1 Day shower remodel

[nadogail]

We had a local company remove a built in tub and install a walk in shower, it was not done in a day.

The cast iron tub came out in pieces, as a single unit it would have been impossible to carry it out of the upper floor bath room.

The bathroom installers would not re.model the drain pipe; i had to call a Plumber for that.

For the next bathroom remodel, i used a different company that doesn't advertise on TV.

 

[reader2580]

I looked at the MAXX stuff at Menards a couple days ago. There are some similar panels at other box stores, but it's all special order and some of it is far cheaper, thus probably far worse for quality. I didn't like the shower pans at Menards, so I may go a different route there, but I do like the look of the MAXX panels.

Yes, the Maax Utile stuff is all special order at Menards normally. Also be aware there are a limited number of shower sizes that they work with. I was lucky and my parents were lucky that we both have 48"x32" showers.

I would absolutely not buy the cheap Maax shower base that is supposed to work with the Utile panels. The cheap base is just a chunk of styrofoam with a thin layer of plastic over it. The fiberglass bases that Maax recommends are $600 or $700 now. I bought my Maax fiberglass base for $400 in late 2019 or early 2020 so I got lucky. You can use pretty much any shower base that has a lip around the edge. My parents bought a Swanstone base as it was less money than the Maax fiberglass base.

Menards often has Maax Utile panels on clearance for a good discount when someone returns or never picks up a special order. Menards also sometimes orders the wrong item for a customer. See https://www.menards.com/main/rayslist.html?find=*&queryType=bargainArea and search for "utile". If you're willing to drive a bit you can often save a lot of money although Kansas generally has fewer Menards stores than here in Minnesota. The clearance prices will vary all over the map depending on how badly the department manager wants rid of the item and how long the item has been at the store.

 

[whateg01]

Yes, the Maax Utile stuff is all special order at Menards normally. Also be aware there are a limited number of shower sizes that they work with. I was lucky and my parents were lucky that we both have 48"x32" showers.

Are the Maxx panels not meant to be cut? I know panels come in different heights. I want to run mine to the ceiling but I was going to slope the ceiling slightly to allow any condensation up run towards the back of the shower, not that it's ever been a problem.

Menards often has Maax Utile panels on clearance for a good discount when someone returns or never picks up a special order. Menards also sometimes orders the wrong item for a customer. See https://www.menards.com/main/rayslist.html?find=*&queryType=bargainArea and search for "utile". If you're willing to drive a bit you can often save a lot of money although Kansas generally has fewer Menards stores than here in Minnesota. The clearance prices will vary all over the map depending on how badly the department manager wants rid of the item and how long the item has been at the store.

That's helpful. I never knew they had a page dedicated to that.

 

[reader2580]

Are the Maxx panels not meant to be cut? I know panels come in different heights. I want to run mine to the ceiling but I was going to slope the ceiling slightly to allow any condensation up run towards the back of the shower, not that it's ever been a problem.

They are a fairly thick fiberglass panel that is not intended to be cut. You install them direct to stud and install your drywall over the flanges of the panel. They would look like heck if you tried to cut them.

Personally, I would buy a different product instead of paying full retail price for these panels. The panels are a great system and way better than the $300 to $600 systems that are just a cheap piece of plastic that you glue to drywall. I would probably pay the extra to go with Swanstone panels. The vast majority of the Swanstone panels can be rejuvenated with fine sandpaper and rubbing compound if they get dirty or scratched. The disadvantage of Swanstone is most do not have a glossy finish.

 

[reader2580]

I would never buy the Flexstone panels sold at Menards. They are essentially a sheet of plastic contact paper attached to a plastic substrate. You would think they would be less expensive for as cheaply made as they are. The Utile panels are a far superior product for the same or a little more at retail pricing.

 

[whateg01]

I would never buy the Flexstone panels sold at Menards. They are essentially a sheet of plastic contact paper attached to a plastic substrate. You would think they would be less expensive for as cheaply made as they are. The Utile panels are a far superior product for the same or a little more at retail pricing.

This kind of info should be readily available somewhere! I looked at some of the flexstone shower pans. Most didn't really fit the motif. Thank goodness

 

[reader2580]

This kind of info should be readily available somewhere! I looked at some of the flexstone shower pans. Most didn't really fit the motif. Thank goodness

The shower pans may be different. I am just talking about the wall panels. I don't know for certain it is really contact paper, but it sure looks like it. If you look at the unfinished end of a panel it definitely looks like a layer of contact paper on top of a substrate. It doesn't seem durable at all to me.

 

[no704]

Unless you are doing this in a single wide mobile home just do it right. Concrete board, red gaurd, pvc liner, pour a basin, throw up some tile, grout.
It’s not difficult to just do it correctly.

 

[whateg01]

I'm always amused by the varying definitions of "doing it right"

 

[CSRPenFab]

I'm always amused by the varying definitions of "doing it right"

So true. The guy that did our prior bath used no cement board. All mortar bed on lathe and then red guard over everywhere before tile.

 

[whateg01]

I'm finally getting the rest of the stuff ordered to do this remodel. Can't believe it's been this long, but work has me out of town 3/4 of the month all year long now so it's hard to make any headway on projects.

There's currently a window in the bathroom. I would like to keep the window (albeit a smaller one) but it's above the tub. The Maax website says that the utile kits can't be cut, but I assume that's because it obviously reduces the water tight integrity. Still you do cut holes for the faucet, etc. I would think if done right, a hole for a window would be just as sealed up as the others you have to cut. Not finding much on the Web about it other than the Maax site saying it can't be done.

 

[Fixr]

I'm finally getting the rest of the stuff ordered to do this remodel. Can't believe it's been this long, but work has me out of town 3/4 of the month all year long now so it's hard to make any headway on projects.

There's currently a window in the bathroom. I would like to keep the window (albeit a smaller one) but it's above the tub. The Maax website says that the utile kits can't be cut, but I assume that's because it obviously reduces the water tight integrity. Still you do cut holes for the faucet, etc. I would think if done right, a hole for a window would be just as sealed up as the others you have to cut. Not finding much on the Web about it other than the Maax site saying it can't be done.

Whether it will work in practice is one thing. Voiding the warranty is another. If they say not to do it and you do it anyway, any warranty is probably gone.

That said, a lot of warranties are pretty much useless anyway. It's up to you how to do the job. Good luck.

 

[whateg01]

Whether it will work in practice is one thing. Voiding the warranty is another. If they say not to do it and you do it anyway, any warranty is probably gone.

That said, a lot of warranties are pretty much useless anyway. It's up to you how to do the job. Good luck.

Yeah I'm not really a fan of most warranties. Even ones that work tend to have so many hoops to jump through it's not worth it.

 

[DGersic]

My wife keeps pointing out these “one day” commercials. We have a 1950s ranch, single bathroom. She has some stability and balance issues, so stepping in to the tub / shower is going to be a problem I have to solve eventually. Grab bars are already installed, which is helping enough for now.

I’m not on board with the “one day” companies. It’ll be DIY here. Probably next year.

 

[Fixr]

Yeah I'm not really a fan of most warranties. Even ones that work tend to have so many hoops to jump through it's not worth it.

I have rather often knowingly ignored warranty requirements and assumed that if it blew up, it was all on me. To be clear, if I do that kind of thing, I don't make a warranty claim

 

[Fixr]

My wife keeps pointing out these “one day” commercials. We have a 1950s ranch, single bathroom. She has some stability and balance issues, so stepping in to the tub / shower is going to be a problem I have to solve eventually. Grab bars are already installed, which is helping enough for now.

I’m not on board with the “one day” companies. It’ll be DIY here. Probably next year.

We have pretty much the same situation here, except our house is 70s and she has knee and spinal issues. We're trying to figure out how to do a reasonably nice mid-grade shower to replace the existing one-piece tub/shower unit without taking weeks to get it done. At 68, I'm not too interested in spending days on my knees while learning to set ceramic tile, etc.

 

[75gmck25]

When we installed our new shower we used Kerdi board for the walls and for the shower floor. The Kerdi floors come in various sizes, and they are pre sloped and ready for the drain installation. Once we had all the Kerdi installed and sealed according to the directions, I contracted with a tile installer to do all the tile.

The Kerdi board and sealer ensures the walls and floor are all sealed, so you are looking for a tile installer who understands plumb and level, and making a tile pattern work.

 

[Fixr]

When we installed our new shower we used Kerdi board for the walls and for the shower floor. The Kerdi floors come in various sizes, and they are pre sloped and ready for the drain installation. Once we had all the Kerdi installed and sealed according to the directions, I contracted with a tile installer to do all the tile.

The Kerdi board and sealer ensures the walls and floor are all sealed, so you are looking for a tile installer who understands plumb and level, and making a tile pattern work.

From what I've seen in houses around here, that last line can be very tough to find. And we are both long over dealing with grout lines, so
we're looking at some sort of solid surface base and panel combination that I can install by myself. But I do like a nicely tiled shower. In someone else's house.

 

[whateg01]

... At 68, I'm not too interested in spending days on my knees while learning to set ceramic tile, etc.

But I read that's the only way to do it right!

I have been thinking that when I finally get around to tearing out the shower and installing the Maax utile panels, I may go ahead and put grab bars in at that time.

 

[Fixr]

But I read that's the only way to do it right!

I have been thinking that when I finally get around to tearing out the shower and installing the Maax utile panels, I may go ahead and put grab bars in at that time.

Do it. While you have the old shower out, put in solid backing everywhere you think you *might* want a grab bar or shelf. And take pictures of where they are, complete with measurements.

 

[whateg01]

Do it. While you have the old shower out, put in solid backing everywhere you think you *might* want a grab bar or shelf. And take pictures of where they are, complete with measurements.

I'm not sure how the blocking will work with the utile system. The panels have a flange that holds the middle of the panel away from the studs by some amount. I'm not opposed to building the blocking out to the back surface but I don't know if it's smooth on the back or not. I also don't know if it'll like being constrained in the middle. That's also a concern with putting a window in the upper part of one panel, though.

 

[Fixr]

I'm not sure how the blocking will work with the utile system. The panels have a flange that holds the middle of the panel away from the studs by some amount. I'm not opposed to building the blocking out to the back surface but I don't know if it's smooth on the back or not. I also don't know if it'll like being constrained in the middle. That's also a concern with putting a window in the upper part of one panel, though.

I haven't looked at the installation instructions for the Utile, so I don't know the details. I've just seen too many bathrooms with no good way to add grab bars, and some chunks of 2-by-something are pretty cheap.

 

[dcg9381]

I don't want anything in my bathroom that can be done in one day, other than a toilet. I'm not a fan of inserts.

If you want an insert, I'm sure that HD can hook you up. Used to be you could buy or design pre-built shower pans that handle most of this.

I remodeled a bath, basically intercepted construction where I had designed for a tub, removed the tub, and converted to a shower. Wasn't that hard (had to do some fiberglass work). Tested for leaks (2nd story). Built my own pan. The tile work I paid for, but all the engineering and structure I did myself. I DID relocate the drain, but probably wasn't necessary.

If you can build a fiberglass pan, you can build a shower... There is more than one way to do this.

We put in a ton of blocking for solid grab bars.

 

[Mr..Plow]

One day bathroom remodel?

About five years ago on a cold February Saturday afternoon I planned to repair a couple lose tile on the shower wall. By 5PM I had stool and vanity torn out, two walls ripped down to the studs. The next Saturday my buddy came over and we broke up the cast iron tub and ripped the floor down to the sub floor. Messed up my back in the process so cleaned up the tools and closed to bathroom door. Six weeks later I put in concrete backer board on the floor and set in electric floor heat tape, then poured floor leveler and set the tub and surround. Next thing ya know it is 70 degrees outside and I have better things to do that remodel a bathroom so the tools got cleaned up and the door closed again and it didn't get opened for six months after the weather started to get unpleasant.

I got going on it somewhere around October 1st, tile the floor, sheet rock, paint, set the stool and vanity, finish plumbing the tub and wrapped it up in December, so about ten months. I would have gottne it done faster, but I worked 60-70 hours a week on top of it all.

That is my typical afternoon repair.

I guess my point is there is always something unexpected. If they finish in one day I will bet they covered up some **** that will come back to haunt you later. Take the time and do it right!

lol, i find myself doing the same, wife thinks it hilarious.

 

[73fxe]

I did our tub conversion to walk in shower in 4 days , start to finish. I had one day of demo. the second day was setting the base and replumbing the valve and drain, day 3 was mold-water resistant board and wall panels, day 4 trim and shower door.

 

[rmanrman]

I’ve redone six full bathrooms in our six previous homes
The last house was built in 1957 this means that the walls were concrete over diamond wire mesh. Took 2+days for two guys to gut and haul out the ton of tile and concrete. Now the tough part. The bathtub was cast iron weighs about 350 lbs. needed help lifting and carrying it down one flight of steps. My caution is tap the old tub and if it makes no sound it’s cast iron. Steel tubs will ring sounding hollow
The plumbing was copper but in the wrong location. There were rotten studs Complete job was over 8 days. Good we had a toilet in the basement. Good luck. I don’t believe that a tub replacement to shower can be done in one day

 

[73fxe]

In a duplex I do work in the landlord had the 1-day replacement people do the job. It was about a 6 week wait in 2020, $7500 and 2 days it was done. The old tub was cracked and the under floor had to be replaced.

 

[toolmiser]

Not unlike the show Overhaulin.
Do you really want a car that been completely restored in a week?
Or a bathroom in a day?

I think I would let Chip Foose restore my car. I do know they usually didn't complete the car in a week. Back to your point, I wouldn't want something rushed especially a bathroom. How would they ever get it permitted and inspected?

 

[whateg01]

I think I would let Chip Foose restore my car. I do know they usually didn't complete the car in a week. Back to your point, I wouldn't want something rushed especially a bathroom. How would they ever get it permitted and inspected?

Paint and bondo hide a lot of sins.

 

[tez929rr]

I've seen those commercials about the quickie bathroom contractors and they haven't convinced me that would be the route to go.

We had a contractor come in and redo our upstairs full bath. Tore out the garden tub and put in a custom tiled big walk in shower with 3 available shower heads. Love it.

On our downstairs one, I'm about 8 years from retirement, and I may just save it and do it myself then. It has a cast iron tub, plastic tile walls, and some funky plumbing. I figure I'll tear it out to the studs and start from scratch.

Like Ripley says: Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

We did the same last year - two bathrooms and the contractor took them down to the floor deck and wall and ceiling studs. At the same time we had all the 1950’s galvanized replaced all the way to the outside pump house. A pile of cash but now no worries as we get older.