The shower membrane (out of sight under the tile) should have been carried up and over the top of the curb with no penetrations through it on both the inside curb surface and the top curb surface. So in a proper shower, any water getting on the curb that then gets under the curb topping (cracks in grout, etc) should hit the membrane, flow into the shower (under the tile), and still exit the shower via the secondary weep holes and then go down the drain. If the water is getting under the curb and passing down the outside (non-shower) face of the curb, I suppose that's how it could then be getting into your framing if your membrane is intact and properly installed. If your membrane is in fine shape, and it's just water leaking down the outside, redoing things as you say could work. -Remove the shower enclosure. -Remove the curb. -Cut a new "L-shaped" piece just for the corner. It can be cut from a square piece of stone, whatever will match the new curb. -Then cut two legs that will run from that corner piece to each wall. You'll end up with a 3-piece curb. This way you'll have no curb seams at the corner. -Ideally, you can bevel the shower-side top inside edges of the curb. That way you can set the curb topping flat on the curb itself, the shower walls will sit flat on the curb, but the top of the curb that's inside the shower will be sloped to drain into the shower due to the bevel. Gwettin away from that possible solution, a coupe of questions: If that 45 miter in the shower frame leaks now despite your attempts at sealing it, it's still going to leak later, right? Do you feel confident enough that the solid, non-mitered curb under the 45 and the sloped/beveled top of the new curb will be sufficient to contain water? Are there any penetrations through the top of the curb that could be leaking? Any screws holding the frame's bottom channel to the curb that might be providing a path for the water to get past curb surface and under the membrane? Best of luck, water leaks can be tough.

I think that one thing you need to do is discuss the whole situation with a really good construction attorney. You don't have to let your builder know you've hired a lawyer or anything, but I think you need to understand exactly where you stand given your specific contract, signed change orders, and the new unsigned change orders. And I think a lawyer should read through any letter before you send it, just to make sure you're not accidentally obligating yourself to something that wouldn't otherwise be your responsibility. I wouldn't worry about the builder talking about you in an unflattering way. It sounds like he's pulled this same "pay me an extra 50k" stunt at the end of other jobs, so frankly his credibility isn't very good. If you haven't closed yet, I think you should also consider delaying closing until at least the larger problems (plumbing etc) are fixed, and holding back money to cover the rest. I also would worry about the photovoltaic array being left in the flood setback area - maybe it's no big deal, but it just seems like something that might come back to bite you when you go to sell the house. I actually like the idea of bringing your realtor friend along. It would be a good reminder to him that his actions will affect how other clients and potential clients view him, without you having to spell it out quite so bluntly. It sounds like you've been on top of the details during your build, and that will be a big asset to you now. Keep your head in any phone calls or meetings, and don't feel obligated to agree to anything on the spot. And hang in there!

in looking at your pictures of the basement... see where the band joist/foundation wall that rests on the stone/rubble walls? that is one place to air seal that is worth the time & effort to do so. there are different approaches.. less expensive in materials but more time: would be to caulk tops of joists to floor above and bottom to rubble/stone below. caulk any cracks or penetrations. install 1" or two layres of 1" dow blue board (or corning pink board). use roofing nails, button cap nails ..something with large head to hold foam sheathing in place. use construction adhesive to hold it tight to the wall. caulk edges of foam sheathing to floor at top of joist, and again at bottom of wall to stone wall. do this in all areas of band joist. more cost material..less time to install would be froth pack of closed cell insulation. this is diy. tiger foam is what we have used a few times on small jobs. http://www.tigerfoam.com/#video the site he is spraying..is what I am calling the band joist of your basement. third option..most cost would be to hire the foam sealing out. in the floors large air leakage sites would be any areas where pipes run into the house. under tubs around piping for radiators. plumbing accesses. a mixtue of methods to seal these areas would be pipe insulation around radiator pipes. cut to fit around pipe & into hole in floor. caulked to seal. under tubs..usually a large area. depending on where the tub is located..either metal flashing cut to fit over hole & around pipe. caulked into place & screwed to floor. then caulked around edges of flashing to floor. btw..the radiators you have are really attractive. don't think I've seen such nice looking ones before. of course..radiators are uncommon in this area. I know you are dealing with the ceiling issue right now. hope that goes well. whatever you decide is the fix...seal any gaps between new ceiling & walls of room before reinstalling moldings. this will eliminate any need to caulk moldings to walls & ceiling. will give some more thought to attic later. best of luck.

Well I know nothing about steam showers, only pictures that Ive seen with transoms. My main concern is about the growth of mold in my shower area. My experience with my small bathroom, before remodeling, was that my fan would not exhaust the steam in the room from the shower. That was because of the tight fitting room doors; I had 2 of them. the room was only 5x8'. The fan was sized to the room. I had a horrible mold problem on the ceiling in the shower. There was a shower curtain only, so the shower wasn't sealed shut. When the room door was cracked the fan worked much better. My room was not getting make up air for the fan to run effectively IMO. So with my remodel, I made sure that the doors had a gap at the bottom for air to enter the room as the fan expelled the misty air from the shower. I believe the mold problems I had in the old bathroom was because of the poor fan performance due to the lack of make up air. In the new bathroom I have 2 fans that connect in the attic to one motor and sized for the room and the duct runs. I have one of the vents in the shower. I was very concerned with setting up conditions that would promote mold growth like I had in my old bathroom. With my fan setup and my makeup air, I never have any moisture in the room during a shower. I have used the room for 3 years now and I am very happy that there is no mold. So with a steam shower, I know the whole area is tiled and the ceiling is sloped. But I just worry about mold. If you were to have an exhaust fan in the steam room I don't think it would be effective unless you had a vent of some sort to allow air movement. Otherwise you'd have to crack the shower door open while you showered. I hope someone else posts with actual experience with steam shower that is also used for regular showers.