Wetwall Installation Guide

What You Need

Tools

• Tape measure, pencil, level, and square
• Circular saw (fine-tooth blade — 48 teeth or more)
• Drill and hole saw for plumbing cutouts
• Caulking gun (battery-powered makes it easier)
• Suction cups — makes moving panels way easier
• Denatured alcohol for cleanup
• Router (optional, for custom cutouts)

Comes with Your Panels

• Wetwall Panel Adhesive
• Color-Matched Sealant

Wear This

Dust mask, safety glasses, gloves, and closed-toe shoes. You’re cutting panels — treat it like a woodworking project.

Let the Panels Sit First

Before you do anything, let the panels sit flat in the room for at least 48 hours. This lets them adjust to your home’s temperature and humidity. Keep them away from outside doors or anywhere with big temp swings. Store them flat — don’t lean them.

Prep Your Walls

Panels go over greenboard, cement board, or existing tile. Regular drywall is fine for non-wet areas (like a wainscot), but in the shower it needs to be greenboard or cement board.

• Walls need to be dry, clean, and smooth — wipe down with a damp cloth and let dry completely
• Check that your walls are plumb (straight up and down) and corners are square
• Take off all fixtures — faucet handles, showerheads, towel bars, soap dishes, everything

Going Over Old Tile?

You can go right over existing tile as long as it’s firmly attached. Loose tiles need to come off. If the tile is glossy, scuff it up with 60-grit sandpaper so the adhesive can grip. Wipe it clean and let it dry.

Dry Fit Everything First

Hold the panels up without adhesive to make sure everything fits before you commit. Start with the back wall, then do the sides.

• Leave a 1/8″ gap at the bottom (between panel and tub/shower pan) — sealant fills this later
• The groove side goes up first, then the tongue side slides into it
• The finished edge (bullnose) faces outward at the shower entrance
• If your walls aren’t perfectly square, trim the bottom of the side panels so the tops line up level
• Mark where your plumbing comes through and drill those holes now — drill from the front (pretty side)
• Mark the panel edges on the wall with a pencil — you’ll use these marks for adhesive placement

Apply the Adhesive

Do one panel at a time. Wipe the back of the panel and the wall with a damp cloth, let it dry.

Run adhesive beads on the wall (not the panel):

• One vertical bead about 1½″ in from each side
• One horizontal bead across the top and one across the bottom, about ½″ from the edge
• Fill in the middle with evenly spaced vertical beads about 10–12″ apart

Each bead should be about ¼″ wide. The number of middle beads depends on your panel width — narrower panels need fewer, wider panels need more (4–6 total beads).

Press the panel onto the wall and push firmly across the whole surface. Prop it or brace it until it holds on its own.

Connect the Panels

This is where the tongue-and-groove system does its thing.

• Put adhesive on the wall for the second panel (same pattern as before)
• Run a bead of color-matched sealant along the tongue of the second panel
• Slide the tongue into the groove — gently. Don’t force it or hammer it
• Press the whole panel firmly against the wall
• Wipe any sealant that squeezes out with denatured alcohol right away
• Leave a 1/8″ gap in the corners where side panels meet back panels — you’ll seal this later

Side panels go on the same way. Keep the finished edge facing out toward the shower opening.

Let It Cure — 24 Hours

Once all panels are up, leave them alone for 24 hours. Brace them if needed. Don’t use the shower, don’t install accessories, don’t bump them. The adhesive needs time to set.

Seal Everything

After 24 hours, run color-matched sealant along:

• Every corner where panels meet
• Every seam between panels
• The gap at the bottom where panels meet the tub or shower pan

The sealant is tinted to match your panel color so it blends in. Clean up any extra with denatured alcohol.

Adding a Niche

Niches (the built-in shelves recessed into the wall) need to be planned before you put panels up.

• Build the framing for the niche into the studs first — the niche anchors to the wall, not to the panel
• The panel does NOT hold the weight — the wall behind it does
• Make screw holes slightly oversized in the panel so it doesn’t crack
• Seal around every screw and anchor with color-matched sealant to keep water out
• Wait 24 hours after sealing before using

Shelves, Grab Bars & Accessories

Same rule as niches: everything mounts to the wall behind the panel, not to the panel itself.

• Corner shelves, shower doors, curtain rods — follow the manufacturer’s instructions
• Screws go through the panel into the stud. Seal every screw hole with sealant
• Grab bars have specific load requirements — make sure your blocking can handle it
• Seal around every wall anchor to keep moisture out