Watch this video to learn how to install our shims.
- It’s easier if you have a helper. One person has the gauge and calls out a color or thickness. The other person adds the glue to the shim before handing it over.
- If you are working by yourself, start by marking each shim location. Note the shim thickness needed for all the walls first. Then glue the shims on after. Hold the gauge in one hand. Use a sharpie with the other hand. You can write either a fraction or the letter designating the appropriate shim color.
- Use the adhesive of your choice. We prefer Loctite PL 3X Premium as it’s readily available and has the right consistency. You do not need special adhesives made for foam. They generally are not sticky enough. They also take too long to cure. The same sealant you are using for the wall panel system will also work as a shim adhesive.
- If your laser has a 90º vertical feature, you can square your walls to each other at the same time you are measuring for the shims.
- If there is no drywall yet adjoining your shower wall panel installation, you can place shims past the waterproof panels into the drywall area. This creates a seamless transition that doesn’t need to be floated to match.
- If there is already installed drywall adjoining the shower wall panel installation, remove the fasteners abutting the shower wall panel. Then, insert shims behind the drywall. This will bring the surface of the drywall into the same plane as the waterproof panels creating a seamless transition that doesn’t need to be floated to match.
- If you have shower valves, insulation, or other protrusions blocking the laser from reaching the entire wall area, adjust the laser. Move it further away from the sole plate to accommodate.
- It’s easy to double check your work as you go along by placing the Built With Foam gauge atop an installed shim. The laser should hit the ‘0’ mark indicating perfect shimming. You can also double check with a straight edge to verify.
- If the laser falls between two shim sizes, it’s better to err to the smaller shim than the thicker shim. A little more thinset is easier to apply than dealing with a hump in the wall.
- The industry standard for wall flatness for tiles over 15” on one side is a deviation of no more than 1/8” over 10 feet with 1/16” over 24 inches. Built With Foam shims are designed to get you within those tolerances.
- Built With Foam shims can also be used for ceilings, as well as depth indicators for self-leveling pours.
