It is time for another entry here at the American Bath Remodeling, Inc. blog! Every month, we try to deliver to you, our readers and interested parties, the information you’re furiously googling for. Hoping to answer the stray thoughts you have in your mind like ‘How would I replace tub with shower?’ or other areas of expertise. In fact, this entry is going to cover that exact topic, one of our most popular jobs and requests: Replace a tub with a shower. Here is why you might want to make the conversion, the steps involved in the process and other points of note!
Bathtub to Shower Conversion – Replace That Tub!
First, why might someone want to replace their tub with a shower? What’s the appeal of switching fixtures, after all, they both do the same job don’t they? Why spend the money, or take the time to do a remodel, if you are running a hospitality business, why might you want to invest the resources in a drastic remodel like this? There are a number of pros versus the rather small amount of cons, when it comes to a job like this. Let’s lay them out in the open so you, the reader, can decide ‘is this what I want?’
Pros for Shower vs Tub
Save Water!
This might not be the first thing on your mind, but it bears mentioning. Right now, everyone and everything is working to be more economical, more environmentally conscious. If something is sustainable it is good. Showers just happen to be more environmentally friendly than baths and if that’s one of your concerns, then that alone might be the answer you needed. If you are running a hotel, the water saved also is a saved cost! How’s that for a two-fer!
Save Space!
Baths, in general, tend to take up a huge amount of space in the bathroom. If you are running a building with a lot of families or tenants in the same building, maximizing the space available to them can be a huge boost for their quality of life! Showers can be placed easily in corners, and their footprint is usually half of that of a tub. This means more usable footage, and in hotels, apartment complexes, or military living quarters? That extra square footage is divine!
Variety is the Spice of Life!
For the most part, a tub is a tub, is a tub. While the shape of it might be different, the finish is rarely anything but. When it comes to showers, however, there is so much more customizability. From the walls, the doors, the hardware itself, a shower lets you make a space your own.
Cons for Shower vs Tub
Relax
There are no two ways about it, a bathtub is relaxing. Completely submerging ourselves into warm water just takes the aches and pains right out of our muscles. Sometimes they even have built in massage jets! Sure, a shower can be relaxing, but tubs can be just so much more luxurious.
Family
Baths are so much easier to use when you have children. Giving your kid a shower is quite a Herculean task, but helping them in the tub is easy peasy. If you have more than one child then it can be even better, washing two at a time is so much easier done in a tub, it’s near impossible in a shower!
Cost
Replacing a tub with a shower is just going to cost more, right out the gate. That’s the facts. Keeping something costs you zero, but improving it to the fixture you want is going to cost some upfront. Keep in mind, the water savings you will get from a shower can pay off in the long run!
With those Pros and Cons out of the way, what exactly goes into the replacement?
Replacing Tub with Shower -A Quick Guide
Step 1 -Tear it Out
The first step in the process is to tear out the existing tub. Be cautious as you are working around a bunch of plumbing and flooding your bathroom is by no means a fun time. We recommend hiring professionals for these kinds of jobs for a reason!
Step 2 – Build it Up
In the now vacant space where the tub once stood, you’ll want to build up a shower. This only works if the plumbing is where you want it to be. More likely, you’re removing a tub and want to use a shower for the extra space it can give you. In which case, building the shower in a corner will get you the results you need. If your plumbing already runs to that corner, bingo, you are in business. Otherwise, move on to step 2a.
Step 2a – Plumb it
Your tub in a wacky spot where the shower just won’t make sense? Well, once you’ve gone through the work of tearing the tub out, it might be time to do some replumbing. Again, this is not a DIY job, flooding your house or building can cause such drastic damages that the money saved by doing it yourself is quickly eclipsed by the cost of repairs. Know what you are getting into to before committing to the job.
Once you have your plumbing sorted, you can then build up your shower where you want it.
Step 3 – 100
While you are at it, remodeling the tub into a shower gives you the opportunity to really make the bathroom space your own, or customize it to new specifications. You can add in different shelves or niches, build in better lighting or ventilation or even add a bench to the shower. Once you have opened up the space, and seen what you no longer need, you will no doubt discover steps that can elevate the entire space. Keep your eyes peeled for these opportunities, getting it done all at once can save time and money over going back in later.
Did those pros and cons help you figure out what it is you need? Understanding the steps involved give you the confidence you needed to make the change? If so, and you are ready to replace tubs with showers, give us a call at American Bath Remodeling, Inc. We’d be happy to work with you to build the best bathroom possible, whether it’s a shower, a tub, a new liner, or anything in between, American Bath Remodeling, Inc. does it all!