On Sat, 05 Oct 2019 08:50:48 -0400, micky
wrote:

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 5 Oct 2019 06:50:08 -0400, Bob Vila
wrote:

On 10/5/19 5:05 AM, micky wrote:
How to open bathtub wall, with least amount of damage?

I have a leak in the bathtub between the hot or cold faucet and the pipe
that goes to the spout.

I'd like to take it apart with the least damage to the tiles that are
there, because they're already cut to fit the valves, and because I have
a little OCC (that's like OCD but not as strong).

The tiles are 4", what looks like plastic, and the grout lines are
narrow. All that comes to mind is using a utlity knife to cut through
the grout and backer board. Will that work? Built in 1979, before
there was green board iiuc so that just leaves sheet rocK????

The way I figure, there is no way to tell in advance if it's the hot or
cold that is leaking other than letting it run and going downstairs to
check if the water coming through the ceiling is hot or cold, and I
don't want any more water to come through the ceiling.

But maybe the leak is in the pipe to the shower head?? When it's
leaked, the diverter was set to the bathtub spout, not the shower head.
Is that enough proof that the leak is not in the vertical pipe to the
shower head? That is, does turning the diverter to one, close off water
access to the other? Or does the valve just open and close the water to
the spout, and when open, it doesn't come out of the shower head because
it's easier to come out the spout?

Wouldn't it come out both the spout and the shower if the pipe were open
to both??

I don't think I'm being clear but maybe I am. I'll try again if you say
I'm not.


Can you access the pipes from the other side of the wall?

Only by cutting out similar tiles from the shower stall.

I guess I was figuring if I start from the bathtub side there is no
chance I'll aim wrong. I'm certain to find the pipes on the first try.

You should be able to get close just by doing a little measuring and
if it is in a spot where you can live with an access hole (closet,
behind a door whatever) drill through from the tub side with a
straightened coat hanger to center your cut and open up a hole in the
drywall. Go in next to the valve stem or tub spout so you are not
disturbing tile.
You have a drywall patch coming anyway downstairs to fix the ceiling
if you don't want to go with the permanent access idea.

You are probably not going to match that tile so you may be re tiling
the whole shower. That 4x4 screams bell bottoms and leisure suits
anyway so that might not be so bad. ;-)

BTW don't be shocked if this is stucco and metal lath under that tile.
If they didn't know about green drywall, that is what they did.