Gap between shower plate and handle

Michael Barna

8 months ago

Hello,

When the plumbing was installed in my bathroom it appears the valve wasn’t placed deep enough behind the wall.

I am installing new trim and there is a large gap between the plate and the handle, as you can see in the photo.

It works fine but doesn’t look very pleasing.

I do not wish to start a big project that would destroy the shower or take down any walls just to correct the plumbing.

I’m wondering, does a type of trim exist for the purpose of closing this sort of gap?

Like a separate piece I can affix onto the plate between the plate and the handle ?

For context, this is a Moen posi-temp trim

Many thanks for ideas!

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Comments (5)

millworkman
8 months ago
Either see if your plumbing shop has an escutcheon plate that would fit, have one made from a sheet of stainless steel, or use a 100% silicone caulk and fill the gap that way.
badgergal
8 months ago
If you google "moen shower handle sticks out too far", you will find numerous posts regarding the problem. Many of the posts discuss the errors in the installation instructions provided my Moen. I know this because my daughter had her bathroom remodeled 10 ago and used a Moentrol valve that was installed exactly according to the instructions provided and valve stuck out too far just like that photo from the OP. Unfortunately it was too late to change the install without tearing out tile and there was no access from the other side of the tiled wall.

It looked ridiculous. I called Moen and they blamed it on installer error but they didn't hesitate to send a adapter escutcheon piece at no charge. Supposedly it is an $80 part. I think by giving it to us free they are admitting without verbalizing it that they were in the wrong.

So call or email Moen about the problem. Hopefully they will have an adapter piece for you particular faucet model.

I don't have a before picture but here is how it looks with the added piece.
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Michael Barna
Original Author
8 months ago
Thank you- that looks great- what exactly was the piece they sent you? Was it a new trim plate altogether ? Or like an accessory piece that affixed onto the existing escutcheon plate you had to close the gap between the plate and the handle ?
artemis78
8 months ago
last modified: 8 months ago
Just to clarify, did you install a new valve, or are you only changing the trim? If you are only replacing the trim, did this gap exist with the old trim, or is it a new problem?

I ask because we have a similar issue, though much less prominent. When we replaced the trim a few years after the valve was installed, it exacerbated the issue (and unfortunately for our Kohler valve, there was no escutcheon that would fit). Our local plumbing store gave us several trims to try, and all had the same issue. We ended up going back to the original trim, which resolved the problem--there is still a tiny gap, but for whatever reason the design of that particular trim minimizes it. Someday when we renovate we will move the valve farther back and then we can use the nicer trim.

If this is a brand new valve installation, you may need to get creative--but if it was not an issue with the old trim, I would experiment with other trims first (and also be 100% sure you followed the installation instructions on the new trim).
badgergal
8 months ago
The part they sent was like an accessory piece that was placed over the original escutcheon piece. It is about 1/2” thick so it doesnt close the gap completely. It looked like this:

Obviously this round one would not work with the style of your escutcheon plate. Send an email with pictures to Moens Customer Service and see if they make an extension for your model. Good luck.

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Gap between shower plate and handle

Comments (5)

millworkman

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Gap between shower plate and handle

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millworkman

badgergal

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Michael BarnaOriginal Author

artemis78

badgergal

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Michael Barna
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