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Considering changing from tub to shower on remodel-should I?

8 years ago

We currently have three bathrooms. Master is tub plus separate shower; second is shower and the third which we will remodel currently has a tub with shower included. The house was built in 1988 on concrete slab.

Is it cheaper/better/worse to change out the tub for a shower only? Do I need the second tub for resale purposes? Is one significantly more expensive than the other? The tub is in good condition but the fixtures are terrible and the room is very dated.

I had previously considered having the tub refinished (kids are out of the house and it will get minimal use) but I'm not sure about that as a possibility either.

Thanks!

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Comments (9)

PRO
By Any Design Ltd.
8 years ago
Rip it out. I my opinion a home needs one tub and that's it.
sjhockeyfan325
8 years ago
i agree!
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Nothing Left to Say
8 years ago
Who will be using that bathroom? My oldest took baths exclusively until he was six. My youngest is still taking only baths at five. So ideally, I'd have a tub in bathrooms used by kids. I know you said your kids are gone, but do you have visitors with kids or grandkids now or potentially soon?

For resale, if I had kids and was looking to buy I'd prefer a house with a tub in the bathroom used by the kids, rather than storing their toys in my bathroom and having them troup into my bathroom. Same with a guest bathroom, it would be nicer to have the ability to bath my kids and I would definitely not want to impose on my host to use the master bathroom.

On the other hand, if the bathroom will be used primarily by elderly visitors, a walk in shower would probably be better.

This is very much guessing, but I'd think cost is probably a wash? The tub will be more expensive in materials but cheaper in labor. If you go with the inexpensive kohler cast iron tub available at Home Depot, you are probably ahead of a tiled shower floor in cost? The tub is definitely cheaper than a cast iron shower base.
chisue
8 years ago
Can you get the tub out of the house?

I wouldn't go to the expense of putting in a shower. Can you just replace fixtures, paint, etc.?
bob_cville
8 years ago
Isn't there a potential issue in that a tub usually has a 1 1/2' drain whereas a shower requires a 2" drain?
Bunny
8 years ago
I think it's a good idea to have one tub available. I got a brand new tub when I remodeled my guest bath. It's my only tub. Everyone said my old one was too shallow and I needed a deeper tub. I got a deeper tub. Big effing deal. I have used the tub ONCE in the year I've had it. The depth makes no sense to me. I don't need to practice floating anymore.

But I digress. You already have a tub. If there's no one else in the house who needs a separate tub and your visitors typically don't need one (little kids) and you aren't planning to sell your house in the near future, then I'd get rid of it and go with just a shower.
PRO
Avanti Tile & Stone / Stonetech
8 years ago
One tub in a house is fine for resale (kids). I regularly convert a tub to a shower...VERY popular and, yes...you'll need to swap out the i.5" drain for a 2" one....but, no worries....a good tile mechanic (or plumber) can do that quite easily.
chispa
8 years ago
I am going to be changing out a tub/shower to shower only, unfortunately it is in the one section of the house downstairs that is on a slab, so it will involve some jackhammering to reposition the drain from the side to the middle. It will cost more, but will be well worth it. I will still have 2 tubs upstairs, one a soaking tub in the master and the other a tub/shower in one of the kid's bathrooms.
sjhockeyfan325
8 years ago
chispa, have you considered a linear drain, which has a much lower profile?

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