Shower surround remove/replace

[jl]

I would like some advise on removing/replacing a shower surround in my house. It is original to the 10 year old house and has developed cracks in the floor that I have patched several times. I want to remove and replace it. What is the easiest and best way to take the old one out so that I do the least damage to the surrounding walls? I know that there is a nail

flange under the existing drywall. Where is it best to cut the drywall so that the new one can easily be put in? Is it best to patch the drywall or replace all of it?

Thanks,

John

[PipeDown]

There are a whole range of construction methods for showers. You probably won't know what you have until you dig in. You probably won't know how much wall damage you did and if replacement of wallboard is required until after you demolish. If you need to buy all materials at once, assume it will be a gut and rebuild.

[central_scrutinizer]

My contractors recently ripped out my shower surround and put in natural stone tile. They used a wet area barrier (like a vapour barrier, but designed for showers) over the 2x4's and insulation, and put wet area cement board on top of that.

You shouldn't have regular dry wall under the shower walls, though. There is special "wet area" cement board for these applications.

Also, you should have some sort of pan underneath. My contractors put in a copper shower pan, and then poured concrete in it and created a drainage pitch. So if there is a crack in the concrete, there is a copper pan to prevent leakage.

It was expensive to do all of this, but most of the times you get what you pay for. If you are paying for labor, my advice is to not skimp on materials, otherwise you will need to redo it in a few years...

Oh, and if you are considering glass shower doors, I wouldn't recommend Holcam. Try finding a local glass maker that can do tempered glass. Or better yet, stick with a shower curtain.