# water damage around my lath and plaster bathroom walls



## emeraldfly20 (May 20, 2013)

I have an old home. The only bathroom in the house has a tub only. The previous owner used some kind of shower attatchment so they could take showers in the tub. Downside to this arangement they had going onwwas that the walls surounding my tub is lath and plaster with (for show only) plastic tile. Needless to say it ruined the walls. They were not ment to get wet. The lath and tile has come off in many places and the plaster is no good and crumbling into the tub. At this point the whole bathtub area probably meeds to be taken down to the studs and tub and needs to be drywalled with a suround shower...however for the time being i dont want to spend a thousand bucks and need somewhat of a quick fix, just to clean up the wall and not have to vacume it to take a bath. If i knock off all of the plaster, reattach any loose lath and replaster the wall is there anyway i can make the wall water proof enough to do the job until i can afford to go all out? I know im going to hear it but i have to ask....


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## ccarlisle (Jul 2, 2008)

Hang a 50-cent 60" plastic shower curtain up on the wall at the height of the shower head. Then attack the plaster+lath when you can.

Waterproofing shower stalls usually means getting back to a sound surface, for example, concrete board or drywall. Then either a liquid or a plastic membrane is applied, then tile. Or why not just invest in a $150, solid tub surround kit? Just take down the plaster+lath, put new drywall, apply kit and you're done.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

By now there's going to be wood damage and mold growing behind those walls.
Waitings not going to make it go away.
It's not quite as simple to install a surround as suggested on a failing wall like that.
Once opened up you'll see what I mean.

The walls will also need to be shimmed out to make up for the differant thickness between plaster and drywall.


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

You CAN try some sort of half-a** fix, but it won't be worth it in the long run...


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