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I have a 2x4 wall which doesn't allow for much room (maybe 1/4") behind the diverter valve. I do not want to extend the wall outward into the shower as that would be a headache. How can I secure the diverter valve (and pipes and everything else) into place so it is secure?

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  • You need space for the 1/2" pipe and 90 degree elbow - how are these going to fit?
    – Steven
    Commented Mar 24, 2014 at 16:30
  • @Steven I'm not sure what you mean. They come off of the sides/top/bottom of the diverter. It's a regular 16" OC spacing so there is plenty of top/bottom/side clearance.
    – Joe Phillips
    Commented Mar 24, 2014 at 16:32
  • Sorry I must not be understanding. Typically there is a pipe coming from your valve, that then has a 90 degree elbow and another pipe that stick out of your wall where you'd attach the diverter. That pipe should be secured within the wall to a stud or a brace. The diverter is just held on with a set screw and some caulking.
    – Steven
    Commented Mar 24, 2014 at 16:35
  • Do the instructions that come with the diverter valve address this?
    – longneck
    Commented Mar 24, 2014 at 17:22
  • There are screw holes on the diverter to screw it into something behind it. In my case, there's just drywall there for the other side of the wall. I obviously can't screw into that. It's a Kohler diverter so I will look in the instructions a bit more to see if they have suggestions.
    – Joe Phillips
    Commented Mar 24, 2014 at 17:33

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I have to wonder if your next problem will be that the valves are too far back in the wall to install the handles when the shower walls are installed. My experience with shower valves (not, I admit, a huge number of them) is that they normally don't sit all the way back in a 2x4 wall cavity when at the correct depth, so there's normally room for a 3/4" board behind them to screw into, at least.

To directly address the mounting issue, assuming they are where they belong, depth-wise: You can either replace a strip of drywall behind it with a board (or plywood) so you have some wood to screw into, or use a steel bracket and machine screws - either one mounts to the studs.

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  • Perhaps I can move them forward a bit. If I move the mixer valve forward, I will definitely have to cut a bigger hole (for the entire white piece to stick out of). I believe the instructions gave two options... small hole or big hole. I've been having a hard time understanding them though.
    – Joe Phillips
    Commented Mar 24, 2014 at 21:56
  • You are exactly right. The instruction manual that came with the part did not specify a total wall-cavity width, it only referenced a wall width (the actual drywall+tile itself). I had to look online at the spec sheet (us.kohler.com/webassets/kpna/catalog/pdf/en/1145567_4.pdf) to find that it can actually stick out farther than the wall by a certain amount and it shows how to measure it at the bottom of the last page. Feel free to modify your answer to make it more clear based on new info if you wish
    – Joe Phillips
    Commented Mar 25, 2014 at 1:54

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