How To Install Bathroom Shower Walls

Everything you need to know to install a direct to stud shower enclosure.

How to install bathroom shower walls.

Use plastic spacers between tiles to maintain uniform grout lines. In our project one wall is 31 inches and the other is 36 inches. If the wall is tiled stick in the wall anchors and hammer them to be flush with the wall. Follow the instructions included with your grab bar kit.

Measure the width of the shower walls on either side of the door. Install the backer board. Put the grab bar on the wall and tighten the screws with a screwdriver. Along the studs mark the top edge of the base on all three sides.

Dry lay the panels and measure them to see where you need to make cuts. Dry lay the panels and measure them to see where you need to make cuts. In our project one wall is 31 and the other is 36. You don t need to use a backer board in the entire bathroom just in the wet shower area.

Allow the adhesive to dry for 24 hours before applying caulk to your enclosure. Set the tile panels on the side walls with thinset the same way as for the back wall using the starter board. Set the cleaned tiles into the adhesive bed aligning the grout joints with the existing tile. Make sure that trim pieces cover any exposed holes.

Do not grout between the bottom row of tiles and the shower pan or floor. Set the tile panels on the side walls with thinset the same way as for the back wall using the starter board. Install the shower handle showerhead and tub spout according to the manufacturer s instructions. Put the back shower wall in position locking the bottom tabs into the base.

Caulk around the top of the shower the seams between panels the sides and the bottom where the walls meet the tub. If the wall is not tiled use the heaviest wood screws that will fit into the holes in the grab bar. Shower area prep dry fitting the shower making plumbing holes installing the base installing the panels caulking and sealing and finishing exposed walls. Place a piece of cardboard in the shower base to protect the finish.

Make a diagram of each wall to help you decide placement of tiles image 4. Choose a backer board that s the same thickness as the drywall so you have a seamless transition from one to the other. In our project we used white subway tiles in the field areas and green glass tile as an accent border for the shower area and walls. Before you lay the field tile determine where the accent and border tiles will go.