Replacing tub ?

[djelliott]

My 62 year old Cape Cod is really showing her age. I am starting with complete bathroom remodel. The first floor bath needs to be demolished to the studs and all parts replaced.
My question is this, what are the issues to consider if I opt for a shower only instead of the current tub/shower combo?

My thinking:
1) There is a tub in the upstairs bathroom, so I will still have a tub option.
2) No one in this house ever takes a bath and we're not planning to leave. (with the current housing market, I couldn't sell this house with a box of Cracker Jacks)
3) We are all X-Large people, so I am thinking a shower only solution will seem roomier. (I am thinking a bench, so you could sit)
4) I just passed into senior citizen territory, so I am thinking a shower might be easier to access, as the sun sets.
5) I am just terrible when it comes to talking to repair guys. I'd like to have my facts ready, to avoid being shined on.
6) The bathroom is x-small, and I am thinking a shower only solution will create an illusion of more room.
7) I am thinking white tile on the floor & walls topped with a thin row of colored glass tiles.
8) Is it worth the $$ to get glass doors? Would a shower curtain be sufficient if I plan to have a 4 or 5" step in? I had plastic doors in my last house and I didn't love them.
9) Yes, I am REALLY nervous about embarking on this venture.

[gotpasswords]

Sounds good to me. In the future, if you think "Aww, I really should have put a glass door on the shower" - guess what? You still can, once you take down the curtain. If you use a normal tension rod, there won't even be any damage to the walls to deal with before putting in a door.

How's the layout of the bathroom? Some times, replacing a tub with a smaller shower stall doesn't yield much useful floor space unless you're doing a complete gut of the room and of the plumbing, which would give you the option of putting the new shower somewhere else once you've moved the toilet, for example. Less traumatic remodels tend to result in the former tub space being divided between the new shower and a linen closet as moving plumbing, especially the toilet, can get expensive, or even structurally infeasible.

You mention advancing age - is your master bedroom on the main level? If not, do you want it to be? Is now a good time to think about enlarging the project into a master suite, which might let you steal a bit of space from a bedroom or a closet to enlarge or even just re-shape the bathroom into something happier?