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Replacing
Shower Stalls
When the
substrate or framing members that support a tiled installation fail, they need
to be replaced. This includes all of many substrates, be it mortar, wood,
drywall or steel, possibly any of these items combined.
The
most common substrate failures occur in wet areas. However, it is not uncommon
to find substrate failures in other areas including exteriors. This is
especially true if the substrate was not prepared properly to receive the tiled
surface.
Nevertheless, all of these failures have one thing in common: the tile must be
removed, the substrate must be repaired and the tile must be replaced.
The
following photographs are from a shower pan replacement job on a 1950’s
residence. The idea was to replace just the shower pan and save the beautiful
and somewhat historic original tile work. During the
demolition phase of the job, the wall tile was found to be loose and not adhered
to the original mortar walls and the wall tiles could not be salvaged.
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Whatever tool is
chosen, try not to damage adjacent surfaces or structures. Also, be sure
to wear the appropriate safety devices. |
As
seen in the photographs, the damaged wood is removed handily with a
reciprocating saw. |
Once
the damaged wood is removed, new wood is placed and securely fastened. In this
case the new wood of choice is ¾ exterior plywood, as it was very convenient to
have a joint in the middle where the new shower drain is to be placed.
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The culprit
in the shower pan failure and subsequent rotted floor was several mistakes made
by the original tile mechanic in building the shower pan. How the
shower pans failure contributed to the failure of the walls in this shower is
open to interpretation. The bottom line is that the entire shower had to be
replaced due to water damage.
The mortar
bed failure was evident by the excess moving both horizontally and vertically
throughout the wall surface. Obviously the tile was not adhered to the mortar
bed and simply fell off when a lower row of tile was removed. Additionally,
the mortar bed would visibly flex when pulled or pushed on, indicating that the
deflection standards would not be met.
The
mortar bed and remaining tile was removed. It was a blessing to find that the
original studs and supporting framing were intact. New mortar beds were built
and the tiled shower was replaced.
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