How To Install A Bath And Shower Surround | Delta Classic 400

As part of a larger bathroom remodel I will walk you through all the steps to install a Delta Class 400 Series Acrylic Tub And Shower Surround. It is very important to follow all of the steps of the installation or the final product might not live up to your expectations and the potential for this product if properly installed

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Chapters
0:00 Project Overview
0:57 Wall Bracing And Stud Modifications
3:52 Glass Shower Door Bracing
5:07 Dry-Fit And Adjustments
8:16 Valve and Tub Spout Hole Location and Cutting
9:45 Dry Fitting Tub To Check For Issues
17:02 Final Dry-Fit Check
18:14 Fire Resistant Pad Install On Valve Side Panel
18:48 Applying Adhesive To Studs and Sealant Between Panels
22:57 Bracing Walls While Adhesive Dries
24:29 Sealing All The Panel Gaps
26:34 Final Thoughts

DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

[johnnyrottenwood]

Just a tip from someone who's been doing this for 30 years. I wouldn't use 1/2" pex B for your spout line out. Often its too restricting and causes water to always flow out your shower head when filling the tub.

[Shawkman]

Doing the template is genius! I'm glad I watched this video, I am doing a complete bathroom remode in a few weeks. Ive done toilets and vanties, but never a new shower install. Thanks for taking the time to make and share this.

[marcwigle]

This is a project that I hope to undertake very soon. One recommendation that I especially am grateful for is when you mentioned making a cardboard template. That one recommendation made the entire video worthwhile for me. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.

[waterwaysrestoration]

Outstanding video, thank you! We used this as our main guide to install the Delta 600 surround and it was incredibly helpful. To cut down on the echoing/boominess of the surround, we applied 3 cans of Big Gap spray foam on the backside of the panels in the open pockets, under the shelves, etc. (applied another 2-3 cans to the undersides/inner gaps of the Kohler tub we installed as part of this project too, and then set the in mortar) and it made a huge difference. Give yourself plenty of time to be methodical and do it right. Follow every step and it will turn out awesome. Those long bar clamps are under $100 for a set of 4, and were of critical help, too. Could not have done this job nearly as well without this great video!

[terrymarshall]

Fill shelves with foam on backside. Insulate walls to muffle noise. Drill pilot hole from backside then flip over and finish hole drill. Run strip of wood same width as surround edge at top and install mold proof drywall. Get good quality faucet with hot/cold stops and make hole big enough to access.

[briansegall]

Thanks for making this video. I watched it before installing my shower surround, and I want to mention a few things that I ran into. My shower is a Sterling Ensemble which is made out of their proprietary Vikrell material (probably just fiberglass with a secret ingredient), so there are some differences compared to normal fiberglass.

1. I cut the valve hole from the back like you did, but that was a mistake since it caused blowout on the front of the panel. Thankfully, the valve cover will hide the blowout.
2. The panels only touch the studs at the top and bottom. There's no point using sealant like you did since it wouldn't make contact with the panels. The panels are quite firm on their own.
3. The side panels use a tongue and groove system to slot 1/4" into the back panel. When measuring for the valve opening, I forgot to take this into account and ended up 1/4" off!

Cheers!

[sethellenburg]

Thank you, just thank you for making this video. To anyone who plans to have someone install this, I suggest asking them to read the instructions AND sending them this video and asking them to watch it. Anyone who hasn’t already installed one of these very well may make a mistake or two that will ruin the surround.

[vdubing]

Man I can't thank you enough. I've watched your videos on the tub/shower. You really filled in a lot of the blanks for me. Now I'm ready to tackle mine.

[gerigold]

Finally a video that tells everything that one needs to know to install this surround tub/shower combo. I have had my shower Laying in its boxes for nearly a year. YU NAILED IT ! Mahalo Nui 🤙

[NotAJ-ynxe]

Dude that's a awesome idea with the cardboard I will use this technique tomorrow to finish my install. Thanks.

[robertcisek]

Just a note to an excellent video. If you intend to add a door or sliding doors to the tub/shower unit, you need something to hold screws for the frame on the ned pieces. You can add frame pieces as mentioned in the video or you can use contractors cement to glue in 2x4s inside the end pieces. I've glued in boards in two enclosure installs and it works great...its easier than inserting a frame piece.

[billclarke]

Perfect video. Well thought out with fantastic instructions. Our bathroom is the spitting image of this one your working on. Followed your instructions step by step as we purchased the same tub and surround plus the shower valve. Delta needs to step up and financially support your channel.
Thanks for all your help!

[TheSpatulaCity]

Awesome instructions. Thank you. 3:52 Although you won't be installing shower doors, someone else might in the future if you ever sell the place. So I think it would have been nice to put in those extra studs. Plus it might give the surround just a bit extra rigidity.

[amaurylora]

You look very professional and an honest guy. God bless you.!

[b.powell]

I would add 2x6 blocking around the top where you cut the drywall at the top of the shower/tub mounting flange, which gives you additional support for securing the top of the surround!

[timbob]

🛠The only reason I bought the Delta Classic 500 was because of your video installation. Great job, well explained and even showed your "non-perfect" areas, like gaps and cut holes. Most BS videos show perfect installs after several practice videos. Made us feel like we can do it, so we did. Delta owes you some % of the $.

[Moto_Medics]

bought a house where seemingly alot of the renovations were done with many half-measures. i smelled stagnant water in that bathroom and looking closely and pushing on the panels of this exact shower kit its loose as hell and ive been trying to find any info on if the joints are meant to be sealed. watching this i realize just how bad it is and likely they did not even use adhesive so it looks like im taking apart my shower today!
thank you for making a better video than the manufacturer.

[waynezieschang]

Great video. One observation based on past experience - I put a layer of cardboard down in the tub to protect the tub finish from those nasty little scratches caused by anything that happens to be caught in the tread pattern of your shoes or happens to stick to your shoe soles and you don't notice until AFTER you step in the tub to do work. Don't ask me how I learned that the hard way with my mother's shower. 8-(

[glennholstein]

I just completed a Tub/Shower install that included replacing the floor under the old tub, minus a few minor mistakes of my own doing this video among the others including the extra support and faucet install help me out tremendously. I watched other videos but this entire series of videos was spot on for my project, I also used a Delta Tub as the replacement and was almost identical to my install. Thanks for all the videos. 😀

[DIYManiacJohnP]

I would have installed wood blocking for glass door mounting regardless. Good future proofing practice