Hope I'm making sense.

 

[Blondesense]

Yuck!

A couple of questions to verify.

Although the floor is supposed to look like tile, that is some sort of vinyl sheeting, correct?

Is this on a slab?

It is starting to look like someone just framed a shower over a floor drain.

 

[klmeenan]

I haven't taken the curb off yet. So I don't see what's under the tile yet. And yes it is tile. I believe he did do a sloped concrete floor with no liner. He did put greenboard 1/4 above floor and he put silicone in the gap. He nailed the greenboard about 1/4 above the gap. He covered the silicone with tile.

 

[Bud Cline]

Slow down a little fireball!

Get it all torn out and let's see what you have to work with. No reason to speculate at this point. This won't be a major project. It doesn't matter now what was done before, you are getting ready to change all of that.

If that is real ceramic tile on the floor just leave it for now, you may have to remove it.

Once it has all been removed then back up and give us another photo - no close-ups right now.

 

[klmeenan]

Ok. I did not take both sides of the drywall down yet. That's Monday's task. The first picture is of the wall that has the shower faucet (although it's not in the pic someone sprayed great stuff foam around the handle). The second is the wall to the right of the faucet and the last is the wall on the right when u enter the shower.
I will also take apart the curb. At this point I don't have any tools other than basic items. Hoping to beg and borrow anything more complicated than a mitre saw, compressor and very used framing nailer/finish nailer.

 

[Bud Cline]

I guess you know you are playing with a lot of mold during that demolition. I hope you are dressing accordingly.

Long sleeves.
Face mask.
Gloves.
:yes:

I would dowse that area with some bleach-water if it were me.

 

[klmeenan]

Thanks Bud! With my allergies to dust/mold/mildew I'm pretty prepared to deal with it. I have a respirator that I got for when I tried painting with a sprayer.
Kind of hard to read and I can't find my graph paper. The top is the bathroom and I'm trying to figure out if there is any place to move the closet next to it. A girl has to have a place for her clothes!

 

[klmeenan]

Ok. The shower pan is concrete as is the curb. I purchased 5 ft liner and I already took the drain out. I am not sure of the next steps though. We have decided we just don't have the funds to do all we want so we will just fix the shower. It's liner, concrete, durock, tile? My biggest concern is the drain. I Have never messed with plumbing.