Tub-to-Shower Conversions in Benson, Four Oaks and Smithfield: What Is Involved

Is a conversion right for your house?

If the home has another bathroom with a tub, converting the primary bath to a walk-in shower rarely causes problems. If it would leave the house with no tub at all, think about who will live there. Families with young children usually want a tub somewhere, and some buyers do too. For a home you plan to stay in, that matters less.

The good news is that a standard tub alcove, about five feet long, makes a comfortable walk-in shower. Using the same space keeps the drain close to where it already is, which keeps the cost down.

What the job involves

A tub-to-shower conversion is done in a set order, and each step depends on the one before.

• ✓Demolition: the tub, the surround or old tile, and the wall board behind it come out, down to the studs and subfloor.
• ✓Inspection and repair: this is when hidden damage shows. Subfloor softened by years of water getting past the tub edge is common, and it has to be replaced before anything goes on top. Our guide to soft spots and subfloor repair explains why.
• ✓Plumbing: the drain is moved from the end of the tub to the shower position, and the valve is usually raised and replaced, often with a hand shower or a second head added.
• ✓Shower pan and waterproofing: a sloped base is built and the whole shower is waterproofed, floor and walls. This is the most important step in the job.
• ✓Tile: wall tile, a niche for bottles, and a floor tile with enough grip for a wet floor.
• ✓Glass, fixtures and finishing: the glass door or panel, trim, grab bars if wanted, paint, and usually a new bathroom floor.

Waterproofing is where a shower lasts or fails

Tile and grout are not waterproof. Water passes through grout lines, and what stops it reaching the wall and floor is the layer behind the tile. A shower can look perfect on the day it is finished and still be leaking into the framing within a couple of years if that layer was done badly.

There are two sound approaches. The traditional one is a mortar bed over a waterproof liner. The modern one is a bonded waterproofing membrane, applied as a sheet or liquid over the walls and a sloped base, which keeps water at the surface of the tile. Either works when it is installed correctly. Ask any contractor which system they use, how the seams and corners are sealed, and whether the shower is flood-tested before tile goes on. Our post on bathroom remodeling in NC covers the sequence in more detail.

Curb or curbless

Most conversions have a low curb at the front of the shower, a few inches high, that keeps water in. It is the simplest and least expensive option.

A curbless, or zero-entry, shower has a floor level with the rest of the bathroom, so you can walk or roll straight in. It is the best choice for aging in place, but the shower floor has to slope down below the bathroom floor. In a crawlspace home that means lowering the subfloor between the joists. On a slab, the concrete under the shower has to be cut out and recessed. Both are possible, and both add cost, so it is worth deciding early.

Tile, glass and safety choices

Large porcelain tiles on the walls mean fewer grout lines to clean. On the shower floor, smaller tiles, such as mosaics, follow the slope to the drain more easily and give more grip underfoot. A linear drain lets you use larger floor tiles because the floor only needs to slope one way. Our guide to tile patterns and layouts shows how layout choices change the look.

For glass, a fixed panel with an open entry is the easiest to keep clean and needs no door. A hinged or sliding door keeps more warmth in. If anyone in the house may need them, add blocking in the walls for grab bars during the remodel, even if the bars go on later, and consider a built-in bench and a hand shower on a slide bar.

What drives the cost

The biggest factors are whether the drain stays close to where it is, whether you choose a curb or curbless entry, the tile you pick and how much of it, the glass, and what turns up during demolition. A conversion that keeps the existing footprint and plumbing location costs considerably less than one that enlarges the shower or moves the toilet.

Plumbing changes generally need a permit, and a written quote should say whether one is needed for your project and who obtains it. For the wider picture, see our guide to kitchen and bathroom remodel costs in Johnston County.

Tub-to-shower conversions in Benson, Four Oaks and Smithfield

Our Angier showroom is about 20 minutes from Benson and Four Oaks and 25 from Smithfield. APW handles the whole conversion with our own crew: demolition, subfloor repair, waterproofing, tile, glass and the new bathroom floor, so the steps that decide whether a shower lasts are done by one team in the right order. At the consultation we measure, check what we can of the subfloor and plumbing, and give you a written, itemized quote.

APW has been a family-owned Angier company since 1973. Our installation professionals are background-checked and trained, every project carries our 100% product and labor guarantee, and 0% financing (same as cash) is available on qualifying remodels. See our bathroom remodeling page, tile flooring in Benson, tile flooring in Smithfield and waterproof flooring in Four Oaks, or book a free consultation.