Well, originally I planned on granite tiles on the deck and granite countertop. But the vanity was too small for granite for some reason (Lowes came out to measure), and I was concerned about the weight, the granite tile at Job Lot sold out so the bathroom has just been sitting waiting for me to find the right tile for the deck (and get around to tiling it and the floor). Now my design has taken a new direction thanks to my cousin's DH gutting the old farmhouse to put in insulation, wiring and drywall. The "barn board" is actually wide plank tongue and groove chestnut (?) roughly handplaned that was used as the original interior walls in the one room (and pantry) that was the whole house built in 1743. Later when the house was added onto, it was covered with lathe and horsehair plaster. I helped tear down all the old plaster (broke my heart) last year and scrape linoleum off the old wide pine floorboards that he is now ripping down to make door and window trim. He was going to use the beadboard as wainscot but my cousin just wanted this room done (it's going to be their master BR, they keep moving as they finish rooms) so he just drywalled everything. He would have painted it white b/c she didn't want a dark room (it's got 3 windows in it!) so I'm glad he didn't use it, said I could have it. Even though it was all around the room, he didn't seem to have much of it and westiegirl suggested that it be highlighted more in my bath by just using it on the apron (front of the tub going down to the floor) and maybe a little on the surround (where the deck meets the walls above the tub). Also on the countertop of a "farm table" vanity I will build to drop my sinks into. The rough boards will have to be planed for the countertop to get rid of the plaster streaks and to make them smooth, that will get rid of the bead but the tongue and groove will still fit together (I'd also use pocket screws I think for strength underneath the countertop). I was hoping just to sand the planks to use in the tub area by hand (orbital sander) just so they're not rough enough to scrape my legs, but keep the bead. I don't mind if some plaster streaks (embedded in the grain, not sitting on top) still show, think that gives it character. The top edge will be routed down in an eased profile to cover the edges of the tile. No, I hadn't considered white tile for the deck - never thought of making it look like a big rectangular tub, since there is a high rim, it's not undermounted. I don't know whether it's best to tile the floor and deck first, then put the wood on the apron or not. Might be - last house we built the apron first, made sure it stood proud of the deck enough for tile and thinset, but then when the guy tiled it we had a few spots here and there that were lower than the wood edge, and 1 spot that was higher.

Cold-weather... thank you for your thoughful response. I have some comments and questions for clarification, if you don't mind: If you’re thinking of raising the deck, a deck-cabinet gap can be concealed far easier than the tub-deck gap, but the deck is hard in the wall tile, so that's a big bite for the tile installer to eat. >>> You are sooo right about the tile on the deck being against the wall and since the bottom has crackled glass tiles you can't raise the deck tile without it coming against that glass... and that you can't replace just one row of the glass without it messing everything else up. Darn!!! Guess that option is out.Any tub installer who left it that way is a screw up. The tub installer was the ONLY person who was in a position to fix this thing. Since that person did not, that person gets the prize for the ultimate screw up. If he/she could not do a better job, he/she should not have done any job. The entire onus is on the tub guy to do it or to not do it. >>> The really frustrating part is that I have been a part of the process - trying to get them to do it right (I had to tell then that they used the wrong material - drywall instead of mortar... and I only found that out by researching and talking to people). The GC wanted to give them another chance to fix the issue and since it was only putting mortar in, we didn't think they could screw that up (wrong!!!). Now we have a mess. That's a fiberglass/plastic tub with two things to be aware of. One, the feet can be cut, and they can be set in a bed of mud along with the tub belly. They’re wood blocks covered with resin. Two, the top can be scribed, but only by someone far more competent than this guy. That tub should hang by the top rim and sit firmly on the bottom mud at the same time. It should be set in the mud (which could have a separator layer like a plastic bag or a piece of shower liner) with a load of water in it. >>> Unfortunately it is near impossible to get to the back right corner of the tub because it is filled with all kinds of innerworkings of the tub. The good news is that the ONLY corner that lays flat against the tile is that back right corner... so presumably they can work on the other 3 corners. The mortar does have plastic on it now... so I guess that's a good thing.. would they have to take all the mortar out first and then do something with the feet? By scribing do you mean shaving the top of the feet off? (I hate to say this but in the framer took off a couple of the back feet off at one point... because he thought they were part of the shipping material.. not supposed to stay on the tub). And by mud with water... do you mean mortar like shown in the pic? Caulking/sealing/bridging a quarter inch gap is absurd. The sealant is to stop water from seeping, not to stop pencils from rolling. Sealant thickness should be nearly unseen. It has no strength. Cut the tub. Everything points to the tub person being not skilled enough to eat a donut without a bib. Since the top edge of the tub is NOT level, cut! I can’t see how the GC could allow this. >>> Funny that you should mention pencils rolling - I just took a pic tonight to send to the GC and one of the pics showed a pen under the edge. Okay, not funny at all. Thank you for explaining about the sealant and why it has to be fixed. Cut the tub. >>>What do you mean "cut the tub"I'm gathering from everyone that this is a big problem that just has to be fixed.. it's not an aesthetic thing (which is bad enough... that big gap is going to look bad) but I'm going to have a problem down the road...

For a jetted tub used as a shower, it has to have an integral tile flange. That allows the wall cladding to overhang and any water that hits the wall to not go behind your walls. There aren't that many in that size that are inexpensive. It will need a specialized drain, and, if you want to spend any time in the tub, a supplemental heater so the water doesn't cool off so fast. Since it's a tub/shower, the wall cladding will need to be redone to be waterproof into the tub. It's possible, if the build is recent, and it was done with the proper vapor barrier behind it, that only one row of the tile would need to be pulled in order to replace the tub. But, I wouldn't count on that. I'd count on having to replace all of the wall cladding in the alcove. That can be as cheap as a plastic surround for around $100 or cheap tile with the proper vapor barrier for probably $150 or so. The first is the easiest and the least chance of leaking. The second will read as more upscale, but you have to be sure your contractor understands about the vapor barrier and correct materials to use to tile this (NOT mastic.) And since you have that torn out, it would be foolish to try to keep your current control valves for the bath unless they are also very new. New safety standards are in place for anti scald mechanisms. So, you will need a new shower/bath faucet and valve. Then you will need the electrical line run from the panel to the location for the whirlpool pump and supplemental heater. That location is usually opposite the drain side of the tub. You will need to be able to site an access panel that is removable to be able to get to the electrical innards here. That can be from an adjacent room, or from a hidden panel on the tub itself. All in all, you might be able to get all of the needed materials for 2-3K if you shop the box stores carefully and find some bargains. The danger to that is that if you are inexperienced, you don't know if you're buying quality or crap. They sell both. And that's one reason that it would be simpler to let the pro pick the products after you tell him the features that you want. Then you've got to pay the contractor labor to install all of that. The electrician's price will depend on how difficult it will be to access the panel and run the wire to the location. For that, it's a really good thing you are on a crawlspace! That makes it cheaper for both the electrician and the plumber. On the whole, I'd expect your project to cost between 5-7K, depending on location, and if you have no DIY skills to bring to the table and have to hire professionals for the whole job. And be sure that you hire someone that is licensed and insured to be in your home, and will pull the proper permits to get the job inspected with your code office. Some handyman guy isn't licensed to do electrical of that nature, and while he might be able to do the demo and get the tub in place and glue on the plastic surround, it's unlikely that he'll have the right insurance to deal with a large job like that, and thus probably wont' want to pull permits and be inspected. They are usually limited to smaller jobs like simple fixture replacements like a faucet or light. Which this isn't. Just remember, you are doing a project that combines electricity and water. You really have to know what you're doing here! A small General Contractor should be able to do the complete job, and also carry the needed papers. And he should have no problem with the code guys coming in to inspect his work either. If he does, then he's not the right person for the job.

@jewelisfabulous - ahh, so nice to have a window! I'd like to hang artwork, but I'd be a bit concerned it might fall and damage our new tub! @monicakm_gw - thank you taking the time to attach a photo. What a serene bath tub you have! You just gave me a great idea for the 3 walls that will be bare since we won't be tiling all the way up to the ceiling. A towel rack would look great on the back wall :) 1. Did you mean your tub is 19" in height (from the floor)? 2. If it's not too much trouble, I'd love to see what your faucet for the bath tub looks like!