Fit a bath screen to a lath and plaster wall

Fit a bath screen to a lath and plaster wall by finding solid timber behind the laths and using the right fixing for the job.

BS-01Clear the bath and check the kitEmpty the bath area and take down any old screen or curtain rail. Unpack the new screen and check it has brackets, screws, wall plugs and a fitting template. Wipe the wall and bath edge clean and dry where the screen will sit.

1 each · Bath screen kit (with brackets and template)

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1 each · Dust sheet

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1 each · Cloth

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BS-02Gather your toolsYou'll need a drill with both a tile/glass bit and a masonry or wood bit, a spirit level, tape measure, pencil, masking tape and a detector. Have a dust extractor or vacuum handy for drilling into old plaster, which is dusty.

1 each · Drill/driver

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1 set · Tile drill bit set

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1 each · Cable/pipe/stud detector

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1 roll · Masking tape

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BS-03Confirm exactly what's behind the tilesLath and plaster is timber laths nailed to timber studs, then plastered over — the laths themselves are too thin and brittle to hold a screw, so fixings must reach the studs or noggins behind. Tap the wall: a springy hollow sound is lath between studs, a solid thud is a stud. Bathroom walls vary though, so check you're not actually dealing with something else. Solid brick or block sounds dull and solid everywhere. Plasterboard on timber studs sounds hollow with solid points roughly every 400-600mm. Plasterboard on metal studs sounds hollow too but slightly tinny or ringing — common in flats and anything built or refitted since the 1990s. Dot-and-dab plasterboard sounds hollow with irregular solid patches where the adhesive dabs sit behind it.

BS-04Work out timber stud or metal stud, if you have a stud wallRun a magnet or detector along the wall — a line of screw heads at regular spacing usually means metal studs (screws are used to fix plasterboard to metal, nails to timber). Drill a small pilot hole in a spot that will be covered by the bracket: fine pale dust means timber, grey metal swarf means a steel stud. This matters because the right fixing is different for each.

BS-05Find your stopcock and check cables before drillingCables and pipes can run almost anywhere in a wall, and detectors miss ones that are deep, in metal conduit, or behind metal-backed plasterboard. Sweep the fixing area with your detector, then still assume something could be there. Find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns before you start. If you have any doubt about what's behind the wall, isolate the electrics at the consumer unit and turn the water off at the stopcock before drilling.

BS-06Mark and level the screen positionHold the screen or its template against the bath edge and mark the bracket positions with a pencil, checking it's vertical with a spirit level rather than square to the bath, which may not be level. Use masking tape over the tiles at each mark to stop the drill bit skating.

BS-07Choose the right fixing for your wallLath and plaster: locate a stud or noggin behind the laths and use a countersunk wood screw at least 50-63mm long, giving 30mm or more of grip into solid timber — laths alone will crumble under load. Solid brick or block: drill with a 6mm masonry bit to 40-50mm depth and use a matching wall plug and screw. Plasterboard on timber studs: a wood screw straight into the centre of the stud, at least 35mm into the timber. Plasterboard on metal studs: use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or toggle-type hollow-wall anchor — never a plain plastic plug or ordinary wood screw, which strips straight through 0.5mm steel. Dot-and-dab: use a long frame fixing (typically 70-90mm) that passes through the plasterboard, crosses the dab gap, and grips at least 30mm into the masonry behind.

6 each · Wood screws 50-63mm

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6 each · Wall plugs and screws (masonry)

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4 each · Metal-stud toggle/self-drilling fixings

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4 each · Long frame fixings 70-90mm (dot-and-dab)

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BS-08Drill through the tiles without cracking themUse a tile bit at slow speed with light pressure to break through the glaze, then switch to the correct bit for the wall behind (masonry or wood bit). Drilling straight through into a metal stud, take it slowly with a self-drilling fixing rather than pre-drilling too large a hole.

BS-09Fit the wall bracketsFix the top and bottom brackets using the fixings you chose in step 7, checking each is tight and doesn't spin in the hole — a spinning fixing means it hasn't found solid material and needs repositioning slightly to hit a stud or noggin. Check the brackets are still level once fitted.

BS-10Hang and level the screen panelLower the screen into the brackets and check it sits vertical with the spirit level, adjusting the fixing points slightly if the kit allows. Make sure the screen swings or slides freely and doesn't catch on the bath edge.

BS-11Seal the screen to the bath and wallRun a neat bead of sanitary silicone sealant along the join between the screen frame, the bath edge and the wall to stop water getting behind it. Smooth it with a wet finger or sealant tool and leave it to cure for the time stated on the tube, usually 24 hours, before using the shower.

1 tube · Sanitary silicone sealant

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1 each · Sealant gun

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BS-12Test and tidy upOnce the sealant has cured, run the shower briefly and check for leaks around the screen and along the seal. Remove masking tape, wipe down tiles and the bath, and vacuum up any plaster dust from the floor.

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