Wow, thanks bumble doodle! Tt is great to know that the tub works well as a shower. We are tall too--at least most of us (two of my teenage daughters are twins and one is 5'2" and the other is 5'10", so maybe the short one complains a bit but that's ok, since she complains about everything!) We are getting the non-jetted version. Also, I am hoping that building the deck at the front will help with the water spray. I am pushing the tub back into an alcove under the window the long way (so we get into the tub at the 32" side rather than from the 48" side) and we are trying to go without shower doors in order to make the bath feel open. With a deck, we buy a few more inches of length to help avoid water on the floor. We may not succeed and will put a panel on if we have to. Any thoughts on this?

kmcg - Good point about the safety bars. If this for an elderly you probably should install grab bars even with a walk in shower. We did that too for my MIL. Also, be sure to check your local codes about the drain. Some allow 1-1/2" drains as since many of us use low flow showers now it's not a problem. I have put a rubber flat stopper over mine some times when I feel I need a foot bath. Even after washing may hair etc, it doesn't get close to overflowing.

That alcove is designed to house a tub only, not a tub shower unit. You can't "repurpose" what's there without water damage to your floor, window, and behind your walls. The tub itself not designed to be used that way, and neither is the window designed to be in a wet area. You'd need to rip it all out and start over by installing a smaller and waterproof window, then installing a tub that had an integral tile flange which is part of the waterproofing system needed. Then your waterproofing membrane and whatever wall cladding you might want.

I renovated the bathroom in my condo last year, which included replacing the tub. The enamel on the old tub (installed in the 1970s) was very scratched. The new one is a a Bootz porcelain on steel tub. It's only been about 15 months since the renovation was completed but I have no problems so far. The non-slip bottom is not difficult to keep clean. I use Barkeeper's Friend cleaner (easily available in stores and not expensive) per the manufacturer's instructions. I went with porcelain on steel because I live on the second floor of an apartment building, and since the old one was not cast iron I didn't know if the weight of a new cast iron tub would be a problem. I went with Bootz on the recommendation of my contractor, who has installed a bunch of them with no complaints. A neighbor refinished their tub a few years back and the fumes were terrible.