# Tiling a tub surround



## AntiBling (Dec 21, 2006)

I've got a house that I am doing some remodeling and rebuilding on for my parents, it's one of their rental properties.

The house was built in the 1940s so it's got plaster walls, and the thickness is very uneven.

On the back side of the tub, I had to space out from the studs using lathing to get around where somebody covered up a window, and this helped make the stick out and stick in when it came to a difference between the plaster and backer board, but it still varies up to a 1/4" as far as sticking out and sunk in goes.

On average the plaster is 3/4"-1" thick, but someplaces it will get as small as 1/2".

So now on the two side walls (the one with faucet and opposite wall. Is the ones where I will have the most problems with, because after I got the lathing up, the corner will be sunk in, and where it meets the rest of the wall, it will be sticking out a 1/4" or more. 

Now the problems I see is, I'm going to have to use a ton of thinset to get this level on the edges for the tile, and it will more than likely show how far away from the wall the tile sets.

If I could've done this the way I would've liked to, I would've liked to gut the whole bathroom, and put up drywall and ran some new fixtures, but time and money is restraining this.

Any opinions, or suggestions? My aunt manages their rental properties for them and we are thinking it would just be easier at this point to put in a fiberglass surround again and call it done because this is the last thing holding us up from renting it out again.


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## harleysilo (Jun 19, 2006)

I can't imagine you tiling to what you are describing. If you can't rip it all out, you should use a fiberglass surround. It's a rental!


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## AntiBling (Dec 21, 2006)

Well my dad insisted on tile.


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

*See post on replacing fiberglass shower/tub combo*

Anti, see the posts and pix on "Replacing a Fiberglass Shower". 

That same spray-on finish can be used on cast-iron tubs, tile, etc. You migh try looking for one of those companies in your area before you start to re-tile.


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## AntiBling (Dec 21, 2006)

The pic I posted is the tile we put in, the plastic surround we had in before was busted, and caused us tons of problems because of it, that is why my dad wanted to go with tile, so a tenant couldn't bust it. 

I'm somewhat interested in what you had done though, did they just put on a automotive type paint finish on it? My home tub is worn out and holds stains too easily, I've thought about sanding the finish on it, then getting some marine paint and spray it on with my spray gun.


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

My understanding is that they spray on a polymer of some sort. They prepped the tub by sanding for a very LONG time, then taped off everything and sprayed away. We had a ding and the drain thingy wouldn't come out and now you can't see the ding and the drain looks like part of the tub. The tub was beige and they sprayed an oyster white on it. I even dumped a pint of brown paint [accidentally] the day after they sprayed and it cleand up with paper towels and vinegar!


ps the tenants can break up the tile too if they want to :huh:


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