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Design Dilemma Plumbing Bathrooms

Combine separate shower and tub to make combination - can I DIY?

3 years ago

So I’ve just purchased a home and am looking for a cost-effective way to simplify a weird and outdated bathroom; I intend to fix up some stuff and rent it out, so I’m not looking to sink a ton of money into it and would like to DIY as much as possible.

Right now: floor-to-ceiling tiles in the shower and tub, which are separate but adjacent (see photos). The rest of the bathroom is tiled about 4’ up. It’s VERY PINK with some purple and black mixed in for good measure. The shower is straight-up frightening, it’s probably not much bigger than 2’x2’.

What I’m trying to do: Consolidate the two units into one by turning the tub into a shower/tub combo. Eliminate the stall shower and put a linen closet there. Reglaze all tile to a more neutral tone, then minor aesthetic stuff like replacing the vanity. No moving of plumbing, but will need to remove the pipes to the existing shower.

I know that the removal of the shower is gonna be a pain, and I’ll probably try my hand at it and re-evaluate whether it’s best suited for a contractor. My main questions involve the plumbing:

Can the existing line to the tub simply be extended up to create a shower head? Or does new pipe need to be run? I’m hoping the removal of the shower will expose the pipes for easier access.
Since I’ll be discontinuing the use of the existing shower, what is the protocol for “turning off” that line? Does all piping need to be removed and capped somewhere?
And on the creative side, I’ll obviously need to do a certain amount of damage/removal of the existing tile wall to fit it with a shower pipe. Any ideas how I can minimize the damage so it’s not hideous and doesn’t cause issues for waterproofing and whatnot?

Any general ideas are welcome, even if it means recommending that I just take a sledgehammer to the walls and start from scratch. Would love to hear any and all thoughts here!

I’ve attached the only photo I have of the bathroom (shower not shown) and drew up a general idea of what the space looks like so my description is (hopefully) a bit clearer.

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Comments (4)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
Since this is going to be a gut job why not just do the gutting DIY and then get a plumber to come in and deal with the plumbing aspect which BTW is not that complicated to do then the shower spce can become a really nice storage area either closed or nice thick shelves left open. Maxx makes great tub / shower combos that are deep tub and the walls can be ordered for getting into small spaces easily and the acrylic tub showers are IMO the way to go with renters .
beesneeds
3 years ago
Wow, that's very pink. Could you give us a pic of the shower please?
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We have a Kohler Sonata Shower Module in our kid's bathroom. I realize that you are looking for a different combination but wanted to let you know that the acrylic module is holding up great. The house is about 20 years old and for a long time the Sonata must have been the only shower in the house. Other than the shower glass doors that clearly show the signs of age (spots and etching that does not come out anymore) the acrylic is holding up great. No scratches, no stains, still looking like new. Easy to clean. Hope this helps.
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For those who like the immersion of a tub and the moving water or massage-like functions, but hate the gunk and the noise, one company makes jetted tubs differently and those issues are supposed to be minimized or eliminated. They used to be called Sanijet and Spike had a policy against allowing us to even mention the name because they had violated his strict anti-advertising policy. I got a warning just for asking about them. (For you Houzzers who never visited us when we were THS, it was strictly forbidden for even the Pros who contributed to the discussions to even mention their company names before Houzz bought the Garden Web and This Home Site) Now, the company is named Purewater Baths. Pipeless Technology at Purewater Baths Each jet is a separate electric motor and there are no pipes under the tub going from jet to jet. So no microbe-filled gunk will greet you when you start jets that have been sitting unused with stagnant water sitting in the pipes since the last bath. Since there is no central pump, there is no vibrating motor making noise and humming for all the adjoining rooms to hear. It is supposed to be a technology that allows you to talk, listen to music, or watch TV, if that is what you want to do while soaking. Also, when installing a conventional jetted tub with pipes, you should be able to elevate the center of each plastic tubing pipe so that it always drains clear after using the tub. This would help with the dirty water/gunk issue. I always wanted to try one, and had hoped for years to someday have one, before arthritis and my other joint disorder made getting in and out of tubs impossible for me. They are more expensive, but I was willing to save for that if it made the bathing experience worthwhile. For those voicing objections to the gunk and the noise, I thought that letting you know about this option would be beneficial.
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Nice rearrangment, but it's going to cost you bundles of money. Toilet and shower drains aren't the same size, and depending on your sub-floor, the new drains you need to run could be very expensive to install if not possibly damage your foundation if the work isn't done right or you don't have a wood floor with accessible plumbing underneath. Your situation looks like it might be good for one of those steam showers where you have a big tub with a steam shower combination. I'd look into that first and then consider other options. Here's an example of a steam shower with hot tub that you can put where the current combo is for a more luxurious experience:
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A picture? Is it one piece or is tub and walls separate?
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User
3 years ago
https://www.ceramictilefoundation.org/homeowners-guide-to-hiring-qualified-tile-installer
Seabornman
3 years ago
You don't show pics of the shower or tub plumbing wall, however I think it's possible to do if you demo the shower, being careful at the wall between shower and tub. You'll probably find the floor of the shower is thickset, so that will require some infill. You'll also probably find galvanized piping, which will need to be removed and capped. What is underneath this bathroom? Then you could install new piping and a new shower/tub valve, drilling new holes for the valve and head. There's a slim chance you can use the existing holes for the faucet handles, but you'll probably have to figure out how to patch with salvaged tile.

You're not going to lose the pink without a quantum level increase in time, effort and money.

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