This post gives a step-by-step guide for how to demo and install a new custom tile tub surround that will last a lifetime. Every month I get calls from folks here in Austin who have tub surround installs where the tile is literally popping off the shower walls. That’s because there are a lot of slapdash tub surrounds in this town built with ceramic tile installed directly on drywall with no waterproofing at all.

Tile and grout are not waterproof. Even a tub surround needs a waterproofing layer underneath the surface tile layer. Skipping this is like installing a roof with just shingles on naked plywood. You won’t notice it right away, and the leaking won’t start ’till the installer is gone baby gone.

So, here is a step-by-step guide for how to install a properly waterproofed custom tile tub surround. This info is for folks who are hiring a contractor and want to make sure that the work is done right. From protecting the bathtub from scratches and dings to remediating past water damage, there’s a lot of little things that need attention before you even start with reinstalling tile.

That’s why this is a loooong blog post. It is a very comprehensive guide. If you want to skip ahead for specific info, then here are sections you can jump to with just a click:

But if you want the full unabridged story, then let’s begin at the beginning with some context!

The Patient

This 2bed/1bath ranch home is a half mile from LeRoy&Lewis BBQ, even closer to The Little Darlin’ and all sorts of other hip cool SouthATX stuff, and just a few miles south of the downtown center. So the location is pretty desireable. The bathroom however was not.

This is a typical flipped bathroom for a nowadays affordable 1980s -vintage pressboard siding rental house near to downtown ATX. You can tell right away that there’s been at least one round of shoddy home flip shenannigans done here, prolly right at the end of Obama’s second term. Fortunately, four of the six problems in the above picture are just cosmetic.

It’s the tub surround tile and original plumbing that really screams.

Renters started complaining when the white ceramic subway tiles began popping off the wall. See those shiny patches? That’s the packing tape used to ‘fix’ the tub surround tile. Blech!

The Diagnosis

The tile type/size and especially the accent strip shows that this reno flip tile work couldn’t be more than 10yrs old. And even an absolute code-minimum tile on bare concrete backerboard tub surround should last 25yrs before beginning to deteriorate this badly. So what happened here?

Everything pointed to a slapdash flip with a real shoddy lowest possible bid tile installer. Here are the surface clues indicating that a quick moldy mess was inveitable:

• Look at that still original 1980s plumbing trim! The homeflipper didn’t want to spend anything to update the plumbing, so of couse they did everything else on the cheap.
• Look at those layout slivers! The installer didn’t bother to plan ahead at all.
• Look at the tight (irregular) joints! The installer also didn’t bother using spacers.
• Look at the (messy) edge work! It’s quick to just smear caulk around all the tile perimeters and seams for a finish when you’re a lowest bidder prick.

Here’s the biggest clue: The new redone tub surround has all the same dimensions as the origional. Budget slapdash starter home builders in the 1980s still made tub surrounds like they did in the 1960s with tile only up to 6-ft, showerhead stubouts at an even lower 58-in, and with ceramic tile installed directly on bare drywall backerboard.

Nothing but the tile was changed in this “new” tub surround because the flip investor had replaced the origional in the absolute cheapest way possible. They’d had a contractor just remove the vintage 4×4 tile on drywall and install new tile again directly on drywall with no waterproofing.

The flipper certainly knew that this was a real dick move. But the flipper also knew that the problem wouldn’t be discovered ’till at least a few years after they’d be loooong gone. A real reno crime.

Step Zero: Protect the Tub

So, the whole tub surround would need to be replaced. But the current landlord homeowner didn’t want to replace the tub as well. It was enameled cast iron, and still in good shape even after 40+ years. And even if it hadn’t been, cast iron tubs can be completely refinished to as-new condition for less than even a new acrylic plastic tub would cost when you include installation labor.

So, protect the tub before you do anything else on a tub surround replacement project!

You can screw around with plastic liners like this that’ll not fit your tub exactly and therefore still scratch up the tub’s finish when bits of tile and backer get underneath it. Or, for just $25 you can make your own bulletproof protection. Just do this:

First, cover the horizontal tub lip surfaces with three layers of quality painter’s tape. Then, use 7/16-in particle board plywood cut to the exact tub dimensions to protect everything else. Slice the plywood sheet in half so you can easily maneuver it into place under the tubspout etc, and brace the two pieces with a length of scrap 2×4 for extra rigidity. This will completely protect the bathtub, and it will make a great working platform plenty rigid for standing on.

Put this protection in place before demo, then leave it in place ’till the new tiled and grouted tub surround is ready for seam caulking. Easy peasy!

Step ONE: Demo

Doing proper demo work in a case like this is like doing surgery. You want to work carefully so as to not cause any further damage. Here are some tips.

First Tip: Use an oscillating tool to neatly cut through the drywall all along the tile perimeter. You want to preserve your options for the reinstall work. So, be conservative with the demo. Only demo the tiled areas, and do not inadvertently tear out a big swath of textured wall finish in the process.

In this case, we knew from the getgo that the new custom tile tub surround would go all the way to the ceiling. That’s why I cut all the way up to and along the wall/ceiling seam.

Second Tip: Use just a plain hammer or 5-lb hand sledge and a crowbar for demo. Let the rot do the work. Swinging a full size sledgehammer risks breaking pipes and shattering water damaged wall framing.

If tile is already falling off the walls, then you can just pry off the remaining tiles with a flat crowbar tool. The rotted wallboard underneath will then easily come out in small sections. Or maybe you get lucky and large-ish sections all pull out at once.

Seriously, you don’t need to attack the whole thing with Thor’s hammer strength. Work in sections and be careful to not damage the wall framing, piping, etc that’s underneath the tile and wallboard you’re removing.

Third Tip: Don’t freak out about wood rot fungus. The whole point of taking everything to the studs is to uncover and properly fix the structural framing problems caused by previous persistent moisture damage. The reveal won’t be pretty. That’s okay.

There’s going to be significant wood rot in the 2×4 framing of any shitty tile on drywall tub surround houseflip install that has been leaking since day one. So plan for it, and don’t freak out about it.

Here’s some more assurance for why wood rot fungus doesn’t make your bathroom a hazmat zone. First, the kind of wood rot fungus you encounter in a closed wall cavity is slow growing anaerobic -adapted fungi. It’s not the dreaded quick growing “black mold” that runs riot all over the soggy drywall and wood surfaces of flooded homes. Second, like all fungus, it’s always among us. So long as you have a normal functioning immune system, then the varieties of wood rot fungus and assorted mildew etc that only slowly grows in closed wall cavities is not a health hazard to you.

This is why typical wood rot in a closed wall cavity doesn’t require specialized remediation. You just need to open up the wallspace to the (even rotted) studs and let everything completely dry out for a couple days exposed to fresh ventilated air. Again, this is why a proper leaky tub surround re-do requires ripping everything out down to the studs. This will dry out and kill all the active fungi and mildew. And proper waterproofing will ensure that the remaining inactive spores remain inactive.

Step TWO: Framing

This demo reveal was pretty typical for a long-leaking tile on drywall tub surround. The framing around the vinyl replacement window was almost completely shot, and several of the wall studs were much rotted completely through in some sections. This shows just how bad framing can get without causing your roof to cave in.

You can see that the original framing in the plumbing wall was also real substandard from the getgo. A 28-in gap between studs isn’t great for a wall that you’re wanting to tile. The phrase “they don’t build ’em like they used to” is real. Residential building standards and inspections were often lax as shit in the 1980s and before.

Here’s the new wall framing with everything all dried out, cleaned up, and shored up with added studs:

Much better. The top sill plate that holds up the ceiling joists is now properly supported for the roof load. And the window framing is now stabilized and shored up enough to not cause any future problems.

Here are some general tips for the wall reframing step of a leaky tile tub surround replacement job:

• Don’t worry about water damaged studs that just look bad. Just be concerned about studs that have literally rotted.
• Don’t worry about cutting out rot if it’s not easy to access. Just be concerned about drying everything out so that fungus spores will die.
• DO take care to add new framing that takes the load of any rotted studs. “Sistering” a stud is just as effective as replacing it.
• DO also add additional framing to any areas where the origional framing was substandard to begin with. Concrete backerboard and tile are heavy, and so needs framing support at least every 18-in.

And finally, add some niche space goodness for goodness sake! With the walls all open to the studs, it’s real easy to find opportunities for creating storage in your new tile tub surround. Take advantage of the chance to plan ahead!

You should plan for the dry out and reframe part of a leaky tile tub surround replacement project to take a full three days or so. Most of this time is taken up just getting everything dried out. So, do the demo on a Friday if you can to save burning weekday workdays. This way, you can set up a fan for airflow and let the exposed framing get bone dry over the weekend before banging out your reframing work the following Monday.

Step THREE: Plumbing

It’s easy to replumb with walls taken to the studs. And a complete replumbing was completely mandatory in this case. These origional 1980s -vintage water valves were long past their service life:

Here are some tips for completely replumbing a tub surround properly:

• Don’t skip the opportunity! It’s real easy to replumb with the wall opened up. It’s damn near impossible once everything is closed up and tiled.
• DO raise the showerhead stubout height! People have gotten taller since Reagan was first elected.
• Don’t bother with traditional soldered connections if your supply pipes are copper and in good shape (straight and round). Just cut ’em at a convenient spot and transition to modern PEX pipe for the tub surround replumbing work. It’s a lot easier (and therefore less expensive) to plumb a new mixing valve etc with PEX and crimp fittings.
• DO use code approved Sharkbite fittings for transitioning from copper to PEX piping. This can really save on plumbing labor.
• Don’t install off-brand plumbing fixtures, especially in a rental home. You want the new plumbing and fixtures to be bombproof and easy to service in the future.
• DO consider using Delta -brand fixtures. Delta plumbing uses a universal valve assembly that fits all their mixing valve cartridges and trim. So if you ever have to replace a valve or change the trim, you won’t have to crack into the wall to do it.
• Most importantly, DO NOT plumb the tub spout stubout with PEX pipe fittings! You need to use 1/2-in galvanized steel or copper pipe and elbows for tub spout plumbing to prevent backpressure that’ll annoyingly send water out the showerhead when you’re filling the tub.

It takes a day to completely replumb for an all-new mixing valve, showerhead riser, and tub spout stubout. Doing this will eliminate any future plumbing problems. And, you can put the valve handle and showerhead stubout at whatever custom height you want. Here’s an example of a properly plumbed mixing valve housing and tub spout stubout setup:

BONUS TIP: Be sure to use the correct pipe for the specific tub spout trim that you’ll be using! Some tub spouts are designed for install on threaded galvanized steel pipe, while others are designed for copper pipe.

Tub spout dropdown and stubout piping is by far the trickiest part of a tub surround replumbing job. Seems easy, but maybe this is why folks fuck it up so often. And you DO NOT want to hafta open a wall back up after the fact to correct a tub spout dropdown plumbing fuckup. So plan ahead and have ALL your plumbing trim on hand before the plumbing work starts so that whoever’s installing the piping can verify that it’ll work with the specific tub spout trim you’re wanting to install at the end.

Step FOUR: Backerboard

Now you’re almost ready to close up the walls. But first, you’ll need to properly insulate any external tub surround walls. Even if you get REAL lucky and the wall hasn’t seen any water damage at all, every 1980s and earlier home that I’ve come across has always had substandard insulation to begin with. Remember that your new custom tile tub surround will be waterproofed for a lifetime, so this’ll be your last chance for wall access. Make it count.

Here’s what a properly re-framed, insulated, and air-gapped exterior wall should look like before backerboard install begins:

And here are some tips on how to properly install backerboard for a tiled tub surround:

First Tip: DO NOT use drywall for your tiled wet areas! Seriously, it’s infuriating how many shitty contractors knowingly (and criminally) convince their civillian customers that green-colored “mold guard” drywall is waterproof. The previous asshole had done just that in this home, and here’s how it turned out:

You must use wet-rated concrete backerboard or specially engineered gypsum board for your tiled shower or tub surround walls. Concrete backerboard isn’t completely waterproof (we’ll get to that in the next step), but it is impervious to mold and water damage.

I’m a big fan of USG’s “fiberock” tile backerboard. It’s lighter and easier to cut than old-school ‘durock’ cement board, at the same price.

Second Tip: Use the proper screws. You need to use corrosion resistant exterior-rated screws for installing backerboard in wet areas. Regular drywall screws will corrode over time and give moisture a wicking path into the wall. You’re not installing drywall, so DO NOT USE DRYWALL SCREWS.

You can use stainless steel screws (if you want to burn extra $$), or coated screws, or plain jane exterior deck screws. All of these will work fine. Whichever you choose, just be sure to get the 1-5/8in length for installing standard 1/2-in thick backerboard on 2×4 stud framing, and make sure to install them every 8-in at minimum.

Third Tip: Seal the backerboard seams. Remember that the whole point of all this prep is to make the tub surround backerboard layer impervious to moisture penetration. So you can’t leave open seams between the backerboard panels. You need to fill the seams either with fiberglass mesh tape and thinset (the old school method) or with waterproof masonry caulk (the easy method).

Here’s what traditional fiberglass tape and thinset seam sealing looks like:

Fiberglass tape and thinset works well if you’re installing backerboard with just a few long seams. But this method is a real time-consuming pain in the ass if you’re installing a tub surround with one or several niche insets.

That’s why I like to use waterproof masonry caulk for sealing concrete backerboard seams. It’s a lot faster, and easy to use for filling all the tight inside corners of niche and window insets.

Whichever method you use, remember that all the open backerboard seams need to be closed up before you can move on to the next step.

Step Five: Waterproofing

Remember that concrete backerboard is moisture-resistant, but it is not waterproof. And tile is not waterproof either. That’s why you need a waterproofing layer underneath the surface tile to prevent moisture vapor from eventually diffusing into the tub surround walls.

The super old-school (and bare minimum code) method is to do what folks did back in the 1970s and 80s — put a continuous layer of plastic sheeting on the studs before backerboard install.

This was before modern “elastomeric paint-on waterproofing” coatings were invented in the 1990s. There are several tried and true versions of this product sold under different brand names (the two most popular are “RedGard” and “Hydro Ban“), but they all work the same. Goes on like real goopy paint, dries to the touch in 1-2hrs, and takes at least three good coats to get a nice thick waterproofing layer.

Putting a continuous vapor barrier directly behind surface tile and grout with a properly seam sealed concrete backerboard layer underneath everything will make your new custom tile tub surround last a lifetime.

Combining concrete backerboard with RedGard is like combining a belt with suspenders. Your custom tile tub surround walls will never ever again be caught with their pants down in the fight against water intrusion!

Step Six: Tile

Now you’re finally ready to begin installing tile for your new custom tile tub surround project! This is the thing that a lot of folks don’t understand. It takes a full workweek to demo, reframe, replumb, and install properly seamed and waterproofed backerboard for a new tub surround. And you can’t rush these prep steps. You’ll be sorry in the long run if you do.

But don’t get too excited to start slapping up tile willy nilly. Laying the very first tile will literally set the final resulting pattern in stone. So, you need to very carefully preplan the tile pattern to avoid wonky off-center grout joints and sloppy looking tile slivers at the end. Here are some tips to get a great final result.

First Tip: Choose a tile size and pattern that fits the space. Remember that you want the final install to look balanced and purposeful, not haphazard and off-kilter. So, pick a tile with dimensions that will make this easy.

For example, a standard tub surround enclosure is 5-ft wide and roughly 3-ft deep. That’s one reason why this client chose 12×24-in tile. Even for a full ‘subway’ offset pattern, the resulting 1:2 ratio made it possible to plan a layout with no slivers.

Second Tip: Preplan! You can control every design element if you’re building a home from scratch. But you have to manage with what you’ve been dealt when renovating a space. For example, the exterior window in this tub surround space was not centered on the wall, which complicated things a bit. And we also couldn’t argue with the window size etc.

You can’t always get all of the balanced tile pattern goodness you’d like when dealing with arbitrary dimensions. But you can at least get the best possible result with some care. The trick is to at least minimize any unavoidable off-center Sophie’s choices by carefully preplanning the tile layout before the first tile is set in thinset stone.

To do this effectively, get yourself a sharpie and literally draw potential layout patterns on the walls before setting the first tile. You can even start doing this anytime before the demo even starts. You’re going to demolish the tub surround anyway, so who cares if you mark it up.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of preplanning field tile layout. Remember that a properly installed tile tub surround will last a literal lifetime. Budget at least a few hours to plan for exactly where the grout joints will land.

Third Tip: Think about installation time (and therefore labor cost) if you need a return on investment (for landlords) or if you need to fund college for your kids, etc (for regular homowners). Some tile is real tricky and finicky to install, which means lots of labor time to not fuck up the result. Other tile goes up real quick, which means less labor cost. That’s another reason why this client chose large-format 12×24-in porcelain ceramic tile for their tub surround.

In general, just about any porcelain ceramic field tile that’s 12×12 to 12×24 with 1/8-in grout joints should be easy for any competent contractor to cut and install. This kind of tile is also durable and easy to keep clean. That’s why tile like this is real popular for modern home builds.

You can choose a near infinite combination of tile types, sizes, and designs for your custom tile tub surround. But different tile types, sizes, and designs will all come at a different cost. Thinking that all tile install is priced just by the square foot is like thinking that all cars are priced just by the number of wheels they have. Nissan, Lexus, and Bentley sedans all have four wheels and four doors. But they’re not the same price.

Fourth Tip: You’re gonna need trim. Porcelain ceramic tile isn’t solid porcelain. It has a thin porcelain veneer, but most of the tile is clay. That’s why you can’t have open cut edges showing at the tub surround perimeter or along 90-deg outside edges. I mean, you could, but it’d make your “finished” tub surround look like shit with open edges looking like this:

That’s why any shower or tub surround custom tile install needs bullnose trim tile or metal trim to cap the open field tile edges. If the tile you want to use for your tub surround doesn’t have a matching bullnose, then metal trim is your next best option. You can coordinate metal edge trim finish (brushed nickel, shiny stainless, matte black, etc) to match whatever plumbing trim you’re using for a purposeful look.

But what if you have lots of niche spaces and other openings in the field tile that need trim too? Too much metal trim in a custom tile tub surround can look busy and maybe chintzy. That’s why solid marble tile is a great backup option for trimming out niche and window openings.

Marble tile is solid all the way through. And it’s a very soft stone that can be easily cut to any size with a regular tile saw and sanded to make a nice round edge for exposed sides. It’s also relatively cheap and comes in lots of varied colors and looks.

That’s why this client chose marble for trimming out the window and niche openings.

The neutral beige marble trim blended nicely with the faux-marble porcelain ceramic field tile. And using large 12-24 -in marble tiles to cut the trim pieces from made it easy to minimize grout lines in the niche spaces, which will make the tub surround easy for renters to clean.

Here’s the finished field tile and trim install. The pattern isn’t perfectly balanced, but that’s because we couldn’t argue with the uncentered window location.

Again, sometimes you have to deal with the dimensions you’ve got. But this was definitely the best tile pattern result achievable in this particular tub surround space.

Step Seven: Grout & Caulk

Yay almost done! But don’t pop the champagne cork yet. You’ve still got one more design choice to make and some finicky finish work to do. Here are some tips:

First Tip: Don’t use black or bright white grout. Trust me on this. Either will be a nightmare to keep clean, immediately showing every bit of soap scum etc discoloration. Follow expert advice and use light to medium grey or beige grout colors for easy tile tub surround maintenance.

That’s why this landlord planned ahead for a medium-grey grout color. See how it complements the grey tones in the faux-marble field tile? It also works well with the marble trim. Grout should be like a really well chosen area rug, tying the whole tub surround install together.

Second Tip: Use the proper caulk. You need to use caulk for all the inside seams of your tile tub surround install (including inside all the niches and along all three tile/tub joints). This isn’t for waterproofing. Again, remember that waterproofing happens underneath the surface tile and grout.

You need caulk for inside seams because grout won’t stick there. Grout is basically superfine colored portland cement. It isn’t flexible. And walls expand and contract with the seasons as temperature and humidity fluctuate. That’s why you need to use caulk (which is flexible) for these movement joints.

But DO NOT go to the paint section of your local Home Despot for regular-ass caulk. Make sure to use proper tile caulk that’s precisely color matched to the exact grout color that you used.

Every grout manufacturer has a selection of caulks that are specifically engineered for shower and tub surround enclosures, and precisely matched to every grout color they sell. Using just plain white or tan box store caulk will make your otherwise fantastic custom tile tub surround look chintzy.

Third Tip: Use painter’s tape for precise caulk lines. Don’t just mash it into seams with your finger. And please don’t use “as seen on TV” supposed miracle tools (spoiler alert: none of them actually work). Instead, just use tape for a perfect finish.

It’s a tedious chore to precisely mask off every seam like this. But it’ll make the actual caulk application a quick breeze. And, the tape masking prep time will be worth it when the result looks like this:

The Finish: Before vs After!

So now the new custom tile tub surround install is finally finished. Usually takes two woorkweeks from begin to end. That’s because there are a lot of steps involved if you want it done properly. Be very leery of anyone who says they can do a full rip out and replace for a custom tile tub surround in a week or less. Unless they have access to a time machine, they’ll be planning to skip some real essential steps (like waterproofing) hoping that you won’t notice.

Here’s the before vs after comparison:

Which bathroom tub surround would YOU rather bathe in? This is how a thoughtfully designed and properly installed custom tile tub surround can pay for itself if you’re a smart landlord.

It’ll be guaranteed waterproof for a lifetime and easy to keep clean. And it will get a lot more folks wanting to rent your place!