bathroom refresh/covering non-working shower
Hi all
We have a first floor walk in shower that is leaking underneath all the tile from a poorly placed shower pan. I hated this bathroom's style since we moved in 5 years ago and bc we are a small family, don't need to use the shower any time soon.
So, we decided on a bathroom refresh, removing the shower from any use until we can afford a gut job (that's at the bottom of our To DO list of priorities). Fast forward to a huge transformation, one that I am thrilled about how it turned out. (pics are before/afters)
Anyway, I am planning to tile over tile the floor. It's in great shape so no issues there but I am trying to to figure out how to deal with the shower drain. I know I could get an extender to raise the height of the drain but I am also wondering if there is a way to just cover it up in some way that won't affect the drain down the line. (Because I would love if it weren't visible).
Could I install a backer board over the whole "shower" area and then tile over that? Of course the shower tile slants towards the drain so the floor isn't totally level so wasn't sure if that would be an issue or not. If so, should i put some mortar under the backer board to secure it to the floor?
Ideas appreciated
Comments (8)
catbuilder
2 years ago
blubird
2 years agoRelated Discussions
How can I save money on bathroom shower and floor work?
Comments (8)I think when I looked into having my bathroom re-done, the quote I got was around 5,000 as well. This included demo, dumpster rental, "materials and labor" (excluding tile, grout, tub, sink and fixtures). Note: when I read that "materials and labor" excluding a bunch of materials - I had to ask wat materials were covered. Basically he covered mortar, any minor drywall work and backerboard for the tile -- the items whose cost was pretty much fixed and known. In any case, I opted to do the work myself (10'x8' bathroom). Tiling the floor was *very* easy. Tiling the ceiling above the tub was surprisingly easy as well (althought grouting was a bit messy). I did have a little trouble tiling the walls however. The tiling was a bit uneven on the first wall I did. Forutnately the grout hides a lot of the inconsistancies. In any case, if you want to save money, I'd recommend doing the demolition and tiling the floor yourself and then hiring someone to do the walls and ceiling....See MoreBathroom paint refresh
Comments (3)Consider SW Sea Salt. it is a light gray with green and blue undertones. There are some others that are gray / green and are "warmer" then some of the cool grays. Get a sample jar and paint a large piece of foam board to see how it looks in your lighting. Recently some of my family members that were house hunting commented on all the gray everywhere - and they did not like it. Right now in the northern half of the US, gray days and snow can make a buyer feel like they want a cozy and warm interior. If your home is located in a warm area of the country, buyers may feel different. SW Sea Salt: Also, you can get grout paint to lighten the grout on the floor tiles. I used one made by TEC and I am very happy with it....See MoreTricky Bathroom: Work with current layout or swap shower and toilet?
Comments (27)Amanda- I've been thinking about this a bit more and my conclusion is that you should do very little to it. I say this because: 1. It's going to be expensive and perhaps complicated to significantly redo it (and I'm not sure how much you would gain). 2. You may be moving, and many potential buyers would love that retro bathroom as it is, particularly the tile. 3. You may need a bathtub for the adoption if you stay. Having said that, I offer these possibilities which would be inexpensive, but make the bathroom more usable: 1. Leave the toilet where it is, but replace it with a "corner" toilet, such as one of these: Corner toilet. This would give you much better side clearance when using the toilet. 2. Get rid of the bulky, generic vanity and sink and replace it with a pedestal or wall hung sink, which would be much more in keeping with the original design and take up much less room. You could possibly even move the sink location a bit more toward the door, freeing up even more space for the toilet. These two changes would be inexpensive, relatively easy to do, and I doubt that you would need to even get a permit. The only other thing I can suggest is that you follow up on the idea of putting a through-the-wall exhaust fan in....See More1960s bathroom refresh
Comments (9)@michiganmama: I just used BM Beacon Gray paint but that might be a little bit too blue for you. Take a look at BM Silver Mist, BM First Snowfall, and maybe BM Marilyn’s Dress. If you search these colors on the Benjamin Moore site you can click the options for shades and similar colors. Maybe thia will help narrow things down before you go to the paint store for chips or samples. I am seeing the sink as more teal than gray/blue, so my focus is on the floor where I see gray. If you decide to change the sink, go for an undermount white. Regarding the vents, I took them down, lightly sanded, got them really clean, and spray painted (metal paint from Lowe’s). Hope that helps!...See MoreJ. F.G.
2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago@blubird yes I think that's what happened. I believe they needed a shower on the main floor for the lady who was elderly and could no longer climb the stairs. @catbuilder i know it won't fix the leak--only ripping the whole thing apart will do that. we aren't going to use the shower until that happens which is several years down the road. Right now I am just trying to make it a nicer looking bathroom until that happens. I took off the shower frame and plan to use the space for a nice storage piece--the bathroom feels So much bigger and more pleasant without anything there. So no need for a shower curtain bc it will just make it feel small again. Just trying to figure out this flooring issue.
Nancy in Mich
2 years agoJ. F.G.
2 years agoJ. F.G.
2 years ago
SweecTOR