I recommend against the Kohler Underscore Bubblemassage acrylic bathtub. My experience indicates Kohler has a high defect rate with these tubs. I've had *three* 60" x 36" Underscore jetted tubs sent to me in a 2-1/2 month span and ALL have been defective. The first and third tubs leaked. The first tub leaked heavily in at least six places, despite the shipping box and the tub itself appearing pristine. The third-party repair company Kohler sent could not fix all the leaks. Kohler explained this as a "rare" defect in "channels" within the tub, a flaw that cannot be caught through mere visual inspection. Apparently, the flaw also does not show up in Kohler's quality control checks at the factory. Kohler said this happens because the factory fills and drains each tub within minutes, and sometimes it takes hours for these leaks to appear. The second tub Kohler sent me was so poorly packaged that it arrived scratched and with interior stains. The distributor said that was a common occurrence with Kohler's "express ship" program, that they don't spend the time to package the tub in the typical way. The third tub also leaked, this time through a factory-installed tube connecting the body of the tub to the air jet motor. I am awaiting a Kohler-appointed repair person to come out a fix it. We hope the defect can be corrected so I don't have to pay for installation a third time. Each time I call, Kohler's representatives reassure me these defects are "rare" and they apologize for the inconvenience. Inconvenience aside -- my bathroom project has gone from a 3-week timeline to a 3-month timeline because of the delays incurred by waiting for replacement bathtubs -- the cost of ripping out and disposing of the first defective tub and reinstalling yet another defective tub has *almost doubled* my costs for this bathtub. Kohler has paid for the replacement tub and shipping, but that does not approach the personal cost of these delays. Kohler claims defects in this tub are rare, but I've had 3 delivered to my home, and my experience indicates their defect rate is 100%. Furthermore, Kohler's people, while polite and apologetic, have done NOTHING to expedite either the attempted repairs or the shipping of replacement tubs. This is what is most unacceptable: I understand that mistakes happen. No manufacturing process is perfect. But Kohler's customer service has been equally disappointing: lengthy remediation processes with no follow up, empty apologies with no expedited assistance and all costs borne by me. The tub looks beautiful, but I wish I never bought it. So much trouble.

You speak of guests - is this the only bathroom in the house? Maybe I'm "speshul" ;-) but I have never dried off in the tub/shower enclosure in my entire life. I step out onto a bathmat or rug and dry off there. There is some drippage but not that much and that's what the mat is for anyway. I tub-bathe at least once daily and I very rarely splash in any quantity, though - perhaps you should install grab bars around your tub so you can get in and out without drowning the bathroom. At the very least, use Kerdi waterproofing membrane on the floor as well as in the tub/shower area! Mold and mildew issues can be mostly mitigated by installing a GOOD ventilation fan and USING it. Put it on a pushbutton timer (Leviton makes a very nice one), that's easiest, since you can just push the button and forget about it. Caulks have also improved in recent years, with anti-mildew agents in the formula to help prevent the growth of the "creeping crud". Polyseamseal makes a "mildew-proof" (I put that in quotation marks because it's really just mildew resistant, but you want to look for the "mildew-proof" label) caulk in several colors. You don't want to hear Bill's lecture about showers and drop-in tubs. Suffice it to say it's a bad idea. I also think it's a poor idea to have a drop-in tub and a tiled deck because of the sloshing and splashing you were emphasizing - that's a lot of places for potential leaks. Because of that, there is a type that is a lot smarter for you to have, sometimes called an "oval in rectangle" because of the integral deck. I think would make the most sense would be to use something like the Kohler Lakewood tub, installing it at one end of the bath (since, after all, you have the perfect 5' wide space) as an alcove installation. The Lakewood is an oval whirlpool tub with an integral deck and tile flange, and attached apron for ease in getting in and out, as well as circumventing another potential place for water infiltration. The Lakewood's pump can be placed away from the tub to reduce the noise problem. Tile the walls to the ceiling in the tub area and think about a high-ish tiled wainscot (with Kerdi behind it) in the rest of the room. Seriously consider, if this is the only bath, using a standard tub/shower faucet setup; you can replace a conventional showerhead with a handshower mounted on a sliding bar. A shower curtain to go on a tension rod can be stashed in a linen closet for when guests will be visiting. A few other tubs that also fit this installation (once I started really hunting, I was surprised at how many whirlpools were appropriate for this installation method): Kohler Pristine; a three-wall alcove installation with tile flange, but no apron front so would need to have a tiled apron. Kohler Dockside, ditto, with inline heater Kohler Terracina, which is probably the most practical possible setup although not necessarily the most aesthetically pleasing. Kohler Windward, oval alcove with tile flange and apron Maax Oxford, optional apron & tile flange Maax M 4260O IFS-TO Aquatic Carmel; optional factory-installed tile flange and optional skirt Americh Bel Air, ditto Americh Beverly, ditto MTI models Mirage (a pretty awesome setup, and nice looking), Sumter 2, Sinclair 2, Charleston 1 Jacuzzi Nova and Luxura (not as nice an oval) OK, that's enough shopping for you, you're on your own after this. :-)

Interesting thread this. I worried that it might be narky, fists banging on the table demanding that people take the advice, but it's in a lower key which I like. 'The funny thing with my scenario, is that I think she got thrown off by what composting actually is - maybe when she saw the flies and maggots on the top of the pile of rotting food and organic matter.' Interesting point, this. These days people don't grow up with their hands in mud making mud pies, having been turfed out of the house to go and play. It's all electronic rot. Sad I reckon. And all that marketing everywhere we are and almost everywhere we go. My father said decades ago how harmful it is to us all. And now, as if it couldn't get any worse, fake grass is springing up. My neighbour had no front garden the other day. Then an attractive retaining wall grew, slowly (by todays standards) and carefully. It looked very nice and they'd taken with it. I went out. When I came back, three trees had sprung up at a height of about six or seven feet high and a bright green 'lawn' lay basking in the sun. Instant garden. I couldn't help but say to my partner, "That isn't gardening..." I wasn't being critical, I just felt perplexed.

The shower door cannot be measured, ordered, and installed until the shower is completed. Use the shower for a week or two and then decide. It wouldn’t work for us because DH is “ an enthusiastic bather”. There would be water everywhere. But there is no rush. This question comes up so frequently and the solution is simple-use the shower without the glass and decide what works for you.