Bathroom Remodel:

[oldberkeley]

Gutted an existing bathroom. Tub installed in alcove.

The tub/shower alcove will evenually be fitted with a glass shower door, bottom track on the tub of course.

My question:

Should the framing of each end wall include a stud precisely where the shower door wall jambs will be fastened, allowing for screwing the jambs through the tile & Durock directly into the stud

or

are some type of wall anchors sufficient?

I meant to put a 2" x 4" behind the far, non-plumbing wall but forgot! Only 2 pieces of Durock and some plastic there now, not that difficult to remove and fix if necessary.

TIA!

[Jeff1]

Do you know what type of door you will be using and what the manufacturer recommends?

[frenchie]

They usually have to top track/header, so the weight of the doors isn't directly on the wall, if you know what I mean.

[jadnashua]

The doors work on a fiberglass surround, so you should be okay on the tile. The only issue you'll have is if someone slams the door to the stop very hard...you could (but it would be hard to do) crack the tile. You'd more likely shatter the door. The anchors are essentially working mostly in shear, not tension. The tile on backer should be more than adequate and much stronger than fiberglass. Depending on the tile, you may need to buy a diamond bit to make the holes, though. Make sure your through hole is big enough for the anchor; if the metal threads of the screw press on the actual tile, it will get ugly.

[oldberkeley]

I've been thinking about it. I hate to go backwards on a project, but for an hour or so and a few bucks I'll have more peace of mind, so I think I'll take the Durock off the one wall and put in an extra stud.

Thanks for the input, much appreciated.