Asked on Mar 24, 2019
How do I repair the wall above a shower enclosure?
+4
The area of wall right above the shower enclosure is separating and peeling of. It appears to be the paint and whatever layer they put beneath the paint. This extends all along the shower end and along the long side about halfway. The rest of the top line is intact;, there is I believe silicone sealer at the joint of the shower enclosure. Our other bathroom is not having this problem. I may add that absolutely everything about our home was constructed using the absolutely cheapest option for everything in it. Is there some kind of plastery goop I can use for this?
I think I would cut that off w/ an exacto knife very evenly, clean it up and replace that area w/ wall paper boarder, or contact paper. If you google, d-c-fix self-adhesive vinyl film, amazon, home depot and other sites will come up. I've gotten the best price at home depot. It is contact paper only a little heavier and it comes in 17" x 78" or 26" x 78". I've used the Granite Beige on my kitchen counter tops and love it. After you do what ever you decide to do, then put an even line of water proof calk (use your wet finger to smooth it) along the top of the enclosure against the wall. It will look great and you will be very happy with your handiwork. Enjoy!
I just did this with my husband's shower. He's 6'2", so the water was splashing above the shower, causing the same issue. First, scrape off all that peeling paint, backing, etc. Then you MUST get rid of any mold or wet areas. (Wet areas WILL turn to mold.) I did this with almost straight Clorox. (Use protective clothing and masks.) Let dry completely. I measured the area above the shower and had Home Depot cut exact measurements of faux tile sheets. (Looks and feels like tile, but is a solid sheet.) Use Liquid Nails to glue to walls above shower, then use clear, waterproof caulking on top, inner corners and bottom where it meets the top of shower. We have had this for several years now and it has held up beautifully.
That more than likely is drywall peeling due to a moisture problem. You should peel off all the loose and go from there. If it doesn't look to bad you could always use a texture paint but first I would check into possibly a moisture problem which is common in a bath.
I have same issue in very small bath. I removed all loose material then filled gaps with lightweight vinyl spackling. After it dries, you can sand it smooth. Then you can go over it with a light coating of joint compound. Let that dry, sand where needed, then paint. I chose to skip the joint compound because we’re tearing out the shower soon. Check the exhaust fan to make sure it’s working properly and is big enough for the room. Moisture caused the issue.
After you fix the problem, I would get a pressure rod for the shower and hang a shower curtain above the tub, then cut the shower curtain about 3-4 inches longer than the top of the tub enclosure so the water will drip into the shower. I had to do that because my 6'6" husband would have water splash above the enclosure. For the shorter end of the tub by the spray nozzle, you can get a cafe style rod with the tiny rod holders and use part of the left over shower curtain to make another curtain for that section. Fold over the plastic, like a hem in your pants and use a hole puncher to make the holes at the top of the curtain.
Best solution is from Karen Tokarse. Faux tile bath panels glued to the wall after cleaning up the loose stuff would make it virtually water proof. If you wanted to tile all the wall covering would need to be removed.
You should remove the dry wall. up to the ceiling. Then replace with cement board. You can then tile over the cement board and grout. You won't have any more problems. Any quick fixes just mean you will have the problem again. I know I have been through this exact situation.