Schluter-Kerdi board to redo an in-place shower
darnpotter
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Question for any “out of the box” plumbers out there. Our 1920 bungalow has a 1960’s or 70’s shower that is a hideous coral color and has a seashell shaped shelf and seat (say that three times fast) and is basically beastly. The problem is, it was inserted and built into the house from the exterior at the same time the back porch was enclosed. It is huge, and it is thoroughly encased (on the front, not just back and sides) in load bearing walls. To remove it, I would need to destroy the walls and floor of the only bathroom in the house. This is simply NOT an option at this time.
Has anyone ever used the Schluter kerdi board and substrates to frame a shower inside an existing shower (without removing the existing one)? In other words, could one pretend the heinous coral shower stall simply doesn’t exist, shim the curves and attach kerdi board through the existing acrylic into the studs behind it. Pour a concrete bed for a pan, extend the drain up. And then use tile or those lightweight Lux-Stone wall panels? Yes, it would be a little bit smaller but… Any plumbers out there with thoughts on this? Thanks in advance
Replies
Your plan should work as long as you add enough support behind the kerdi board (horizontaI nailers/battens/ shims etc) but I cant image why you couldnt cut the existing shower up into pieces and remove it leaving the walls intact.
I probably should just cut it out. I was trying to minimize mess and time as it's the only bathroom in the house. But you're right. I'm coming around to it. The corners are all curves and will require a lot of shimming to turn into right angles. Was hoping there's an existing product specifically to go over old acrylic shower enclosures.
You can even tile over tile, but your tile may only be adhered to a plaster wall and that isn't a good substrate. You could also use a product like Durock concrete board with an applied Kerdi waterproofing membrane. ...or the Kerdi board with integrated membrane as you suggest. (The Durock option is the cheaper option though.)
You'll be assuming that there is no mold/rot behind the shower walls.
Why not go with a Kerdi shower pan while you're at it.--but they do get expensive for a large shower bases.
I actually suspect the worst behind the existing walls. So yes, I should just cut it out in pieces and do it from scratch. it would be so cool though if there were thick rubber-backed, adjustable "studs grids" that you could just screw into an existing acrylic shower, make a nice rectangle and then wall over. Double the waterproofing ;-)