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Should the tub with tub wall be placed without sheetrock behind?

9 years ago

It is a bathroom in the bonus room in attic. The bathroom has not been finished yet. The Pro put a tub with 3 piece bathtub wall surround directly in the bathroom without the sheetrock behind it. Should he place a sheetrock before the tub is placed? Now the insulation is directly placed behind the tub wall without the sheetrock. See the picture {{gwi:1476647}}

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Comments (6)

Bruce in Northern Virginia
9 years ago
It depends - You need to find the manufacturer's directions.

My example - I have a Dreamline shower base and surround I'm installing and it says that the base goes right up against the studs (no drywall behind it). It also says I do not need green-board or cement board behind the surround area , since its made of two large pieces of fiberglass/acrylic. However, this installation would be a lot different if I was planning to use tile, or was building my own shower base.

Bruce
User
9 years ago
Sheetrock first for fire code, then applied panel on top. You must have 80" of head room for this to be legal, with the required R value of insulation on top of that. I'm assuming that this is permitted and inspected?
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Hm, I had been wondering if you'd taken the past surround *down* or just put the new surround over it. If you've *taken it down* and you didn't see any rot behind the sheetrock when you removed it, then I'd venture to say that you're safe. There was *no* black or otherwise unpleasant anything where the low point was? Checking downstairs will eliminate the other one possibility, which would be that the rot went straight down and didn't communicate upwards at all into anything you removed. Which would be odd, but I guess possible. Maybe you just had *really good* sealing. We don't.
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I know this is an old thread. I'm comtemplating if I want a tub at all but if I get an air or a jetted tub, if the sides have stone around, how do you reach the motor if you need a repair? Just curious if anyone has dealt with that situation. For my current outdated tub, I can reach the motor through the the cabinet; I have a cut out there. I could do the same thing. But adding a slab of quartz to a tub make for a very expensive tub. Dominique, what did you decide and are you happy with your decision?
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User
9 years ago
That is normal for that type of surround here.

Sheet rock is required for all(most) open walls, but shower surrounds/tubs are installed on the studs and then the sheetrock.

Look at the situation ---if sheet rock were installed first, then a second layer would be necessary to dry in the enclosure---no need for two layers.
User
9 years ago
The only reason for GWB behind the tub unit would be for fire resistance or sound which is not the plunber's decision.
manhattan42
9 years ago
What the Pro did is typical and normal.

Tub nailing flanges normally need to be fastened directly to the studs.

Finishing drywall usually covers these flanges.

What IS missing (depending on your energy code) however, is the required AIR BARRIER over the insulation and studs BEFORE the tub and surround is installed.
User
9 years ago
If this an exterior wall and the climate is cold and if there
is no exterior insulation a vapor retarder might be required. An air/weather barrier would be required outside.

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