Remodel cover plate for shower/tub

[Mark440]

Need to replace the valves for a shower/tub. Of course, I don't want to cut a hole in the wall behind the shower, so I have looked at alternatives in accessing the valves. This particular shower uses a three hole design (hot, cold, tub spigot) but is mounted about 1.5" above the rim of the tub. Hence, the remodel cover plates I have found so far won't work due to the tub rim as the bottom portion drops down and would encounter the tub rim protrusion.

Has anyone seen a "remodel cover plate" that is large enough to cover a cut out area to allow for a nice working area in the plastic/fiberglass shower wall? Maybe a plate that is tall enough and wide enough that I can do all of this replacement from the front side? Something in stainless steal about 14" wide x 24" tall ??

For what its worth, the wall behind the shower is a bedroom-used-as-an-office wall...with an entire desk, computer, filing cabinet, bookshelves, etc all smack in front of it. (OK...so I'm a bit lazy!

[Greg]

Nothing that I have ever seen. You have to have access from somewhere.

Greg

[JD]

I install shower/bath faucets from the front side more than half of the time, but I am also installing new shower walls. It is usually when I am replacing tub, walls and everything. I have seen these trim plate you are speaking of, but the are like 8"x16" or so. Guessing.

Now I have a piece of white pvc plate or panel the size you are looking for. It is a serious piece too, about a full 3/16" thick. I got these from a specialty materials store that specializes in commercial panels to redo showers at a prison program place. The store is called Western Building Materials, which is in California only. But there are stores just like this one in every major city and some not so major, Bakersfield for instance.

I could see this piece glue welded to a abs or fiberglass shower wall and working for that purpose. But you can get a cheap wall kit from a home store for $90. Yes, it is not only cheap, it is low cost too!

[Mark440]

I have searched the internet until my fingers are numb, and am now pretty much resigned to having to cut out the backside of the wall. In that, I want to make danged sure I don't have to do this again for years AND years...as in "till death do us part".

I did consider replacing the whole kit-and-kaboodle. The shower-tub would have to be cut into pieces to get it out of the bathroom - and only Neptunium gods know what I'll find behind those tub/shower walls!!! And, there's really nothing wrong with the tub/shower walls at all.

Time-wise it seems to be a wash between replacing the whole thing - or cutting out the wall and then patching/painting. So, I'm opting not to spend the extra money to replace the whole thing. Hence, I've narrowed the focus to installing hardware of better quality.

I found a one hole cover plate that will cover the existing faucet cutouts yet leave a single centered hole for the tub spigot. As long as it will fit smoothly to the surface, that will take care of the existing cutouts, and allow me to install new faucets somewhere between the shower head and tub spigot.

My goal is to replace the faucets with something of much higher quality. I don't mean fancy - I mean quality materials and engineering. The existing stuff has been a continued source of problems from leaking to knobs stripping out, and now the valves are leaking into the belly. I'll have to add a new hole(s) to the shower wall - but I'm ok with that and spending the money to put in something that isn't about seeing a repeat to this misery.

[JD]

I am guessing that you want a single handle faucet. Matching the faucet you have would not require a cover plate. Either way, just stay with a quality ($130 or more) Moen or Delta faucet and you will have known quality and replaceable valve cartridges. Even this is not a forever and always, most times. Stuff wears out and need replacing from time to time. Maybe it might be just the finish due to hard water, but still people replace stuff.

As far as quality goes, after about the $130 price mark, you can get better grade finishes and designer look stuff, but not a better cartridge really. Hard water and sand will eventually get to the cartridge too, but they can be changed, most times. Sometimes the cartridge can get so stuck that the valve body can get damaged trying to remove the cartridge. An experienced plumber can almost always do the replacement successfully though.

The cover plate would be my biggest concern. Down the road, the adhesive could loosen and leak, causing water damage in the wall.

[Mark440]

JD - Well. I caved. I suppose somebody will want to revoke my "Man" card!!

Bought a nice new fixture and tore a section of the wall out. And within 45 minutes I was on my way back to Home Depot to exchange that pretty fixture for one of those "Mobile Home" replacements. $29 and China plastic cheap. But it fits like a glove.

Put in the new one - but then had to pull it back off and putty behind the tub side "gasket" plate as any splash of water running down the wall was running behind the plate, through the valve holes, and right on down to the sub-flooring...again. The putty seems to have taken care of it - and I hope it holds.

For what it's worth - Lowe's carries an access wall plate in a couple of different sizes that can be painted. I used the larger one and it certainly was easier to install rather than patching the drywall.

[JD]

Well, you could replace that faucet 4 times for the price of good faucet, minus labor of course.