Shower wall surrounds

[Fred]

I have purchased an old house in southern Vermont that doesn't seem to have a straight line anywhere. The bathroom shower is in poor condition-- old plastic tiles. The shower is not standard by any measure and it has a small crank window. I am looking for any suggestions for wall surround products that I could use to replace or overlay on the tiles. I would like a product that is fairly easy to work with to deal with what will be a custom project--- cut in for window, etc. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Brad Bruce]

"Fred" wrote in news:Jqaqc.13$ [e-mail]:

The PVC surrounds available at any home center should fit the bill. The

3 piece units are easy to work with. Just take your dimensions with you when you go.

If the plastic tiles are loose, you'll have to remove them.

I just put in a surround 2 weeks ago. Similar situation. I removed the plastic tiles (the old surround pulled off about half of them). I then put masonite over the wall to bring the wall level with the tiles that were left above and around where the surround would go (Panel adhesive and a few screws until it set) The panel was easy to cut for the window and then the special panel adhesive for surrounds.

Overall about a 3 hour job (Including 2 trips back to the store for masonite and more panel adhesive)

NJBrad

[VRadin]

Just did one myself two weeks ago also- not a right angle in sight, uneven walls, odd heights. I used the least expensive styrene (plastic) model- a 5-panel kit, not the 3-panel. The 5-panel is easier to handle, cut to fit, and adjust into odd areas without straight lines or accurate corners.

Get plenty of extra panel adhesive, I used 6 tubes, and could have used another for some added comfort-zone.

As NJBrad says- get rid of any loose tile or other stuff on the walls. I scraped off any leftover adhesive from the last install, cleaned everything before installing, and made a cardboard template for the fixture area.

Couple of tips that worked for me, YMMV: forget the tub & surround self- stick trim. It's overpriced and never fits where you need it. Get the

3.5" rubber baseboard self-stick trim. About 1/2 the price, more colors, trims down easily. Duct tape the tub drain & overflow before removing anything from the existing walls.

good luck, /vic