I forged on. The Strata Mat is down and looks pretty good. I used Laticrete 254 thinset. I will leave the shower as is. It will drain and that is the main thing. I plan on having a sliding door, and the lower end will be where the stationary part is. So I think the shower door that slides past will be up a scant amount from the stationary door but...oh well. I don't think it will be a problem.

I keep revisiting this thread, hoping for a Sign. :) Is it ever acceptable to use a shower pan and create a tile threshold over it, thereby making it higher? As for cleaning the nonskid elements of a shower or tub. I have some wonderful nonskid strips in my otherwise very slippery acrylic tub where I take my showers. Yes, they pick up and hold grime a little too well and you can't just go gangbusters cleaning acrylic. The other day I used some Softscrub and a curved nail brush that fits around a couple of fingers. With very little elbow grease ALL the grime was removed and the shape of the nail brush is very ergonomic.

Cat_mom...I love Kohler‘s cast iron receptor and would buy one in a heartbeat, but my 120-year old house (a converted schoolhouse) is built over a mostly inaccessible crawl space with dirt floor and my cast iron bathtub is always ice cold. That’s why I’m considering the MTI acrylic pan. It’s heavier than other brands and has some custom options, such as a foam base that provides a sturdy surface (no flexing) and radiant heat built into the floor. Pricewise, it’s similar to cast iron. The radiant heat option adds $800 to the cost, so I’m forgoing it. The no-slip surface is very important.

Good news. But the situation with the leveling is still there. If you wish to leave the tiles there, you will have to put some money and muscle and rented machines into this. It will probably take 2-3 days longer than if you hammered out the tiles. But if you insist, here are the list of instructions: 1. Rent sanding machine and purchase pads/belts for stone/concrete/tile 2. Tent off the kitchen with plastic sheeting; as well as air vents to prevent dust from getting into the ducts 3. Sand/rough up the tile (take the shiny finish off so that the next steps have something to grab on to). 4. With shop-vac, vacuum up the dust created by the sanding; wipe clean with water; allow to dry 5. Purchase primer AND Self Leveling Compound (SLC); make sure the two products are compatible....usually working with the same manufacturer is the way to go. 6. Roll on the primer onto the roughed up surface of the tile 7. Allow to cure (probably 1 day) 8. Mix recommended amount of SLC to cover your tiles in the MEDIUM amount of product allowable (read instructions to find out the MAXIMUM and the MINIMUM thickness and then pick an amount in between) 9. Trowel on or 'float' the cementatious material over the tile...remember to check for 'level' every few minutes (remember: SLC is NOT self-leveling = you will work very hard to keep everything level) 10. Allow to cure (24-48 hrs depending on your manufacturer) 11. Check for level. Mark the 'high' points and begin sanding those areas down 12. Vacuum up excess material; wipe down with lighting damp cloth 13. Allow to dry 14. Begin installing the floor. Whew! If you hire this out, you will pay $2/sf for this type of job. If it is a small kitchen, then you will pay a 'minimum job' fee which could look a bit more like $3-4/sf. If you remove the tiles you will pay $2/sf (same applies above). But the height variance between the two floors will be easier to deal with. You only need to 'lift' the kitchen floor to meet the REST of the house...which is much, much much smaller area to deal with.