DIY Network

Cultured Marble Tub -- A DIY Habitat-House Project From "Ask DIY Home Improvement" episode DADH-207

	BEFORE. The bathroom in our project house had a plastic tub-surround that was stained and in sorry shape.
	AFTER. The renovated bathroom features a cultured-marble tub surround. Installation was easy, and now there are no grout-lines to keep clean.

Q (from Butch in Dallas, TX): The plastic surround around my tub has stains that I can't remove. Instead I'd like to remove the whole thing and replace it with a solid surface material. Can you tell me how?

A: (from DIY home improvement expert Brad Staggs) A bathtub surround is a great solution to cover up damaged walls or even tile that you just don't want to live with anymore. Replacing a tub surround is not a terribly difficult job if you're dealing with flat walls and no cutouts. Our job was a little trickier. Here's how we dealt with that issue.

Materials:

Cordless drill
Circular saw
Masonry blade
Pry bar
Putty knife
Luan plywood for template
Measuring tape
Marker
Construction adhesive
Silicon caulk
Paintable caulk
Caulk gun

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The surround in the bathroom of the DIY Project House was past its prime. The house is close to 90-years-old. DIY teamed up with Habitat for Humanity to renovate every room in it.

For this restoration, we had a challenge because of a bathroom window located in the long wall of the shower (figures A and B). This may seem odd placement for a window, but it's not that uncommon in older houses. For our project, it means that we've got a little extra detail work to do as we cut and install our surround. Replacing the surround was one of the first things we did to fix-up the bathroom in the DIY Habitat for Humanity project house.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

We opted for cultured marble (figure C) because it is very durable, and has a stylish look. But it's also more expensive -- roughly three times the cost of plastic and twice that of ceramic. The benefits of cultured marble are never having grout lines to clean and it's fairly simple to install. The only major tools you'll need are a pry-bar, drill and possibly a jigsaw or a circular saw to make cutouts -- like we did for our bathroom window.

Important: Remember to turn off the water because you're going to have to move handles, faucets, and, if it is located within the surround itself, the showerhead also.

	Figure D
	Figure E

• With the faucet and handles out of the way, remove the surround. You may be able to simply slip your fingers under the surround and pull it from the wall (figure D). You may need a little help from a flat pry-bar (figure E).

• Scrape away the dry adhesive and the surround backing using a putty knife.

• We also used a pry-bar to remove the trim on the side of the window and under the sill. And we replaced rotted wood with a new piece of drywall and cleaned up the mold with bleach and water.

• We then used a level to check the walls for plumb and to check the level of the tub. Make a note where plumb and level are a problem so you can make adjustments when measuring and cutting for the new surround.
  
  

  	Figure F
  	Figure G

• In our case, the prep for our installation involved a little trimming. We used a jigsaw to cut off about an inch from each end of the window sill (figure F). With the ends cut, the sill is even with the edge of the window, so we didn't need to make intricate cuts to the cultured marble.

• We began the installation with the most visible wall. This is the most difficult panel to cut so it helps to build a template. We did that using 3-inch-wide strips of a light plywood known as luan. We attached them to the wall with hot glue. Begin on the outer edges, leaving 1/8-inch gap at the corner. Then glue the strips across the wall. The objective is to build a pattern of the window-wall to guide us in cutting out the marble and getting the most accurate fit. Once the pattern's built, mark the front of the template (figure G).
  

  	Figure H
  	Figure I

• Lay the largest piece of cultured marble face down on at least three sawhorses. Lay the template on the cultured marble, also face down. Hold the template firmly in place and carefully trace around it (figure H).

• With the template outlined onto the marble, you can begin cutting the marble.

  Tip: To prevent an expensive mistake, drill holes in the corners so you know when to stop sawing. If you cut too far you may ruin your cultured marble.

• Use a circular saw fitted with a masonry blade, and cut backwards. In that way, the dust blows away from you and not into your face.

  Tip: If cutting the marble in and indoor work area, have an assistant hold a vacuum hose close to the saw. In that way, most of the dust goes straight into the vacuum instead of spreading through the room (figure I).

• With all the outside edges cut, it's time to make the window cut out. Begin on the sides and cut forward from the edge for a few inches then move your saw to the corner holes and cut the rest of the length backwards.

• The final cut is the one for the bottom of the window.
  

  	Figure J
  	Figure K

  
  

• Score the back of the surround to help the glue adhere better. To score the back of the stone, simply hold the saw at an angle and drag it across the panel. The score lines help form a better bond with the construction adhesive.

• Wipe away the dust and sand the rough edges with drywall sandpaper or a file. Slide the cut piece off the sawhorses and carry it back to the bathroom. Test the fit before applying any adhesive.

• Make any adjustments needed, then apply construction adhesive along the score lines.

• Now slide the panel back into place (figure J), and remove the plastic.

• Use scrap lumber to make a brace to hold it in place.

• You may want to use shims along the bottom to keep an 1/8-inch gap along the edge (figure K).
  

  	Figure L
  	Figure M

• With the toughest panel in place, measure for the other two. To measure for the handles and faucet, measure from both edges and the tub to the center of the pipes (figure L). Make a diagram on a piece of paper and remember to mark the top and bottom, left and right edges.

• Carefully measure the panels and cut them to size, making sure to keep the saw blade on the outside of the lines.

• For the faucet wall, mark the cutouts on the front of the panel and then cut the holes with a drill fitted with a hole saw.

• Take the panels to the bathroom, dry fit, then put glue on the score lines and put the panels in place (figure M). Put shims around the edges and brace the panels.
  

• After 24 hours, come back to apply the caulking. You'll need two different types of caulk. First, where the tub and surround meet (figure N), use 100-percent silicone. Run a bead along all interior edges

• Where the surround and the wall meet around the outer edges of the panel (figure O), use paintable caulk.

  Figure N

  Figure O

  
  

Tip: Most cultured marble comes in fairly neutral colors. If you want something with more color, consider cultured granite. It comes in a wider variety of colors, and the installation procedure is the same as for cultured marble. In most areas, you should be able to find cultured marble from a local fabricator. Just look under "marble" in your yellow pages.

To learn about how you can volunteer to help Habitat for Humanity in your community, go to www.diynetwork.com/habitat. Follow the instructions to enter your zip-code and locate volunteer opportunities near you.

RESOURCES :

HGTV's Complete Fix-It
Author: HGTV

The Bathroom Planner: Hundreds of Great Ideas for Your New Bathroom
Model: 0811831167
Author: Suzanne Ardley

Bathtub Surrounds and Liners
Kioset Bathroom Surfaces by Liners Direct
Liners Direct
Itasca, IL 60143
Website: www.linersdirectinc.com

The Complete Book of Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation
Time Life Books
Website: www.timelife.com