Shower base install. Oops :(

[gary70au]

Hi guys,

I have been plodding away at an ensuite renovation for a while now. A few weeks back i installed the new marbletrend fibreglass shower base. It was then time for me to throw the villaboard sheets up.

When all was done i stood back to admire it and noticed that the shower base protrudes too far past the villaboard for the tiles to sit neatly
The base was not checked into the wall studs as the manufacturers instructions said this base did not need it.
I assumed the base would sit slightly proud of the villaboard to allow for the waterproofing to go under the tiles on the villaboard.

My problem seems to stem from the fact that apparently my bloody ensuite is not square. The shower base protrudes past the sheeting very little in the corner but up to nearly 8mm at the ends.

Can anyone suggest what can be done so my tiles can be layed without sitting on an angle?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated

Gary

[wonderplumb]

If at all possible you could pack out your villa board......

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I'd be inclined to strip the villaboard and pack out the studs so the vb sits squarely to the base.

You need to be bloody careful though, as vb has a tendency to snap if you don't apply the force just right... and hold your tongue precisely so. DAMHIKT. Odds are that you'll have to replace a sheet or two, but that's still cheaper than laying new sheets over the whole thing, even after counting the cost of packing.

[arms]

I'd be inclined to strip the villaboard and pack out the studs so the vb sits squarely to the base.

You need to be bloody careful though, as vb has a tendency to snap if you don't apply the force just right... and hold your tongue precisely so. DAMHIKT. Odds are that you'll have to replace a sheet or two, but that's still cheaper than laying new sheets over the whole thing, even after counting the cost of packing.

i,d be incined to get a basic course in carpentry ,first lesson 1 read all instruction ,2 follow all written instructions ,3 when instructions dont suit your predicement change instructions to make the job right !!!!
rip it out and do it properly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[peter_sm]

I agree. Redo now is cheaper than water leaks or tiles sitting very crooked.

[gary70au]

Tom,

The only part of your 3 step process i did not do was number 3.

I know i made a mistake, thats why i am here asking for help.

I have considered removing the sheeting and packing the studs, real pain though as i will basically have to replace the lot. I can't see it coming back off in one piece with the stud adhesive on it.

I know it would be doing something wrong to fix something that was done wrong in the first place, but would anyone consider removing material from the lip of the shower base to line everything back up? Taking into account that the lip will be tiled over and sealed.

Gary

[TermiMonster]

Sheet over the top.
TM

[journeyman Mick]

...............but would anyone consider removing material from the lip of the shower base to line everything back up? ............

No, definitely not.

Mick

[arms]

I agree. Redo now is cheaper than water leaks or tiles sitting very crooked.

redoing the job is your only way out of your problem ,from what i can tell you will have to sheet at least 2 new sheets over the existing villa board (or i hope that its villa board) just to get over the lip[(which by the way should never be modified under any circumstances) ,this is an extra cost which will leave you with at least a 20 mm lip from the wall ,swallow your pride rip it out , do it right and sleep well at night knowing that you have done the job professionally

[gary70au]

Pride went out the window long ago

If i strip the villaboard off and pack the studs i will have to pack every stud on the wall to keep things straight correct?

Also, one wall has a steel frame and studs, to pack these out do i screw timber on or can i just glue it on with liquid nails?

To reduce the amount of packing needed should i replace the villaboard with the wet area plasterboard (10 or 13mm v 6mm)

Thanks for the help guys

Gary

[pawnhead]

Can you access the shower waste from under the floor or is it slab on ground?
Have you bedded the shower base in?

If it's easy to get to then just undo the waste, or cut the pipe, rip out the shower base, and chase it into the wall another 8mm.

[gary70au]

Unfortunately the shower base is on a slab, had a nightmare of a time relocating the waste and that was with the help of a friend who is a plumber.

[silentC]

We had the exact same problem in one of our bathrooms. We just whacked another sheet of villaboard over it and tiled over that. Put a 10mm strip of ally angle to cover the edge of the sheet, looks like it was meant to be there.

You'll find that the lip has been set up for 10mm plasterboard (what most people are using in bathrooms these days) which is why it says check in is not necessary. Unfortunately they don't always tell you that you need to check in if you are using villaboard.

Two sheets of villaboard = one sheet of plaster, give or take. We did ours to the height of the shower screen. Required two 1.8 x 900 sheets of villaboard and a length of angle.

[arms]

Pride went out the window long ago

If i strip the villaboard off and pack the studs i will have to pack every stud on the wall to keep things straight correct?

Also, one wall has a steel frame and studs, to pack these out do i screw timber on or can i just glue it on with liquid nails?

To reduce the amount of packing needed should i replace the villaboard with the wet area plasterboard (10 or 13mm v 6mm)

Thanks for the help guys

Gary

irrespective of if there are steel or timber studs the same principle stays in place ,trench the tray into the timber/steel/masonary/brick/earthwall/etc,etc ,
There is no glory in doing the right thing ,
but EVERYONE will tell you when you have done the wrong thing
please consider

[davo_scuba]

Gary,it might seems like a big pain in the ar** but fixing up the mistake now and getting it checked in or packed out correctly will be time well spent in the long run.Reading all the responses and problems that people have had with there own renovation if you don't do it right now you will have to redo it in a few years, (at the most ) shower integrity seems to be the biggest problem for us diy'ers and water damage can become expensive. If adding another sheet is not big enough rip of and pack out till the villaboard sits inside the lip and don't just use the adesive but screw as per manufactures specs. Take your time maybe a nice red, or a few cold beers should help, but it will be worth doing correctly.I don't think i would ever use wet area plasterboard in a shower, villaboard is the way to go the thought of using it makes me uneasy.best of luck and keep at it.davo