What changes behind the wall in a tub-to-shower conversion?
A tub-to-shower conversion starts when the old tub comes out and the walls and floor around it open up. A tub drains at one end, and a new shower may need its drain somewhere else. On a concrete slab, moving it means cutting the slab. Over a crawl space, the new line runs under the floor.
With the wall open, it is a good time to replace the old valve. Oklahoma's residential code calls for a shower valve that balances pressure or holds a set temperature. The valve also needs a limit that keeps it from going above 120 degrees.
The walls get a backer board made for wet areas, and the code lists which boards qualify. Plain drywall is not one of them. The code also wants a surface that does not soak up water at least 6 feet up the walls. While the wall is open, blocking can go in between the studs for grab bars.
Walk-in shower installation and grab bars
A walk-in shower swaps the tub wall for a low curb or no curb at all. The floor still slopes to the drain, a quarter inch to a half inch per foot under the state's code. So a curbless shower floor dips below the bathroom floor, and your framing or slab decides if that works.
We set grab bars and shower rails into blocking, since a bar is only as strong as what holds it. Where each bar goes depends on who uses the shower and how they get in and out. For a roll-in shower with no seat, the ADA standards for businesses put grab bars on three walls. At home, those rules make a good guide.
A CDC study looked at bathroom injuries to people 15 and older in U.S. emergency rooms in 2008. Most were falls, and more than a third happened during a bath or shower or while getting out of one. The authors pointed to grab bars and non-slip strips to cut those falls. Wider doorways and other aging in place changes are part of our accessibility remodeling.
Shower remodels across northwest Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City metro
Mulberry Creek Construction is based in Woodward and works about 150 miles around it. That covers northwest and western Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City metro. Showers are one part of what we do as a remodeling contractor in Woodward and across the region.
Before we come out, jot down what frustrates you about your shower each day. We talk through what you want to change and look at the room. Then we put a free estimate in writing. Once you say go, one point of contact stays with you until the last fixture is in.