Tub-to-Shower Swaps in Waterbury

Most Waterbury bathrooms from the 1920s through the 1970s have a tub set into a three-wall alcove about five feet wide. Turning that into a shower usually means the drain only moves a short distance and the valve stays on the same wall, which keeps the plumbing cost reasonable.

The tub comes out first. In older homes that sometimes means breaking up a cast-iron tub in place, because it won't fit through the door it came in by. In newer homes it's usually a fiberglass or acrylic unit that comes out in pieces in an afternoon. With the alcove open to the studs we check the subfloor and joists under the old drain, where slow leaks tend to do their damage.

A common starting point: 1950s pink tile and a built-in tub

1. Framing for a niche between studs and blocking for a bench, grab bars and the glass door hinges.
2. A sloped mortar bed or foam tray to the drain, then a continuous waterproof membrane across the floor and up every wall.
3. A pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve at a height that suits the people using it, with a handheld on a slide bar if you'd like one.
4. Tile, grout and sealer, then glass measured to the finished tile.

If this is the only tub in the house and there are small children around, or you might sell within a few years, it can make sense to keep a tub somewhere. In a two-family or triple-decker where each floor has one bathroom, we'll talk that through per unit.

Beveled subway tile, a marble bench and a niche in the old tub alcove