I used a rubber sheet cut to fit behind the flange with the hole for the pipe barely large enough to fit snugly around the pipe. Most people cut an X smaller than the pipe diameter since the rubber will stretch to fit. I used a silicon type adhesive/filler to attach this gasket to the filter body although there are a number of products that would work as well. It doesn't have to dry hard. In fact it is better if it remains flexible. It has been in place over 10 years now. The flange can be tightened down to compress the rubber to prevent leaks. Check the plumbing section for DIY rubber sheets. They are usually about 4x4 inches.

If you just want to replace the stationary showerhead with a handheld, the type of rough-in valve won't matter. But if you want both - to add a handheld in addition to the main showerhead - it is another story (valves, diverters, additional pipes, etc as already mentioned). Since the plumbers have done the rough-in, use the handles your ordered for them and get any handheld shower head from HD. It'll work fine. I've done it many times before (replaced mine again last week - and I have 50+ yr old fixtures). All you would be doing is unscrewing the main showerhead and screwing a new one onto the pipe that extends from the wall.

Give me a few weeks and I will post pictures of my new (tiny) master bath that will have a drop in tub and shower combination. My contractor is installing the tub up against the wall on three sides. He will then be putting kerdi panels (used for waterproofing) from the ceiing to the lip of the tub on all three sides and on the section of the pony wall that connects to the lip of the tub on the fourth wall. Note I am saying lip of the tub, not to the "deck". He has explained that all water on the three sides and pony wall that runs down the wall will only have the option of being routed to the tub (unless somehow the acrylic lip on the tub could absorb water, not possible.) If I remember correctly, part of the fourth wall will include the glass shower door which will be fabricated/installed on a seam so that it also touches the tub at the lip and not deck and designed such that water will run back into the tub. The advantages is that basically this is a setup kind of like an undermount where the tub (and most importantly tub lip) are beneath all four sides that are waterproofed because they are designed so there is no path for water to leave the tub. The down side is that the deck for this top mounted tub is pretty much non-existant, maybe 1 inch or so on all sides. That is okay with me since this was the only tub I could find that met my requirements for size and also, and for soaking. It is the Kohler Greek tub and I can't wait til I can have my first soak. So perhaps you could get your contractor to do what mine is doing and add kerdi panels to the walls surrounding your tub - best if it is in an alcove. If not an alcove, then I guess the only way to provide the kerdi waterproofing would be to add walls to make an alcove. Kind of extreme probably. When I talked to my contractor about a top mounted tub and shower combination, he understood exactly the problems and he has done this before. I even found some very old posts by him years ago when he advised people like you not to do this kind of configuration. So I hope my confidence isn't misplaced. Though the new bath will not be anything to show off because it is so tiny, I will post so people may have an idea that seems logical on how to solve this problem if you don't seem to have any other options. Stay tuned.

First of all...don’t panic! Get some dark brown paint, closely matching the color of your vanity. What material is your cabinet made from? You might be able to get away with using paint from a hobby store. Get a slightly darker color, too. Then paint the part that is exposed with the paint that most closely matches your vanity. It will still be visible. The trick will be to lightly feather in a darker color so that it appears to mimic the “wood” finish that was on your vanity. You could also try Minwax stain pens, sold at hardware stores. I have had a lot of luck with those on scratched furniture and floors. Where is this located in your bathroom? It might be something that only you will see. Good luck!