Converting a Tub to a Shower in a Riverside Bathroom

By the time the old tub is lifted out of its alcove, the plan for the new shower has to be settled, since the drain, the framing and the floor under the tub all change together. In a Riverside, CA house the pulled tub often exposes a rough opening that no one has seen since the home was built, and the drying intervals bathroom remodeling riverside virtual strategist uses between demo and rebuild are longer than most homeowners expect for a bathroom remodel.

Getting the tub out

A cast iron tub in a mid-century Riverside bathroom can weigh several hundred pounds, so it is usually broken up in place with a hammer and carried out in pieces. A steel or fiberglass tub lifts out whole once the overflow and drain are cut free. The surround tile comes off back to the studs, and the crew looks for rot at the bottom plate and at the end wall where the faucet was.

Moving the drain

A tub drain sits toward one end, and a shower pan wants its drain near the center. On a raised wood floor, the drain can be moved by notching the joists a little and rerouting the trap underneath. On a slab, the concrete has to be cut to reach the old line, then patched after the new plumbing is set. The valve gets relocated to chest height, away from the spray, and the plumbing rough-in is inspected before any wall is closed.

Reframing the alcove

A tub alcove is framed for a flat tub rim. A shower needs a curb, or a depressed floor if the design is curbless, and the studs at the end walls often need blocking added for a seat or a grab bar. This is the time to add that blocking, since it is invisible once the cement board is up.

Setting the shower pan

The pan is leveled on a full bed of mortar or thinset. A sloped mortar floor falls toward the drain on all sides, and the liner or membrane goes over it before tile. A prefabricated shower base is quicker, but the drain location has to match the base exactly. Either way, the pan gets filled and checked for leaks overnight before tile, grout and a small bead of caulk finish the job.