"Getting rid of everything that doesn’t matter allows you to remember who you are. Simplicity doesn’t change who you are, it brings you back to who you are."

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Phase Two - Otherwise Known As The Money Shot

Some people are tub people.  Some people are into showers.  (I wonder what THAT says about your personality?)

SM and I are shower people.  Nothing better in life than the pounding of a hot shower on your back.  Our 20+ year old shower stall is one of those pre-fab plastic things with two plastic walls, a fiberglass shower pan and a glass(?) door and partial wall attached to the fiberglass tub. 

Discolored, falling apart and nasty.

And let's not even talk about the tub.  Yeah, THAT tub.  That we've NEVER used.  Really.  This tub is huge.  I can't even begin to imagine the amount of water it would take to fill this thing. (Why would a manufacturer create such a thing?  It's practically a Hot Tub!) 

Since it's never been used though, the tub is actually in good shape.  We could keep the tub.

Which is why SM wants to get rid of it, of course.

"How about a walk-in shower."  SM suggests.  "We can rip out the tub and use that entire space for the entry into the shower." 

Because of where the window is situated, we can only go so wide but we can go long as in extending the shower area into more of a rectangular footprint along the back wall where the tub is.

"But how do we contain the shower spray?"  I ask.  "We'd need some kind of wall or partition here on the window side.  Plus how far out would we need to take it out so we wouldn't need to worry about the water spray if there's no door?"

"How about a half wall bottom with a glass panel on top by the window?  And we could always tile the floor here."  SM suggests, pointing to where the tub is now.

I make a face.  "I don't want to darken the shower area anymore than it already will be.  Plus it might make the room look smaller."  I think for a moment.  "If the water can spray this far out then it's more of a slip risk.  Plus, more cleaning.  I don't think I like that idea."  I say, shaking my head.

"We could use clear glass to keep it from getting too dark."  SM offers, waving his hand beside the window.

"No.  I don't need to see you in the shower and you definitely don't need to see me.  Those days are long gone."  I say grinning.  "We'll do frosted glass panels instead."

More pondering.

"How about we just leave the tub."  I offer  "Essentially leave the footprint as it is and just replace the shower pan, tile the walls to jazz it up a bit in there and then replace the glass door and half wall."

"But the tub is such a waste of space."  SM says.  "I'd like to think of a way we can utilize this area better."

(Geez he really hates that tub.)

"But to rip it all out and enlarge the shower stall the way you want to is gonna cost a freakin fortune."  I reply.

Silence.

"Look."  I say compromising.  "We're not gonna know anything until we get the glass guys out here.  They might have some suggestions and pictures we could see.  And I think it's all gonna come down to how much we want to spend."

That was the biggest surprise about Phase One.  It's amazing how much light fixtures and faucets cost.  Toss in a toilet and all the accessories, well things add up quick.  We figure we've spent around $1500 already.  Considering that HGTV remodels are 5-10K we figure we're doing pretty good so far, but still.  It's a lot of money.

"And the window has GOT to be replaced along with the flooring."  I point out.

That's why I wanted to complete the one side of the bathroom first.  Not only has it provided inspiration, it's also providing motivation.

Now we both are motivated to get the shower area replaced asap.

So here come the estimates.  Then the decisions will come.

Oh Joy!


6 comments:

  1. What if your favorite thing is to lie in the tub with a handheld shower until the tub fills up?

    ReplyDelete
  2. If the day comes where you want or need to sell the house a tub would be an asset. Some people want tubs. That's why motels & hotels have a shower in the tub.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh MAN! I was hoping for an actual PICTURE of the finished shower! I LOVE those walk-in showers. We have one of those gawd-forsaken-should-really-be considered-a-hot-tub bathtubs and I think I've only used it a half dozen times since living here (seven years now) and though it was a total waste. Until, that is, our daughter came along. Now we use it almost every day. But I'm assuming you're not worried about having a toddler to bathe now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Whew! I've never been through a major remodel. I like the idea of a walk in shower. Can't wait to see pictures.

    Cathy

    ReplyDelete
  5. We are totally NOT bathtub people either. We don't even have a tub in any bathroom in the house. Our downstairs shower is one of those horrible corner inserts with gawd awful textured "glass" and no matter what you do, it always molds. It is horrible. But upstairs, in our tiny master bath, we also have a corner shower, but it is tiled and has those fabulous thick clear glass walls and door.

    We actually measured (and measured and measured and measured) and ordered the glass shower surround online and had a general contractor friend install it (for a much smaller fee than the shop cost to install). We went first to the fancy bathroom shop and picked out one we liked, and then googled and found it online, and we were able to order it to the exact size we needed, within 1/16 of an inch. I can't remember the name of the place we ordered from, but DO remember that it saved us about $400 on the surround. Instead of paying about 2200 at the shop, we paid about 1750 online... It may be worth looking into once y'all make up your minds on what you want.

    And a tip, the clear glass is the cheapest and most basic. You will end up paying extra for any texture you get in the glass. It is so pretty just clear, and it really opens up the room (at least in our case - our bathroom is MAYBE 6x6 ft) plus it is super easy to keep clean with a squeegee.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'd fill the tub with good compost, plant some seeds and hang a grow light over the whole thing. A year-round bathroom garden.

    LOL, actually I am a tub person, so I would keep it.

    ReplyDelete