 |
Bath
Remodel:
Installing A Neo-Angle
Shower Part 2
-
The Surround
|
| In
This Article:
The plastic shower surround
is glued to the walls, the shower faucet installation is
completed, and the joints are caulked. |
Related
Articles:
|
| Skill Level:
3 (Moderate) |
Time Taken:
1.5 Hours |
By
Bruce W.
Maki, Editor
This article describes the process of installing the plastic
shower surround, completing the installation of the shower faucet,
and caulking the gaps.
 |
The moisture-resistant drywall had been
installed, finished and given two coats of quality latex
primer. |
| I laid out the bottom channel of the glass
enclosure to see where the ends would lie. |
 |
 |
I marked the location of the channel on the
base, and then I drew a vertical line on the wall, about
1/4" to the right. This will serve as a guide for the
installation of the wall surround material. |
| I cleared a section of floor and laid down one
of the two sheets of plastic that came with the shower
assembly. |
 |
 |
I drilled a 4-1/2" hole for the faucet
cut-out. As careful as I was, I managed to drill this
incorrectly. You know the drill... measure twice, cut once. |
| I applied Liquid Nails For Tub Surrounds to the
wall, only in the area that will be covered by the sheet of
plastic. |
 |
 |
The plastic sheet was stuck to the wall... and
then peeled back off. The instructions on the tube of Liquid
Nails recommend this for faster drying. When the sheet is
peeled back there are thin strands of glue that dry very
quickly, so after a couple of minutes the sheet can be pushed
back in place and then it is stuck permanently. |
| The edges of the plastic sheet are hard to
discern in this photo. Note the hole around the shower faucet
is a little off-center. This small mistake caused no problems.
Whew! |
 |
 |
The adhesive was applied for the second side. |
| After applying the sheet and peeling it away,
notice how the glue spreads out and spreads thinly. A minute
or two of exposure to air will make this glue dry much
quicker. |
 |
 |
The corner section was glued to the wall, peeled
back off, and then the release paper was removed from the
self-adhesive strips along the edges. Then the corner was put
back in place and pressed firmly to make the adhesive hold
well.
That completed the installation of the plastic shower
surround. |
Completing The Shower Faucet:
| The Moen shower faucet had been installed and
tested weeks earlier during the plumbing rough-in phase. |
 |
 |
A plastic insert and metal trim piece were
slipped over shaft. The teeth or notches on the inside of the
plastic piece are for a special anti-scald feature that allows
the homeowner to prevent a faucet from delivering purely hot
water. |
| The outer face plate was installed over the
shaft trim. |
 |
 |
The edge of the shower surround corner segment
interfered with the face plate, so I used a sharp knife to
carefully cut the plastic surround. |
| Two screws were installed to attach the face
plate to the faucet valve body. |
 |
 |
This metal-and-plastic assembly was inserted
into the shaft. Notice the fine teeth. By adjusting the
position of this piece, the homeowner can make the valve
handle hit the end of it's travel before the valve is opened
to full hot. This reduces the shower's water temperature to
something below the water heater's temperature. |
| The handle was installed. |
 |
 |
There is a small threaded hole in the underside
of the handle. A set screw inside this hole clamps the
handle to the metal bracket on the shaft. |
| The set screw is installed with an Allen wrench
that is supplied with the faucet.
This completes the faucet installation.
|
 |
The Shower Head Outlet:
 |
This dead-end pipe was installed during rough
plumbing. |
| The pipe was removed with a pipe wrench. |
 |
 |
The shower elbow pipe was installed. Pipe thread
compound was applied to the threads. |
| The elbow is carefully turned with a pipe
wrench. It is inevitable that some scratching occurs to the
chrome-plated pipe. |
 |
 |
The shower head is installed with a crescent
wrench.
This completes the finish plumbing for the corner shower.
|
Caulking:
 |
Silicone caulking was applied to the seam where
the wall surround met the floor basin. |
| The key to good caulking is to use your
longest finger, then dip it in water... |
 |
 |
... and smooth out the bead of silicone.
The technique that works best for me is to keep all fingers
extended (not curled up) and to keep my elbow close to the the
joint while I drag my finger along it.
|
| I know the caulk smoothing is working right when
there is only a small amount of caulk remaining on my finger. |
 |
 |
This bead of silicone is too big and the bead
does not touch the sides in one spot. Sometimes I can work
with this problem, by spreading the caulk in multiple passes,
pressing a little deeper each time. |
| The smoothed caulking. I only use "kitchen
and bath" silicone for these locations, because it has
mildew resistant additives. |
 |
|
The shower installation so far. All that remains
is to install the glass enclosure. |
See the installation of the glass
corner shower enclosure.
|
Tools
Used:
- 4-1/2" Hole Saw
- Heavy-Duty Drill
- Caulk Gun
- Sharp Knife
- Pipe Wrench
- Crescent Wrench
|
Materials Used:
- Shower Surround
- Liquid Nails For Tub
Surrounds (2 or 3 Tubes)
- Faucet Components
- Pipe Thread Compound
- Kitchen/Bath Silicone
|
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