Nothing wrong with a mud pan, nothing. It's only job with a waterproofing and vapor proofing membrane is to slope the water to the drain. It's secondary purpose is to give the tile something to sit on. Your young buck is right, they are old school and they do leak. That is how they are designed, get water leaks through them into the secondary weep hole in the drain. But, a waterproofing membrane applied on top of them keeps any water from even seeing the mud bed. Your old school guy might just be too old. Kerdi can to over a mud bed just like it goes over the Durock walls. In fact many people find it preferable to have a mud bed instead of the styrofoam pan. The Kerdi just gets seamed on the bed like the walls. Be sure to use the Kerdi drain or a Bonded Flange Drain if you use another sheet membrane. It's a must for the system. DO NOT let them talk you into a $15 drain and a divot method. Pay the $100 for the correct drain. Wedi is fine except that the details to make it vapor proof for the steam unit are tedious and if not done properly will compromise the system. Much easier to do a correct job with a sheet membrane like Kerdi. That Wedi is also going yo be a problem getting properly secured on the ceiling, especially one 40 sq ft +.

Joy--The floors in the picture are about 5 years old. The new floors will be lighter at first, but will reach that same color in probably only a few months. We shouldn't have a problem feathering in the new wood and creating a new transition. Ptamom--thanks for the compliment on the cabinets. And I know exactly what you're saying about stuff shattering on tile. That's definitely a drawback. We haven't chosen a backsplash yet, but would gravitate toward lighter if we choose the wood floor. ca_mom--the cabs aren't Brazilian cherry and the floors are at their aged color, so unfortunately that's how they will look together 5 years from now. But, yes, the wood is a bit cheaper and the installation is a lot cheaper than tile. That's a bonus! Chinchette--Thanks for the alternate view. It's such a nice space (love your ceramic gecko!), and it's nice to see how well it works with the wood and tile right next to each other. I was speaking to the associate at the tile store yesterday and she too said to NOT put any type of threshold/transition strip between the two. Now that I see yours, it makes sense!

I had always been told that the batch feed disposals were a workaround for situations where there was no separate switch- you could get a batch feed unit and not have to break into your wall, backsplash or countertop to install a switch to operate the garbage disposal. I had a batch feeder for about 20 years, they are alright. My new disposal is the one you are thinking of getting rid of. I like it and prefer it over the old batch feeder. What I like best is that I have a single sink and its one drain has the garbage disposal. I have never understood why sinks with multiple drains had only one drain hooked up to the garbage disposal.... It does not seem so difficult to have one that could hook up to both drains but I have not seen one.

@Nancy in Mich, thanks for the details. I just found your bathroom reveal post too. I'm glad you're happy with the outcome. I have been reading about the pros and cons of cultured marble; I had checked out swanstone (not available near me - Canada); I'm only seeing solid stone panels showing up on box store sites but will keep looking. The contractor, who does accessible bathrooms tends to use cultured marble from a particular local manufacturer and say it's great. According to that company's website, "It is possible to repair scratches, chips, and minor blemishes. A repair person can re-buff the surface or patch with a special mixed gel-coat compound." They also say " Cultured marble is easy to care for and keep clean. Simply squeegee after each shower to quickly remove water drops from walls and to clean, you can use most non-abrasive cleaners. If hard water deposits accumulate, they can be dissolved with vinegar applied from a spray bottle. Cultured marble that has lost its shine can be restored by using Gel-Gloss or Counter Top Magic once a year. " Of course they'll say their product is awesome, right? ;) I do recall from years ago my parents had a bathroom vanity with cultured marble all in one countertop and sink bought from a box hardware. It didn't last forever and eventually had to be replaced. Hopefully quality is different now. Also, it might be easier on a wall than a basin that is collecting all kinds of liquids and such. Right now the bathroom is too narrow for dad to go in with his walker; thankfully there's a long vanity counter he holds onto, and when going in the tub, there are grab bars and mom is there to guide him. We'll likely go 0-threshold to allow him turning space with his walker. He also has low vision and one eye has no sight so balance is a concern. Thank God he has never fallen in the bathroom. The reno plan will unfortunately mean a small vanity and essentially no storage. I'm going to start a thread to get some ideas because no one who has come out has any ideas. The main reason is that widening to door will take up their linen closet and most of where the current vanity is. I do wonder about the comfort of a tile floor - seems it would be chilly and hard on the soles of one's feet so you'd need slippers all the time. Dad already wears them but not mom. That will be an adjustment. It'll take some more work trying to find something with sufficient texture and slip resistance while being comfortable for standing on. Did you buy your new shower curtain online? It's hard to find heavy weighted ones in the local stores anymore.