Saturday, February 13, 2010

Galvanized corrugated metal shower surround

Update:  Please click here for more information about our shower surround.


We started our shower surround project a while back but Jeff decided he wanted to redo it. He's a perfectionist which translates into, "Let's do this as many times as we can."

Actually, he decided to add flashing in the corners to help protect the pine from the water. We wouldn't want water to get behind the metal and start growing mold. No, no, no. So, we took down what we had up and started over.
First we cut strips of this white pvc wood trim to fit around the perimeter of the tub.  We cut it to also fit the depth of z channel. 

This is the z channel.  It will sit on top of the plastic wood trim and work as a water barrier.



Now for the flashing.  We didn't use actual flashing, but roof ridge left over from our roof.  Jeff just bent it into a 90° with his big ol' man hands and cut off that rippled piece on the edges with tin snips.

Then he screwed them up to the wall with stainless steel screws.

Now, as we speak, he's screwing up panels of galvanized corrugated metal.  It looks like it's going to get finished sometime today so now I need a pretty shower curtain and a light fixture and we need finish the front of the tub (it's still completely open) and then we need to etc etc...it just never ends, does it?

I'll show you the finished results in sometime in the next couple of days.

Check out Make your Monday at Twice Remembered Cottage.
                 Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

41 comments:

  1. Celeste,

    This is looking good -- magazine style, few-of-a-kind good! Looking forward to pics of the finished project!
    Also, your new blog layout looks great.
    Happy Valentines Day!

    Deborah

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  2. We gutted an 1870s log cabin in PA. I did the tearing out and we hired someone to do the work. My husband thought I was crazy when I said lets buy this place that most people would have torn down.But we saved it and it was lovely when we finished. Then I created a lovely garden.

    The best part was the outbuilding (summer kitchen/wash house/voting house) that we connected with a 23 foot gallery. It became my craft room.

    I love my Christmas camera - a gift from my children. You will enjoy having one with a good zoom and a macro settings.

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  3. never dreamed of using tin in a shower, but it's water tight and looks great! can't wait to see the finished product!

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  4. Great job...so impressed you are doing it yourself! Have you ever read the children's book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie?" That's what house renovating is like...endless! :-)

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  5. So interesting.... never would have thought to use tin??? Can't wait to see how it turns out!

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  6. What a unique idea. My my has this is her house behind her fireplace and it looks really cool. I never thought of it in the shower.

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  7. That looks fab, we are wanting to do something similar in the bathroom, thanks for the pics and inspriation

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  8. How about an update picture? Looks great! How is it holding up? How do you clean it?
    Thanks

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  9. HOW DO YOU FIT AROUND THE HANDLES AND THE SPOUT? Thanks

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  10. Using a hole saw kit, make the appropriate sized hole for the pipes, slide the metal over the pipes then attach the fixtures/faucets.
    ☺ Celeste

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  11. Ready to do this next week. o you have an update photo? Also, when you put the plumbing fixtures in, how did you seal around it where the rippled steel forms holes? Did you treat the steel with a clear coat or something? Mine is matte finish looking and I was concerned about hard water reacting with the zinc oxide (I understand that is how galvinization is achieved)...?

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  12. Dear Anonymous,
    That sounds great! I'd love to see what you guys come up with.

    Jeff cut the hole in the metal to fit very snug around the valve pipe, then siliconed all the way around the valve, then placed the bezel over the valve. Of coarse, the bezel doesn't sit flush because of the ripples, but the silcone around the valve keeps the water out from behind the metal.

    Our finish is galvanized but shiney and we have very hard well water. Other than the usual build up of minerals and soap scum it hasn't harmed the finish on the metal and we didn't treat it with anything extra either. After about 15 months of use it still cleans up great. I typically use dish soap and water and rarely touch up with CLR Kitchen and Bath to remove mineral deposits. It's supposed to be safe for occasional use on galvanized metal.

    For the finished pictures (with the exception of the J channel across the top which we still haven't put on...ugh) check out the posts dated February 14, 2010 and March 22, 2010.

    Feel free to email me (cottagedreamer@yahoo.com)or post in the comment section anywhere if you hit any hurdles along the way and think we can help.

    Good luck!
    ☺ Celeste

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  13. You have had your galvanized shower for 3 years now. How has it held up? Rust, other issues? Would you do it again?

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    1. Thank you for asking. It's held up great and has no rust or other issues and I'd definitely do it again.

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    2. no corrosion? due to chemicals? how do you keep soapscum off? clean?

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    3. Denise, we've had no problems with corrosion or anything else. I have only used CLR kitchen and bath about twice a year and the rest of the time I use a combination of liquid dish soap and white vinegar to scrub the walls. It takes a bit of "elbow grease" to clean it without harsh chemicals but that's been the case with every other type of shower surround I've cleaned too (vinyl and tile). Look for my galvanized shower Q&A page in the search box for more information and photos.

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  14. Any pics or thoughts on how you did... would redo it? In particular the part you've not shown yet and that is the top J channel? to seal it from letting moisture in

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  15. What kind of screws did you use? I need to get them and put this on my honey-doo list. LOL! Thanks, Stephanie

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    1. Stephanie, we used stainless steel robertson wood screws. :)

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  16. This is exactly what I've been searching for! We want to do this in our little cabin and I've had a difficult time finding such detailed instructions. Thank you for the time and effort put into documenting the process. I'm glad to hear it is still holding up well. That was another question was how would it be long term.

    Thanks again
    ~Kim

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  17. This is the first I've found to tell me how to create a water barrier that seems like it would work. When I get through building my little house, I hope to visit your BlogSpot often. I love it.

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  18. am thinking of doing this in our horsebarn conversion. concerned that metal will rust or corrode due to chemicals. do have pictures or comments of how this held up?

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    1. As far as corrosion due to chemicals, CLR Kitchen and Bath is supposed to be acceptable for occasional use on galvanized metal which I use a couple of times a year and have had zero problems with, but if you do intend to use strong cleaning chemicals regularly as opposed to something gentler like dish soap and vinegar, which is what I use on a regular basis, then corrosion might become a problem, but I don't really know that for sure. Please look for my galvanized shower Q&A page in the search box at the top and I'll try adding a link to it on this page for you and everyone else whose curious for an updated post. Thanks for the question and let me know if I can help with any further questions about it you might have.

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  19. I need some very specific instructions on putting this metal up please... I am having a contractor put this up for us and everyone is concerned about water getting behind the metal to the green board which I by the way painted with Kilz. We have a Tile Redi shower pan in with stone tiled in it. There is flashing where the green board meets the 6 inch high sides of the 3 sides the metal will go on, down to the tiled part of the shower pan. Also a silicone caulking at the flashing to the green board per Tile Redi instructions. Now we should put flashing as you show in the 2 corners ...Right? Then you say use stainless steel screws but the screws they sell with the corrugated siding are called self piercing and have a neoprene washers and a metal washers also. Which are best to keep the water out...the plain stainless steel screws or the neoprene watered screws they sell by the corrugated metal? We also want to add a grab bar fashioned out of iron plumbing pipes and then what about the faucet to be sure to get a good seal on that? Any tips other than silicone sealer. You say you have had the shower in use for several years with 7 in your household so if all those people are using this your husband the perfectionist must have it all figured out. Any tips to gain confidence with all the doubters will be appreciated. Thanks

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    1. Thanks for the good questions. If you think of this type of shower surround in the same terms as you would outdoor metal siding the common goal is to make a water proof barrier between the back side of the metal and the actual house, not water proofing the outside of the metal. Your contractor should be able to understand this concept and if not you might consider finding someone else. (I hope that doesn't come across sounding rude, just mater of fact.)
      You do need to put flashing in the corners and then over the green board and flashing we would suggest a water proof membrane such as felt paper or even better, but pricier, Grace Ice & Water Shield. Either option will drain any water that might get behind the metal straight down and out into the shower base keeping your green board dry. (We didn't do this, for more reasons I won't get into other than we have wood behind our surround rather than sheet rock or green board.)
      As far as which screws to use, the stainless steel look better and with a water proof membrane behind the corrugated metal the neoprene washers are no longer necessary. If you go with the other screws you will see the neoprene washers in the finished product.
      The silicone sealer around the plumbing and behind the escutcheon plate should be enough to keep the water out in that area.
      We personally wouldn't attempt the towel bar because we're not sure how you would hide the silicone, assuming you would seal it the same way you do the plumbing. With the shower plumbing there's a very large escutcheon plate that hides it all very well but I'm not sure what you would do for the towel bar, especially considering the ripples of the metal which make big gaps you could easily see behind if your bezel isn't very big. If you go for it I think whatever you use for the bezels would need to be large.
      I think that's everything you asked about and I hope it's helpful. Please don't hesitate to ask for clarification on any of it if needed.

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  20. Hi! I was just wondering what type of z and j channels you guys used, and I guess the dimensions of them. Also the pvc wood trim. I'm only doing a shower base, so a little different. And I'm going to do painted white metal sheets for a different look, plus we had some left over :) Do you have any advice for what to do with the ends, one will be on a wall and the other side ends at a corner (not sure if that makes sense :/ ) But basically so I don't have sharp edges. Really appreciate all your help and wisdom! :)

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    1. The j channel should be the same size as the ribs in your metal and the z channel should be the same thickness as the pvc trim you use. So, if your rib is 3/4", for example, use 3/4" j channel and make sure the pvc trim and z channel are the same or greater than the rib measurement. As far as the ends, we put the cut sides in the corners and uncut edges on the outside. We didn't cover those edges with anything and they aren't particularly sharp. I'm not sure what to suggest if you still feel the need to cover your outside edges without being able to see it. Maybe painted wood trim?? Anyway, best of luck to you! :)

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  21. Greetings from The Holy City of Charleston! Thank you so much for sharing this info. It is just what we need as hubby is adding a second bath to our home. Thanks, Hallie

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    1. No problem! I hope it helps. :)

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    2. Hi Hallie- I’m also at Charleston and have a log cabin and wanting to put in a galvanized shower. Did you finish yours? If yes, who did it and how does it look? You are welcome to contact me at eventsgoodcleanfun@gmail.com

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  22. What is the cost of making this shower?

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    1. I'm sorry to say we didn't tally the cost but it cost was comparable to a fiberglass surround for a standard size tub and we paid about $1 per square foot for the corrugated metal.

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  26. A recent study suggests that waterfall shower heads may be harmful to your health. That is, if you don't clean them from time to time. Who should be concerned, how often you should clean, and with what cleaner are discussed in this article.

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  28. Great article Lot's of information to Read...Great Man Keep Posting and update to People..Thanks What Is the Average Length of a Shower Curtain

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  29. The shower surround project is looking good. I like the step by step images you've shared. A lot of individuals have encountered the advantage of a steam shower at a spa or lodging. So, it's joyous to use a waterfall shower in the bathroom for better shower experience.

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