# using vinyl flooring for tub walls?



## jamiedolan

squarepeg said:


> Have doublewide bathroom to repair. Walls out of square, and most tub surround kits have seems or excrusions where faucets are located for 27" x 54" tubs.
> 
> 1-IF DOABLE???....has anyone ever used vinyl flooring to cover bathtub walls?
> 
> 2-What type of vinyl did you use ?
> 
> 3- what type of glue?
> 
> 4-Can I glue directly to old paneling if cleaned up, or do I need to install green board and glue it to that?
> 
> 5- How long does it last? thanks



Sorry, but this sounds like a bad idea and I suspect it violates building codes. 


Have you considered doing a proper installation with tiles?

Jamie


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## johnjf0622

I agree with jamiedolan. Bad idea, yes some tub surrounds are not the best. Two of the bathrooms I have redone, I put in the Kohler tub and surround. I paid a little over 300 for the tub and the surround. It was easy to install and I was very happy with the way the walls locked into each other. You don't glue the walls to the wall. You nail it to the studs, and rock or tile , what ever way you are finishing it over the nail strips. I am sure there is something in code that will not approve of the vinyl on the walls. plus I am sure you will end up with a mold problem before too long. Ether way you go whether it is the tile or the surround, it is a hell of a lot better then the vinyl. All depends how much you want to sink into it. The big box stores always have closeouts on tile or check with Lowes (that is where I purchased the tub and surround) for the way I did it. Good luck and let us know what way you went and how you made out with it

John


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## jamiedolan

johnjf0622 said:


> is a hell of a lot better then the vinyl. All depends how much you want to sink into it. The big box stores always have closeouts on tile or check with Lowes (that is where I purchased the tub and surround) for the way I did it. Good luck and let us know what way you went and how you made out with it
> 
> John


Tiles themselves are dirt cheap. Backer board, grout and other misc supplies do add up. 400 4" tiles @ .19 each =about $80 for all the tiles at a regular big box store price for plain white tiles.

They do put fancy tiles (particularly large ones) on closeout all the time at home depot.

Not sure what the backer board and other materials would add up to, but I bet you could tile the surround for less than $300.

Jamie


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## Floorwizard

I have seen this done, but again I would wonder how good of an idea it is.
Plus it looks terrible!


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## johnjf0622

Yes the tile would probably work out better price wise. Even more if you can get the tile cheap like Jamie listed. Figure on backer board running you about 10-12 bucks tops a piece. That would be 3'x5' board. It all comes down to preference. What look you want and how much you want to put into it time and money wise. ether way you go it will look a lot better then vinyl on the walls. And as Florcraft stated it looked terrible

john


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## Bud Cline

> excrusions


????

Bad idea!:no:


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## squarepeg

Thanks for all the advise.....plan B is now tile.

Seems the vote so far is..........not a good idea.

Another reason I asked is our kids live in Seattle. They live in a very nice older apartment building and have a vinyl wrap around tub wall kit. (They have been there 5 years)........Looks beautiful. Still snug and tight all around with rounded corners. Even my wife was impressed. 

It doesnt have a pattern, just kind of a very fine texture finish, light beige in color with a white tub. I can imagine it could look pretty odd with a pattern like you have on a vinyl floor.................... 

Today I was talking with a guy who has been laying vinyl flooring for 40 years. He said back in the 1980's in the Seattle area, they put in tons of bathroom tub walls using vinyl and didn't encounter any problems. He said they put some stuff on the walls like ('featherlite?' or something like that), as that was a compound that helped to resist mold in that area, should there ever be a problem with moisture........whereas 'fix all' and some other brands etc. didn't really have that ability on bath walls........he said.

Anyway, it was an interesting conversation. 

I guess we'll decide by next weekend.... vinyl or tile? Will post conclusion in a couple weeks..........Thanks for responding.


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## Termite

In the meantime, here's another enthusiastic vote against vinyl. Not a good idea. :no:


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## y2kleader

I was faced with this dilema also. It was too expensive to line a shower wall and the size of the shower was customized. I had some vinyl siding left over. I just used that. It worked great! Just put a couple inside corners on the inside and J-Channel on the outside and voila! It was VERY innexpensive and works perfectly for the job.


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## Snav

You can do hardboard - which are 4x8 sheets designed to be glued to the existing wall of your shower-area (so long as it's cleaned well - common sense stuff).

They sell it in faux tile looks, fake brick, wallpapered look and just plain white . . . and so on.
If it's cut and installed well it will look pretty decent. Where I live it costs $15.00/$20.00 a sheet and only need adhesive, silicone for the joints and trim.

You can add some decortive tiles overtop if necessary or desired.


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## y2kleader

*Hardboard*

I did try it before with the hardboard in a shower area. It worked well for a while but I found I had a problem with mold, especially in the areas where it was cut. I even tried that mold-resistant caulk. I like the way you think. It sure is an easier and cheaper alternative to tiles and tub surrounds. 

I even tried the 3' x 5' plastic faux stone that is used as a skirting for mobile homes to give it a rustic look..but my room mate said it was like taking a shower in Fred Flinstone's bathroom. I felt kind of stupid for trying it, but if I can't laugh at myself I can't laugh at others.

It was after this I came up with the idea for using vinyl siding..I think the whole area for a tub only cost about $60 and is easily cut with sheers. There is no glue so if you make a mistake, it's very easy to fix. I like the fact that siding is meant to move and won't buckle (if you put it up correctly). You can even use the soffit sheets of the vinyl siding for a ceiling. I never had a problem with mold or buckling.


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## Bud Cline

Sitting here laughing my butt off at some of the comments then I remembered this is a DIY forum and every cheap trick in the book is suitable for posting in a place like this.




> y2kleaderI was faced with this dilema also. It was too expensive to line a shower wall and the size of the shower was customized. I had some vinyl siding left over. I just used that. It worked great! Just put a couple inside corners on the inside and J-Channel on the outside and voila! It was VERY innexpensive and works perfectly for the job.


Now THAT right there is a good idea. No reason why that couldn't work for a time but just think of the mold that is now growing behind the siding with no way to alleviate the moisture collecting back there. It's not like being outside in the sun and wind. I like the concept tho. Would be great in a cabin or mountain retreat environment.


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## Scuba_Dave

WOW...I missed totally that he used vinyl siding :laughing: :no:


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## anniebestill

I had vinyl for a my bathtub wall It worked extremely well. I tore off the vinyl as it was at least 30 years old if not older. There was a small amount of meldew along the tub lip and only in one area ( probably due to a lack of glue and caulking) the rest of the wall withstood my four kids playing in the tub. Was wondering what kind of glue and vinyl was used to do the walls.


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## firsttimeremode

trust me you do not want to do that. In my trailer, the guest bath tub was covered in the same linoleum that is on the kitchen and closet floors. It was built in 1979, and now the wall has started to rot. it is no longer waterproof. I included a pic so you can see. Please do not try this. it will end badly.
Look at the back wall, you can see the light white spots where the linoleum has started to rot away.


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