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I am planning on installing a Delta 400 Classic Curve Acrylic Tub and matching Surround.

Above, and around, the surround will be Purple drywall or Cement Board. Tile will not be involved.

I would like to put the board directly over the flange, rather than resting it on top and mudding the gap.

The instructions call for Pan or Round Head screws.

I was hoping to use quality weather proof screws like Deckmate Bugle Heads.

In either case, without countersinking, the fasteners will stand proud and deflect the wall board.

I have different options, and I'm trying to understand what the best choice is.

  • Countersink
  • Panheads vs Bugles
  • Backcut wall board
  • Mud the gap vs overlap
  • Allow deflection

Etc.

Thanks.

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Countersink the heads if you want, use shims where the tub is away from the framing. use weather resistant screws if you want, the screws will never see water. When I was living in Maryland, we always shimmed the wall to let the drywall go over the shower flange. So with that you really don't need to countersink depending on other conditions, like if a door is in the same wall and you do not want to order custom jambs or add something on site to the jamb.

Since I have been on the west coast for a while I have never seen the wall shimmed, unless I am the one who did it. On the other jobs the drywall was ran to the flange, fast set mud filled the leftover and then it was taped and finished. Looked great to me.

And there has been other jobs where the drywall was run over the flange when the flange was set with roofing nails. Made me cringe, and when the wall was finished you could fairly easily pick up on how the wall curves out from the last stud or at the inside corner how the drywall covered the flange. That does not happen in either the shimming or the packing with fast set.

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  • Thanks. Any suggestions if I wanted to keep the existing drywall, due to the 3-way inside corners? I was hoping to cut out the existing surround, and put in a patch of drywall between the current "alcove ceiling" drywall and the new surround. I feel like 3-way Inside corners are the most difficult to mud. – NitrusInc Feb 22 '18 at 18:23
  • If you mean the joints at the ceiling to wall at the corners? Yes they can be. Doing one half of each corner, gives better results, but I try to stay away from them too. Again, you could precisely cut the drywall to the edge of the surround and pack the void with fast set. Or you could take the drywall out to within 8" of the ceiling and that will leave you with flat joints to do. If you are doing this yourself, you could attempt the back cut, it has been done on a smaller scale, like bolt heads and such, but to do a whole edge, 3' plus will drive you nuts, without breaking back the drywall. – Jack Feb 22 '18 at 19:25

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