Well..we've been in the process of cleaning up our house to put it on the market soon, and some project that have been long overdue are having to be done. I'm the worst home improvement guy ever (as stated before, I only like the flashlight aisle at Home Depot), so I need a hand with ideas for this one.

We have a fiberglass shower in our master bathroom. We've had the house for about 7 or 8 years and in the past couple of years I noticed a bubbling up of the paint where the top of the fiberglass shower insert meets the drywall. In order to get the house ready for sale, I have to fix it now (or pay someone to do so..but I'm trying to be "The Guy" of the house and do it myself).. So I scraped away the bubbling paint and noticed that the 2" strip of (drywall tape??) at the bottom where the top of the fiberglass insert meets the drywall was also pulling away..no doubt steamed off of the drywall by years of hot showers. So I went ahead and pulled all of that off all the way around the perimeter of the shower insert:



So it looks like the original contractors didn't do the greatest job of fitting the insert to the drywall since there is about a 1/2 to 1/4" gap between the insert and the bottom of the drywall. It appears they filled it with some sort of drywall compound or something, which seems to be in fair shape..but there are still gaps in it. By the way..the drywall is actually dry..it may appear damp in these pics but that isn't the case...that was just the Photoshop adjustment. Anyway, so now I have to figure out how to get this seam back in shape for painting. What do I need to do? By the way..it looks like whoever painted the house last used standard flat interior paint for the bathroom..which I assume isn't great for humid environments. So when I repaint it..do I need to use a gloss or different type of paint?



I talked to my dad (the Master of Home Projects) and he said I could either replace the drywall tape..which sounds complicated to this dumb guy..or (and I think I like this idea) perhaps buy some bits of quarter round molding and "liquid nail" it to the edge where the fiberglass meets the drywall. Now that sounds like a pretty good idea to me. It fills the gap, mates the drywall to the fiberglass, and will allow me to run a bead of caulk after the painting to prevent moisture from getting behind it for the future homeowner.

So what do you guys think? Suggestions??



BeachAV8R

Go with youir Dads Idea but make sure you get Caulk made for a Bathroom environment..

Most People just paint their house with Flat Paint. Not the Greatest Idea as it is hard to clean for one. I always use a Semi gloss paint.

The Lioness says drywall tape, spackling compound, silicone for tubs and showers, Kilz primer, bathroom and kitchen paint for high moisture areas. She knows of what she speaks.

Myself, I'd grind the valves, install new rings and main bearings, give her a hundred miles to seat the rings and then put the pedal to the metal!

Cheers!

Rick...

Maybe you could cover the gap with some kind of trim or moulding ? preferably some kind of paint able plastic, and fill in the seam with caulk.

A bucket of joint compound, a roll of fiberglass joint tape, and some elbow grease will do a better job than the quarter round, which could tip off a buyer to a hidden problem. Tape the gap, and put on the joint compound with a 4 inch putty knife in thin layers. It dries faster that way. Once the compound set up a bit you can wipe it smoother with a wet sponge and save a lot of sanding. Built it up in layer to match the surrounding level, and lightly sand to feather it in. Then paint with oil based KILZ allowing LOTS of ventilation. Get a moisture barrier paint from a decent paint store and you are set.

* Hey Coasty..want a ride in a Citation back to Charlotte for a few hours..of..uh...lunch..in my bathroom..

Sounds like that might be the way to go. I definitely don't want a home inspector getting all squinty-eyed at it.

Off to Home Depot tomorrow morning!

BTW - when you say "tape the gap"..does that mean put a thin layer of joint compound on first..then place the tape over it so that it adheres to it?

1. Chip and pull way that bit of drywall mud they used to "fill the gap" that might get loose or be sticking out and then clean it of dust and lose particles
off the peaks you might have. Looks like a pretty quick and easy job. It will still take a few days though as you want to mud in small doses... less is better.

2. They make some 1 7/8 fiberglass mesh tape (adhesive backing) that would be perfect for this job. Lay a few very thin coats of mud and lightly sand inbetween just to knock

3. If you are going to Home Depot then get the SheetRock brand joint compund with the green lid. Dont get DAP or any of that other stuff... just straight joint compund.

4. Lay the tape as close to the bottom of the fiberglass as possible. The tape is to cover the gap... the mud will be used to level the surfaces.

5. Top it off with a mildew resistant semi gloss some silicon caulking and you should be good to go.

I would love to help, but it will take several small applications of joint compound, letting it dry in between. More waiting than anything else. I would do all the taping and mudding, then sand and paint and finish off with a very thin bead of caulk to seal the paint edge to the fiberglass. The fiberglass mesh tape is better in a case like this, it really just adds strength to the compound to keep it from cracking. Mud the gap first and let it dry, keeping the level below the face of the drywall to minimize the build up of the repair. Then put the tape on and add more mud to smooth it all out. You could get fancy at that stage and add texture, I do a bit of trowel stippling by pressing the trowel lightly into a thin layer of compound and popping it off. That leaves little peaks and can be very random or more uniform. As it sets up you can knock down the peaks to suit with a knock down tool, or even a wet sponge. The biggest reason a lot of texturing gets done is to hide imperfections and avoid sanding joints. Keep us posted.
PS add a thin coat over that torn paper, feathering it out onto the good paint, to keep that from showing. You can get a good tool for the sanding, it is a mesh sander and will speed things up since it does not clog up so easily.

Best advice!

Fiberglass tape the gap, apply joint compound (it adheres to the fiberglass tape and then dries), sand when dry to a smooth texture. Kilz is the best primer and then finish with a waterproof oil based paint (have to paint the entire wall to match up). Once it's all dry apply a bead of bathroom caulk. Spit well on a finger to smooth the caulk without sticking too much too your finger. It only appears to be difficult until you get your hands dirty. Really fairly simple! Drywall work is one of my favorite projects because it looks so good right away and almost anyone can look like a pro doing it.