How are the shower controls mounted to the wall?

[wbmiller3]

It's an old thread but I was led here by cross-references. My faux wall is separating from the real wall and the screws won't bite/tighten up. When you did this work, could you see if the screws just go into the aluminum/styrofoam sandwich of the real wall, or is there something there that they screw into? Trying to figure out what I have to work with, to get these to tighten up.

Thanks!

[ShrimpBurrito]

I didn't see if there is wood back there that the screws go into or not, Bill. But regardless, the repair should be fairly straight forward. If it's wood, build up the hole with epoxy and bamboo skewers, and it will be better than new. If there's no wood behind the aluminum, and my guess is that's how it is, you could either use a larger diameter screw or replace the screw with one with machine threads, and use a well nut.

Dave

[wbmiller3]

Thanks. I too suspect that it just goes into the sandwich. Never heard of well nuts, but from googling them, that looks like the answer.

[ShrimpBurrito]

Originally Posted by wbmiller3

Thanks. I too suspect that it just goes into the sandwich. Never heard of well nuts, but from googling them, that looks like the answer.

That's what I would do.

Dave

Well nuts are your friend on a TM. The key is using the drill bit that most closely matches the diameter of the relaxed well nut. If the hole is too small you are compressing the well nut as you push it in and it can look correct but not fully expand.