a lot of homes have tub shower or bathtubshower combos. what those are are bathtubs that also serve as a shower. it’s very commonhere in pittsburgh. it might be in your location as well. and what’s nice about them is ifyou’ve got kids or you like taking baths, you’ve got the bathtub, but you can alsostand up in the bathtub and take a shower. and if you want to remodel your tub/showercombo, this video today is going to have several tips for you. so let’s dive into the firstseveral tips. i also wanted to let you know that right here,you can click on this and you’ll be able to get our guide on how to remodel a tub/showercombo in seven days or less. it’s pretty cool. it’s a very, very short guide withall the tips that i’m going to be sharing
with you today just in a written format.when you demo an existing fiberglass tub surround, you want to cut it into three sections: themain wall, the plumbing wall, and then the back wall. once you get the fiberglass surroundout, now it’s time to take on the bathtub. you’ll want to remove all of the plumbingfixtures. and if you’ve got a cast-iron tub, the best course of action is really smashingit to a whole bunch of tiny pieces. there’s really no better way to remove a cast-irontub. they’re super heavy; typically about 300 lbs. so get yourself a good sledgehammerand do that. also if you want to see really great demovideos on how to remove a bathtub, we’ve got two here on youtube. the first one youcan watch right here. that’s steve showing
you how to remove the fiberglass surroundin three sections. and in the second one is me removing a tub/shower combo in a rentalproperty that i own. and that’s a really good demo video as well.on day 2 of remodeling a tub/shower combo, you should really assess the subfloor. youmight even be able to do this on day 1, depending on how quickly you work and how much timeyou have left in the day. you want to make sure that the subfloor is perfectly levelor as level as possible for your tile or whatever finished surface you’re going to be puttingin the bathroom. we recommend tile because, first of all, you can put ditra underneathit or ditra heat or even flexbone by ardex and completely waterproof the subfloor. andthen you can put your tile over that. and
there’s three membranes: flexbone, ditra,and ditra heat. they also prevent your tile from flexing and cracking over time, so they’rereally good. if you have deflections in your subfloor—let’ssay it’s a little bit spongy—you’re going to have to assess the structural integrityof it. and if you have to remove it, remove it and put in new subfloor per your localbuilding code or per the ditra or flexbone handbooks.now if your subfloor is really in need of repair, you can sister joists together ifsomebody actually hacked through the existing joists to fit the plumbing pipes in there.we do have a really great video in one of our courses that you can check out, and thatshows you how to completely fix a subfloor
that has sagged over time and how to bringit up to level by sistering joists together. but again, on day 2, you want to address thesubfloor and make sure that it is as level as possible. like i said, you may be ableto fit this in on day 1. and before i forget and move on to day 3,you can also use a self-leveler on subfloors that aren’t structurally compromised. andself-levelers are great for making sure that the floor is actually as level as possiblewithout doing anything to the existing framing. on day 3 you’re going to be setting thetub and the tub plumbing. now the nice thing about making sure that your subfloor is levelis when you set the tub, if the subfloor is level, then hopefully your tub will be leveltoo. it’s absolutely critical that the tub
will be level because if it is not, it maynot drain properly. so get your tub nice and level. check it with a 4-foot level. and thenyou can actually start on the plumbing inside the plumbing wall of your tub/shower combo.before i move on to the plumbing part, if you’ve got an acrylic tub, you want to pre-drillthrough the acrylic tub lip and then mount it to the studs using galvanized screws orwhatever screws are recommended per the directions. if you’ve got a cast-iron tub or a steeltub, you can use galvanized screws and washers to secure the tub to the studs. in some cases,you may need a stringer, which is just a 2x4, underneath the tub lip to support the tub.americast tubs by american standard often require this. so just read the directions,and that way you’ll know how to secure it
to the studs. now we do have a really greatvideo showing you how to install a kohler acrylic tub. it’s about 26 minutes or so.and we go through that step-by-step. you can watch that right here.one of the main tips that we want to give to you when it comes to installing the tubis to use 100% velar silicone sealant for all the drain connections in your tub. thatway if you don’t use plumber’s putty and you use silicone, you’re going to preventleaks within the bathtub. now when it comes to the p-trap and makingall the connections for the drainage system for your bathtub, make sure you check on yourlocal plumbing codes for that. once you have your tub set in place, now you can approachthe mixing valve and copper lines for all
of the fixtures that your bathtub is goingto be using. the other tip that we have for you is youcan actually use a combination of pex and copper in some instances so that you don’thave to solder inside your plumbing wall in your tub shower. so we recommend if you cando this, do it because that way you’re eliminating the chances of actually creating a fire inyour bathroom via the soldering process. we always recommend that you check on yourlocal plumbing codes when you’re putting your mixing valve together because each localityis going to have different stipulations for the height of the shower head, how high themixing valve can be off the tub deck, and the height of the tub spout. but in general,at least here in pittsburgh, the height of
the tub spout is going to be anywhere fromthree to four inches off the tub deck. the mixing valve will be anywhere from nine toeighteen inches from the tub deck. and then the shower arm for the shower head is goingto be about 80 inches from the subfloor. now when it comes to mixing valves, we likea variety of different mixing valves. american standard makes a great one. delta makes agreat one. kohler makes a great one. so we would say stick with the major name brandswhen it comes to the mixing valves because that way if the cartridge actually goes bad,they’ll probably replace it for the lifetime that you have the actual mixing valve. andthat’s great because those cartridges are not cheap. they’re anywhere from 50 to 100bucks. so if you can get them for free, that’s
always a good thing.on day 4 you can frame in your shower niche, and you can start the waterproofing processof the tub shower or walls. now when it comes to a shower niche, if you don’t alreadyhave an existing shower niche, you can frame it just using standard 2x material. and youalways want to make sure that you have a good understanding of where you want your tileto be in your tub/shower combo before you frame in the shower niche. because the lastthing you want is for that shower niche to look wonky when it’s tiled. so always knowthe size of your tile, the size of your grout joint, and the layout of your tile beforeyou frame in for the custom shower niche. now when it comes to waterproofing, thereare a variety of different materials. you
can go with kerdi board, you can go with wedi,goboard, cement board. whichever one you choose, make sure you follow the manufacturer’sdirections. we’ve got a great video on how to utilize kerdi board right here; you cancheck that out. we’ve got great videos on wedi right here; you can check that out. andif you’re using cement board, make sure you waterproof the cement board either usingredgard, ardex 8+9—which we have a video right there—or hydro ban to waterproof thecement board. it’s water resistant, but it’s not waterproof.now on day 5 you’re going to start your tiling process, and we always recommend thatyou start the tiling of your tub/shower combo on the main wall, so the biggest wall in theshower portion of your setup. and you always
want to set your tiles on plastic spacersthat are on top of your tub deck. so here’s the deal: the reason why you need a littlebit of a gap between that tile and the tub deck is the tub is actually going to flexa little bit, especially if it’s acrylic. so you have that little 1/16†or 1/8â€gap between the first row of tile and the tub, you’re going to fill that in with siliconesealant so that it’s waterproof—number one. and that when the tub does flex, it won’tbreak that seal. so always start your first row of tile on a solid, plastic spacer—nota rubber one—and work your way up to the ceiling.the other tip that we have for you is, again, know the layout of your tile, plan it on apiece of paper, and don’t have a sliver
of tile that’s less than 2†at the topbetween the ceiling and the last row of tile. it’ll look wonky; you don’t want that.on day 6 you’re going to tile the plumbing wall and the third wall of your tub/showercombo. again, start the tiling process by having plastic spacers on the tub, and thenwork your way up to the ceiling. now if you need to cut holes for the tub spout and themixing valve, there are really great tools that help you do that quickly, efficiently,and really well. so the first one is a diamond bit hole saw.if you’ve got â½â€ copper, you can go with a 1†diamond bit hole saw by milwaukee orbosch or any other brand that’s reputable. and that will give you a perfect circle inyour ceramic or porcelain tile. if you’re
going to be cutting a large hole or a largecircle in the center of a piece of tile, we recommend that you use an angle grinder withthe appropriate porcelain blade. and we’ve got a really great video on youtube that showsyou how to tile the plumbing wall of a tub/shower combo. you can watch that video right here,and it will walk you through that step-by-step. now the last wall is probably the simplestone; it’s a back wall. and you would just finish that off very much like you did forthe main wall and the plumbing wall. so again, start first row of tile off the tub usingspacers and work your way up to the ceiling. now if you want to save some money on thetile, and you like a modern look, you can actually use schluter profile instead of bullnosetile. and they’re way cheaper, that is,
the schluter profiles are way cheaper andeasier to install. they’re about $20 for an 8-ft section. they come in a variety ofdifferent finishes and colors. and we like them a lot. we think that you would, too.you can actually use schluter profiles to frame in shower niches as well.now on day 7 you’re going to be grouting your tub/shower combo, and there are a varietyof different grouts, but here are some tips for you. make sure there’s no thinset inthe grout joints. you should be cleaning out the grout joints as you tile anyway. but ifthere is any thinset in the grout joint, you can remove that with a 5-in-1 painter’stool or a carpet knife. just be careful not to, number one, cut yourself. or put a perforationin your waterproofing material behind the
tile.also make sure there’s no thinset on the surface of the tile. so clean it off usinga white scrubby or a sponge. and now you’re ready to grout the tile.so which grouts do we like? there are a variety of different ones out there. we really encourageyou to check out mapei’s fa—so just “fa.†it’s a really great grout. easy to use.you have to be a little bit quick when you are using it. it’s got color consistency,it’s resistant to stains, and you can use it on a variety of different tile types. socheck out mapei’s fa. there’s also bostic’s quartzlock2; that’sa urethane grout. it’s got some flexibility to it. color consistency is always going tobe there for quartzlock. and the nice thing
is if you need to fill in a few spots thatyou missed, you can do that because quartzlock is premixed.ardex also makes a variety of different great grouts. you can go with the ardex wa; thatis their epoxy grout. so if you really are concerned about staining, check out ardexwa. there’s also laticrete’s spectralock,and you can check that out too. so laticrete spectralock. and that’s a nice epoxy groutas well. there are a ton of different grouts out there,but the main companies that we like are ardex, mapei, laticrete, and all those companies make great grouts. just a small fyi, if you’re interested inour free guide on how to remodel a tub/shower
combo in seven days or less, you can clickright here and get it. it’s a pretty awesome guide. it’s very short and to the point.it gives you a lot of tips and tricks in terms of technique, materials, and the tools thatyou can use for this type of project. all these tips are going to help you remodela tub/shower combo. now if you want more detailed video tutorials, and you’re going to bedoing a tub/shower combo sometime soon, and you want help from us, you should check outour online course right here. and that’s called “how to remodel a tub/shower combo,â€and we have 20 awesome lessons for you with over 40 step-by-step video tutorials whichnewbies can follow. if you’re more advanced, they’ll help you out with that as well.and the nice thing is we’ll always be there
to answer questions for you. so again, youcan click right here to check out that course. that’s it for today. thanks so much forwatching this video, these quick tips in our video. we hope that you like them. and definitelyyou can check out all of our other videos on youtube as well. and i hope you have agreat day. take care.