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(More customer reviews)I'm just completing my first bathroom renovation. I purchased a home that had a full bathroom with water damage to the floor and walls. This resulted in removal of walls and subfloor right down to studs and joists. In the process, I had to disrupt the shower walls, which were installed using standard wallboard. It was unacceptable to leave the remaining wallboard, so I tore it out and took time to consider my next move. Do I install concrete board and tile or do I install a direct-to-stud tub surround?
I looked at a variety of the big-box store offerings for tub surrounds and found nothing acceptable. Visiting a local supplier's showroom, I bumped into Swanstone's BA-3060 tub surround and was really impressed. The surround is not made of Swanstone, but their proprietary material called Veritek, which is practically an exact match to Swanstone. It's a compression-molded composite material like a very sturdy plastic. I also purchased a matching Swanstone vanity top with molded, contoured sink, and was totally amazed at how perfectly they matched. If you're doing a bathroom remodel, I'd highly suggest considering both the tub surround and the sink together. They complement each other very well.
The shower surround was shipped to my home in three sections. Since I was installing it to a new tub that wasn't manufactured by Swanstone, I had to make a very minor modification. On the bottom of the back wall are two half-circle tabs that are designed to fit into a groove in the Swanstone tub. If you're using a different manufacturer's tub, you'll need to cut off this tab. I used a Dremel tool and the modification took all of one minute--simple!
Connecting each of the three sections was very simple. The lip of one section slips into a groove in another section. Align the fixture tabs on one section to clips on the other and press down. The sections pop into place. I used a mallet to bang the sections deeper into place. The final assembly is very secure. In fact, I had to unassembled two pieces to make an adjustment and it was a beast of a job to do; I don't recommend it, but it can be done.
One nice feature with Swanstone's design is the tub surround doesn't require caulking where the surround meets the tub. Consult the instructions on this topic. You can caulk, if you choose, and the instructions do provide an explanation of how to do so. I chose not to. With the ~1" tub lip and built-in channels that enable water to run back into the tub, I've had no problems.
Swanstone provides dimpled detents into the surround wall edges that show where to affix the walls to the studs. I've read others state to nail the walls to studs. Whether using nails or screws (screws allow for an easier uninstall), drill pilot holes first. I found driving screws directly into the material resulted in cracking. I drilled pilot holes first and had no further problems.
One other word of caution: if the area where your rough-in valve is installed doesn't contain adequate framing for the surround wall behind the shower handle, you might find the surround wall sinks in when installing the shower handle mounting plate. If it sinks in, when you install the handle, you're going to have a large gap between the handle and the mounting plate. This is what happened to me and is why I had to uninstall one of the walls. I had to add a 2x4 brace behind the wall where the rough-in valve is so the wall doesn't sink in behind the mounting plate. After I did this, the shower handle set in fine and looked very nice.
After the walls were secure and all the fixtures were in, I can't tell you how happy my wife and I are with our selection. For the money, I'm really amazed at the quality. I was so worried we'd end up feeling like we were in a hotel when we took a shower. Now I feel like I'm in a custom bathroom and after the bathroom renovation, the bathroom looks like something out of a magazine.
Just remember, if a common-Joe like me can tear out walls and install this tub surround with no experience, so can you! Do research, make sure you have the right tools, and consult friends. As a self install, this tub surround is an acceptable do-it-yourself solution for the ambitious-minded individual and the result of the final install is more than acceptable.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Swanstone BA-3060-040 Veritek Bath Alcove Wall Kit, Bermuda Sand Finish
Swanstone BA3060 Bath Alcove Walls, Bermuda SandSwanstone BA3060 Bath Alcove Walls, Bermuda Sand Features:; 30"D x 60"W x 59 1/2"H; Nails directly to studs for fast installation.; Sturdy interlocking system for one-piece appearance.; Panels easily fit through existing doorways and can be installed by one person.; Made of Veritek?รครณ with no surface coating to chip or crack - color runs throughout.; The BA-3060 is a a 3-piece compression molded composite material with molded-in color and a natural gloss surface.
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