I think this really depends. If the original floor is a solid mortar bed and there is no cracking of the existing tile, this is routinely done. It makes the floor thicker, an issue at the doorway, and it makes it that much heavier, but it isn't always wrong. The shower floor and walls are a different story since it sounds like it is changing in size and it would probably be best to start that area from the studs or subfloor up.

I am also a female (5'6") and I did nearly all of the demo on a recent bathroom remodel myself. I did have some assistance from my brother and father carrying the vanity out of the room, smashing the cast iron tub, and taking down a large mirror. If you are in reasonable health and shape, you should be able to do this yourself with the exception of some awkward or heavy lifting that might require two people. My bathroom previously had a cast iron tub, full glass shower doors, tile over a mortar bed, and sheet vinyl flooring. I removed everything except most of the dry wall. The hardest part was actually hauling the tile and mortar bed waste down a flight of stairs and outside. So make certain you're comfortable carrying heavy loads of materials to your dumpster. You may be surprised at how much material you'll be dealing with. Get proper tools and equipment including gloves and eye protection. (Flying tile shrapnel is sharp.) Also, demolition by myself ended up taking longer than I expected, so be prepared for that. I'm glad to hear of other women that are taking on home improvement projects themselves.

A couple of things here, as this cat can be skinned in a couple of ways. radioguy is correct, you don't want two vapor barriers in a wall assembly. Your Home Depot guys are technically correct in that the faced insulation you have is a vapor barrier. If installed correctly. Most faced insulations are not installed correctly, thus the barrier is compromised. What you also want, however, is a drainage barrier between the framing and the cement board. This way, if moisture were to ever get through the cement board, the barrier isolates the moisture from the framing. What would I do? Take a utility knife and slash the heck out of the facing on the faced insulation. Now it's no longer a vapor barrier. As it's now installed, the facing on the insulation may protect the wall cavity from vapor, but not the framing itself. Time out: I'll come right out and say I'm not at all a fan of faced FG insulations. FG is one of the the least effective types of insulation, and based upon the way it's typically installed, the facing on faced FG is not terribly effective as a vapor barrier. My opinion. Okay, time back in. Now install 6-mil (not 4-mil) on the framing. Cement board over the poly. Tile. DensArmour is allowed as a tile substrate in wet areas. The problem with Densarmour is that it's an acrylic face over a regular gypsum core. Should the face be compromised (poorly detailed screw holes, cut edges, plumbing penetrations, etc) then the gypsum core is open to damamge from water. Water + gypsum = mush. In the non-shower, greenboard vs densarmour? If I had to choose one I'd choose greenboard. Greenboard on ceilings? Max framing spacing is 12" oc. Bill may have different ideas, so will Alice, Hal, and Joe down at the corner drug store. they can all be right, as I said earier, there are a few differing ways this can be detailed, and we can all technically be correct. One word of advice. Whatever you see done on HGTV? Do the opposite. That's a joke. But not really. Lastly, you don't say where you're located, I'm in CT, but based upon the statement that you have faced insulation with the facing on the wall's interior, I presume you're in a heating climate as well. Vapor barrier locations within a wall assembly can differ based on geographic location. Mongo

Hi Katrina. Sorry to ask on an old post but since it was already recently revived... How are you feeling about your Wyndham vanity and top now that you've used it a couple years? Is it holding up well? Is the cabinet finish a "plastic coated" feel like I've seen some in big box stores or a nice baked on painted wood finish? (Hope that makes sense.) Has the marble top survived daily use without excessive pampering? One more question if you'd be so kind - do the gray floor tiles show all dust and hair or does it hide pretty well? Thank you!