Sorry, I guess I should clarify. (This is why I linked the product page, because I knew I would not be able to explain this properly.) The oval tub has a "preexisting" sort-of-deck with a flange on three sides, otherwise I would not be so daft as to try to put a shower over it. I like my kitchen ceiling where it is! Here, this is what it looks like: However, and this is what I was asking about with the deck question, from the instructions it appears that there must be some kind of deck on the fourth side which does not have a tile flange if one does not use the optional (icky) apron, but it does not say how wide this deck must be. We both would rather not have to clamber over a wide margin to get into the tub - DH has to use this for showering every day. I'm mostly a lay-backer, not a sit-upper - my shoulders and upper back get very very painful so I have to get them into the scalding water. Unfortunately there isn't enough room for the 5'5" tub that would let me keep both shoulders and knees underwater and actually cover up most of the protruding bits on the front, leaving pretty much just my head and hands (to hold my book, of course) out of the water. ;-) The room is only 60" wide - it was carved out of a bedroom - and even if we had budget to redo all the plumbing there isn't room to turn the tub round sideways. I dislike the look of "stuff" cluttering up tub corners so I'm considering a down-low niche for my shampoo/soap/etc. and a high-up one for DH's shower things, and there will pretty much never be any kind of decorative bits on the corners because they'd just get soaked with the shower spray anyway. Well, okay, maybe a rubber ducky. (But no flamingos!) :-) Those four were pretty much the only tubs I've found that fit the parameters of size/depth, cost (crucial!), and appearance. I'm a short-but-wide person and DH is medium-height(5'9")-and-wide and we both manage OK in a standard 60x32 oblong tub - 34" or 36" would be a nicer but pretty much all I could find in this price point were funky molded-up things that looked like they belonged on the space station. Yuck-O. The deepest of the four tubs is actually the oblong Bancroft at 15" water depth but I'm not thrilled with how it looks, the other three are 14" water depth. The oval looks like it would have less shoulder room but that's not the case? The one oval tub I've seen available for sitting in was just about big enough for a kindergartener to do laps in, so it's pretty useless for comparison!

You would have to make a small hole next to the tile to see if it is cbu or drywall. Most probably it is drywall because the wall around the tub is more like a backsplash in a kitchen versus a shower in a bathroom. The most important thing is does the tub have a tile flange? If so, then you are in luck. When tubs do not have an integral tile flange, then you install a separate tile flange with silicon caulk, adhesive, screws, etc per manufacturer instructions. The cbu is installed a fraction of an inch above the flange. Nowdays, a surface moisture barrier is installed on the cbu - either a topical paint type (Red Guard, Hydroban) or Kerdi (plastic fabric installed like wallpaper with thinset). The gap between the cbu and the tub is filled with caulk - folks like to use Kerdifix. Then the tile is installed on the wall to where it hangs right over the cbu/caulk gap but doesn't quite touch the tub. Then that gap is filled with colored silicon caulk that matches the tub or tile, and it must be maintained for the life of the tub. Same installation is done for shower pans. You are going to have to tear out the existing tile. The issue is that if the tub does not have a tile flange, can you add one to it . Maybe you can detach the tub from the studs, install the tile flange, and then reinstall the tub. Then install your cbu. If you choose to use Kerdi, you do not have to tear out the sheet rock above the tile because Kerdi can also be installed on drywall. If all else fails and you really need a full shower, it may be better to buy a new tub. A soaker tub is cheaper than a whirlpool. If you don't mind the fab walls, Sterling has some nice tub/shower wall sets. Or you can install a handshower to your existing tub. Many times I wash my hair in my tub with my handshower when I have time to take a bath in the mornings. So do some light digging at the edge of your tub to see if it has a tile flange. Also, look up your tub's specs on the internet and/or call the manufacturer. Acrylic tub walls are usually specifically made to go with their matching brand of tubs because of their lock and fit mechanisms. Search this forum and the John Bridge forum for more specifics and details whether you DIY or hire the work out. This post was edited by Anna_in_TX on Sat, Dec 7, 13 at 15:21

Just a comment on this 10 year old post, but about 10 years ago, I had the same problem that the OP had - failed drywall causing tiles to fall in. I used cement board around the tub and shower and green board everywhere else. I didn't find the cement board much more difficult to use than the green board (or any other drywall) so I don't see what the OP's objections to it are. An interesting aside, this bathroom was not original to the house. The non-shower side of the room had been a closet wall (not a bathroom wall). I removed the "drywall" which turned out to be a gypsum board based lath 3/4" thick with plaster over it. On the back of the gypsum board was printed "patented 1885". The house was built in 1890. A cross section showed three layers of plaster between thin sheets of paper.

Thank you everyone for all of your replies! Sorry for the absence...I have no internet here at the house yet. In response to questions/comments: kudzu9: There are areas of the grout that are missing, and the remainder has turned yellow. I would like to replace the missing grout and whiten the yellowed. We hope to rent out the home, so I don't trust tenants to wipe down painted walls. I'm hoping to find a complementary alternative. benjesbride: Unfortunately, the reason I have little budget now is that most of the original plumbing has to be redone. The drains are all old cast iron, and have degraded...there are lead pipes too. So, since they are replacing them, I figure that now would be the time to relocate. Thank you for your advice on "embracing the retro" and your link! nosoccermom: I cant really remove the shower head, as its the only bath in the home. I LOVE your idea of glass, and will research it. Have to figure out how to seal it from moisture and how to make area where it meets tile waterproof. Fori is not pleased: LOL!!!! I'm not pleased either! Thanks for the laugh and suggestion. I will def head over there once I have internet at the house, and am ready to make all the decorating decisions.polly929: I had considered having a company reglaze the tub & tile white, but the many opinions of keeping the original intact have made me reconsider. I am keeping the home, but am trying to fix it up to rent out for now. bpathome: Thanks for sharing your experience. I was considering adding 4x4 tile above the existing, but someone else said it wouldn't look good and hearing your experience too really gives me pause. I agree that the glass sounds like a cool possibility, but I need to research the installation issues. Would wallpaper hold up in a shower??? Yes, I absolutely need to redo the floor. Its a pier and beam home, so I am avoiding any real tile. However, I have looked at black & white LVT alternatives in both the hex and penny. jesshs: That is amazing! I cannot believe someone on here has actually had this tile! And its funny you mentioned grey....that is exactly the color I was thinking of going with on the walls! As far as paint on the shower walls, as I said above to kudzu9, we are planning to rent the home out and I worry about tenants taking the time to do that sort of maintenance. I want to go with something I don't have to worry about them taking care of. cpartist: Another retro vote! I'm coming around :) The grout is yellowed, and missing in a few areas. I'm hoping there is a way to bring it back to white. I agree with you, and everyone else, about the grab bars, as well as the shower head. And so glad to get another grey vote! I am absolutely redoing the floor. Just haven't decided what would go best. Again, THANK YOU everyone for your opinions and suggestions. Please, keep the ideas coming!