The inability to install grab bars in their shower was a red flag for the Wisemans. As it turned out, there was no blocking built up behind the shower to support grab bar installation. In fact, when experienced ImproveIt Installer Paul Gorgias took out the original shower, he discovered the situation was even worse. “The stud under the window had been removed and reinstalled flat using only 1-inch nails attached to the exterior sheathing,” he says. This modification was made to fit two niches molded into the old shower wall, but compromised the integrity of the wall itself. Additionally, Gorgias says insulation was missing from a large portion of the wall on either side of the altered stud, leaving the homeowners with nothing but the drywall and shower acrylic between them and a poorly built wall.
Gorgias worked diligently to repair the stud wall, reinsulate, adding blocking for grab bars and install greenboard on all three walls. This achieved a warm, secure wall, plus the waterproof shower installation ImproveIt is known for, while also providing the Wisemans with a shower that could accommodate their original request for grab bars.