[elskeptico]

We just bought this nice tiny house with 2 full bathrooms. This is the upstairs bathroom, tiny with a leaky shower. The inspector says it's the walls that are leaking, which isn't hard to believe since it's that wood paneling. Not sure what the owner did to seal any of that. :confused: Anyway, I'd kind of like to keep the shower, but removing it completely is definitely an option. It is a tiny bathroom, and the toilet is almost right up against the shower pan. There's also a kind of micro-sink. I was planning on replacing the shower with tile on the walls, but now I'm leaning toward pulling the shower out altogether.

What are the chances that shower pan leaks? I plan to cut into the floor beneath it to have a look, but I'm not sure I'll be able to tell anything.

The whole bathroom is 4.5' x 6'. The other bathroom (while not connected to the master bedroom), is really nice and fully functional. There's no reason we NEED this shower.

Then again, since the plumbing's already there, it would be a shame to pull it out, decreasing the value of the home.

Any opinions on what I should do?

[magprob]

Home Depot has the 4x8 sheets of what you need. It is white and almost like plastic. The name escapes me but get the solid stuff, not the laminated on particale board stuff. Use liquid nails to glue it to the walls and use the corner pieces to adjoin them. That will stop the leaking plus make it look good. Chaulk it real good.
The siding inside the shower is the problem.

[wags]

FRP panels is what magprob is speaking about. Your problem may go much deeper than just a wall covering. If this has been leaking for a while you may well have a mold issue. I would have someone knowledable look at this to see what the problems are. Mold can be a very costly problem and potentially a health issue. Good Luck.
FTR FRP is not really meant for shower walls. I would go with a solid surface, Corian type product, but first get someone to check out the leak. Good Luck

[elskeptico]

If I do replace the shower, I think I would do tile, but thanks for the FRP panel idea. I am definitely going to inspect the inner walls for mold and damage. After browsing for a while at other pre-fab shower bases, I think I'm going to put in a rectangular 54"x34" shower base and tile the walls. That seems like it would make better use of the space.

The only thing I wonder about is how the tile will meet that wood paneling. Maybe I should just tile the whole bathroom?

[glavine]

It Looks Really Good From The Pics, Its Originial At Least, But Wood Just Doesn't Work In A Shower, I Would Tear It All Out And Start Over, If The Floor Is Good Your In Great Shape That's Where A lot Of The Money And Time Will Go In Doing It Right,
So Remove It, Put In Backer Board And Tile The Walls

[shawnhensinger]

Maybe leave the panelling outside the shower and simply tile the inside after you have repaired the problem with the plumbing? I'll bet they have tile to match the depth of the panelling and you have to remove the wood inside the shower anyway, right?