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ks1981 · Mar 31, 2008, 05:14 PM

Trying to install a 3 piece tub surround but our surround walls don't fit. The walls to our tub are not square. What do you think about applying heat with a heat gun to try to reshape? Any ideas

hkstroud · Mar 31, 2008, 05:21 PM

Nope, its fiberglass, not plastic, heat won't soften. A three piece tub surround should have quite a bit of tolerance for the squareness of walls. Do you mean the walls are not plumb?

razor96 · Mar 31, 2008, 05:26 PM

The only to make it fit now if the walls are that out is to trim the wall kit to match the wall corners or re-build your walls either way good luck with it, personally if the walls are out that much I would do a Mike Holmes on them.

ks1981 · Mar 31, 2008, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by ks1981

Trying to install a 3 piece tub surround but our surround walls dont fit. the walls to our tub are not square. what do you think about applying heat with a heat gun to try to reshape?? any ideas

Yes the walls are not plumb. The walls widen in the corners as they go up towards the ceiling. I think the 5 piece surround walls would have been a better bet. But you know about hindsight. There is no turning back now. We can get the corners to fit but then the left end tub wall tilts slightly (about 2 inches at the top) towards the back wall. I know we can put grout in the gap where the tub & tub wall will not meet. I was just hoping for so much more. This is our 1st project of this type. Its a lot more involved than I expected. Thanks for your feedback. Any & all tips for this are welcomed.

hkstroud · Mar 31, 2008, 07:47 PM

OK,
Sit you end surround piece on the tub and push it into the corner. Find something to use as a straight edge that is two inches wide or wider. Put that in the corner over the surround piece. Pull the surround piece away from the corner until is is just about to come out from underneath the straight edge. Draw a line along the straight edge. Remove the surround and cut along that line. The surround will now fit into the corner, the top will be level and the outer edge will be plumb. Before cutting check the width, usually the end pieces are wider than necessary so that you can cut to fit. If the back wall has to be cut, measure the distance at the tub and at the top of the surround. Cut equal amounts off each end. In other words it the back wall will fit at the bottom but is 1/2" too long at the top, make a mark on the top of the surround material 1/4" from each end. Draw a straight line from that mark to the bottom corner and cut. If the end wall lean out and the top will fit but the bottom will not, you do the same thing just making the mark on the bottom edge and cutting to the top corner.

hkstroud · Mar 31, 2008, 09:18 PM

After thinking about I realised that on the back wall only one wall may be out of plumb. Let revise my back wall instructions to say, use the same approch with the straight edge on the back wall as you used to do the end wall, to cut and fit one end. Just bend the back wall surround material to temporarly put it in place. Then measure at the top and bottom to find the lengths to cut the other end.