Do-It-Yourself Bathroom Stall From Scratch

Building a stall requires panels and the proper hardware to hang the panels and create a door. You should be able to assemble and install this partition over a weekend.

1. Measure the area where you want to install the stall. The walls of the stall need to be at least 18 inches from the toilet, making the standard measurement of 36 inches for the width of the stall. The door should be set 5 feet from the back wall for an average stall. Mark the floor with the basic outline of the stall.

2. Cut the panels for the sides and front of the partition from 1/2-inch plywood. The side panels should be as long as the stall and 57 inches tall. Use two 2-by-4s as the front corner pilasters, cut to fit between the floor and ceiling. Cut the front panel as wide as the stall and then cut out a 24-inch section from the middle to use as the door. Reduce the door width to 23 1/2-inches to make room for the hinges.

3. Prime and paint all the wood surfaces using high-quality bathroom paint that withstands bathroom moisture. Dry for at least 48 hours before assembling the stall.

4. Find the location of the studs in the wall using a stud finder and marking the walls with a pencil.

5. Install two full-length extruded aluminum wall brackets to the walls, 12 inches from the floor, anchoring them to the wall studs with 2-inch wood screws. Space the brackets to be at least 36-inches apart, depending on your wall stud locations.

6. Mark the position of two pilaster shoes to the front edge where you will mount the pilasters, but don’t screw them in place. Install two ceiling brackets to hold the pilasters.

7. Slide the 2-by-4s into the floor shoes and the top against the ceiling bracket. Screw the top bracket in place and then the shoe, making sure the pilaster is straight with a level.

8. Install a 57-inch steel corner bracket to the edge of the 2-by-4 pilaster, 12 inches from the ground. Repeat for the second pilaster.

9. Hold the side panels in position and then screw them to the brackets at the back wall and the front pilaster, after checking their level.

10. Install two more steel corner brackets to hold the front side panels in place, 12 inches from the floor. Screw the front panels to the bracket.

11. Screw the hinges and the door latch into the door panel. Hold the door panel in place and mark the hinge placement on the front side panels. Screw the hinges in place on the front side panels.

12. Mark the position of the latch and install the inside of the latch mechanism to one of the front side panels, depending on which side you chose to use as the opening.