How to Make a Bathtub Wall Surround Flush With the Wall

Dry-fit or place the wall panels on the walls around the bathtub without using adhesive, driving a single nail into the wall studs above each of the panels to hold them in place. Examine each of the panels at the top, bottom and sides to see if they sit flat against the wall and to see if the surround panels sit level with the drywall.

Remove the nails that are holding the surround panels in place and remove the panels. Look over any areas where the surround panels did not sit flat because of any obstacles that protrude out further than the rest of the wall.

Sand down or trim away pieces of the wall studs with a wood chisel if you find that they are warped in a certain area. Cut away any drywall that overlaps the surround panels using a drywall saw.

Nail shims to the wall studs onto any area where the tub surrounds sat lower than the drywall. Dry-fit the surround panels again to see if they sit level with the wall and remove the panels and nail on more shims as needed.

Apply the adhesive that came with your tub’s surround panels evenly onto the backside of the panels. Peel off the backing paper for the surround panels’ adhesive strips and press the panels onto the wall studs.

Run your hands up and down on the panels to press the adhesive strips and the liquid adhesive evenly onto the wall studs. Spread silicone caulk onto the seams between the surround panels, the wall and the bathtub.