How To Install a Shower Niche – Shower Niche Installation Guide

Step 1: Decide the Size and Placement

Ensure your HYDRO-BLOK wallboard is properly installed and ready for your HYDRO-BLOK niche.

Locate and mark the locations of your wall studs so that the niche can be installed in the proper location. All HYDRO-BLOK niches must be installed so that they are supported by a stud on each vertical side.

Place the niche with its face against the wall where it will be installed. Use a level to ensure the niche is properly positioned and then outline/trace the edges of the niche onto the wallboard with a marker.

Using a utility knife, cut the horizontal lines first, using those cuts to ensure that the vertical cuts will be located in the middle of a wall stud on each side

Once the location of the studs has been confirmed, the vertical cuts can be made.

Place the niche in the opening and dry fit to ensure it fits in the opening

Apply a ½” continuous bead of HYDRO-BLOK joint sealant on all 4 inner edges of the wallboard in the opening.

Press fit the niche right side up into the opening. Smooth out the excess sealant with a HYDRO-BLOK standard puy knife

Install HYDRO-BLOK washers and screws at the corners and along the vertical seams every 12″ so that the washer covers half of the niche and half of the wallboard. For double wide niches, place washers and screws at the top and boom of the centre stud as well along the horizontal seam.

Apply a final ½” continuous bead of joint sealant on all 4 seams and smooth out with the straight puy knife ensuring that all washers are covered. Ensure there is at least 1″ of joint sealant on either side of the seam.

After approximately one hour (at room temperature of at least 18° C or 65° F) the HYDRO-BLOK joint sealant will skin over and thinset can safely be applied.