Five More Tips for Installing a Shower

Where I made the greatest number of mistakes is in the series of tasks that end up making the shower...

Fortunately all of the mistakes were recoverable.

Here is a Few tips so as not to follow my blundering ways:

1) Check, and then Check Again!
When it comes to soldering in any component, especially the key shower faucet, be sure to check that you have everything oriented the right way. Once you solder it all together... fixing the mistake, is a frustrating exercize as I described in a previous post:

Plumbing Tip: Check twice, three times before soldering... - Oct 23, 2008

2) Test before you Bury Your Mistakes....

Plumbers know they can't bury their mistakes like Doctors can... They won't work or worse leak...

It turns out that even though I fixed the orientation of the shower faucet... it did not work.
Fortunately, I had the smarts to check the faucet before I installed the shower stall. If I had then I would have had to rip it all out to replace the faulty faucet.

3) Installing the Stall is a Two Person Job.
Don't be a loner... unless you have a third arm! There is just two many parts to align, square and level...

4) Use the tight Caulking
Pay attention to the kind of caulking that the shower stall manufacturer recommendations for sealing the edges. Silicon does not stick well to certain kinds of plastic - so you will have to get a latex-based caulk for those locations.

Silicon caulking with a fungicide in it is still the best for wet locations but they are not much use if they don't adhere.

Also, pay attention tot he colour of the caulking. I found that a set of three tubes of caulking worked perfect: white latex, white silicon and clear silicon, worked best.

5) Put the shower head higher than the tallest person you know....
I just hate having to bend to have a shower... Most shower heads seem to be placed about 6 inches too low! I recommend placing then at least 78 inches from the floor of the shower (not the floor of the bathroom), and going to 7 feet (84") would not be unreasonable.

Related Posts:

Installing a Shower: Part 1 - Oct 12, 2008

Cottage on the Edge: How to make Sh#t Flow Up Hill! - Jun 15, 2008

4 Reasons Why PEX is a DIY Plumber's Dream! - Nov 04, 2008

Plumbing Tip: Check twice, three times before soldering... - Oct 23, 2008

;-)