Shower Niche Location

Hi. I want to add a shower niche in my bathroom. The only wall that would allow a niche is the plumbing wall. I don't want to re-align any pipes to make room, I want to work with what I have, so I either have to place it to the left or to the right of the center stud.

Placing it to the left- it would be near the corner and would have to be less than 10" wide (likely closer to 8" if I want it to align nicely with the tile) since the pipe to the shower head runs on this side.

Placing it to the right - it could be about 12" wide but it would be on the side where the curtain or glass would be. It doesn't feel right to locate it near the opening like that, I'd rather have it on the other side at the corner, but I could really use a larger niche. In addition, my last tile contractor told me I shouldn't place it there.

Should I avoid locating it on the right? Should I just avoid the whole thing and get a standard shelf? Or try to squeeze what I can on the left?

Thanks much.

 

Wall needs to be reframed anyway as there are no elements structural to attach your cement board to. You will have flex and probably issues down the road. Reframe so that you can have a niche centered and jog the shower riser pipe so that it goes around the newly framed niche. This will also allow you to properly secure your tub spout to a cross member that can be added. What you have now is a 2x4 attached to nothing. There is nothing to attach your cement board in both the front left and right lower corners.

 

Hmm. The problem is that since this pic has been taken the cement board has already been put up. I was going to have the tile contractor cut a hole out of it and frame as needed. I know this is backwards, we've had multiple people flake on us so now our schedule is out of whack and was wondering how to incorporate a niche with as little demo as possible. Sounds like it may not be possible though. Should I give up on the niche, then? And just go with standard shelving?

 

If you push on the cement board and it flexes, which I think it will, then you need to redo anyway. Now is the time, not after the tile goes up. Cost you $15 to buy another sheet of cement board and you hang it vertically.

 

Ok, thanks much for your help.

 

One more question: Assuming the wall is properly framed and the cement board is properly secured, is it a bad idea to just go to the right or left with the niche (without re-framing)? I'm pretty confident our drywall contractor did a good job putting it up (framed as needed). Getting my plumber back to reroute the pipe will delay our project a week which won't work bc we need to move in at a certain date and we're already much delayed.
I just want to know if it's worth it to try to squeeze it on the left or the right and if so which would be a better option. Obviously the ideal location would be centered as you said but I can't force it if my contractors aren't available - and i don't trust myself at all with trying to handle plumbing.

Thanks much - I appreciate your responsiveness.

 

Understand your desire to find a short cut.

Your cement board spans a least 30 inches across the front of your tub. This is too long.

Your cement board is not anchored to anything for the full width of the tub up 6" from the deck, this is unacceptable.

Your tub spout is mounted on a 2x4 anchored only in drywall, it should anchored to a solid cross member that goes from framing to framing.

Your diverter is not anchored to any framing member and will probably flex some as it sits now and will rely on your cement backer for rigidity. That rigidity is not there (see point 1)

You are using a large format tile that requires a super strong and super flat substructure. Again, see point 1

If you decide to go the niche anyway, go to the right as the shower riser pipe is on the left and you risk having someone cut into it if they go at the left. Remember, all the pipes are hidden at this stage, don't want to nick one in the process.

 

Put one on both sides, can never have enough storage!