How to Prep for a Metal Stall Shower

Ensure that the studs are straight in their placement. If any of the studs are out of square or turned, you will need to turn them back straight. Place the crescent wrench over the wall stud and tighten it. Pull the wrench with both hands to turn the stud. If you need more force, place the hollow pipe over the wrench for more leverage.

Check the wall studs for straightness across their width. Place the level across several studs horizontally and check to see if any of the studs are “higher” than the others, protruding enough to cause the level to rock back and forth. Plane the high spot out of the wall stud with a hand planer. Set the depth of the planer tool according to how much you need to remove, or whittle away the depth layer by layer. Shave it until the level sits flat across the width of the studs. Also check diagonally across the studs.

Shim out the wall studs as necessary to make them plumb. Check with the level vertically to see if the wall studs are plumb in the first place. Adjust the studs as necessary by building them out with cardboard shims. You can rip the shims in half with your hands and staple them in place with the staple gun until you have plumb studs.