# Converting a shower to a bath/shower **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 16, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-a-shower-to-a-bath-shower/250576 "2004-06-16T00:37:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-a-shower-to-a-bath-shower/250576/1 "2004-06-16T00:37:13Z")
The bathroom next to the master bedroom in my house has a shower stall only. I do not like taking showers. I prefer baths (I grew up taking baths, we didn’t have a shower). Until recently, this shower has had a major mildew problem. Seriously major. Like in “alien invasion” serious. If Janet Leigh had been bathing in this shower, Norman wouldn’t have come within a mile of her with that knife. We recently discovered Tilex Mildew Root Remover. Man, talk about your miracle products! (No, I don’t work for Clorox) Anyway, it’s beginning to look more like a shower you wouldn’t be afraid to get into without a haz-mat suit. Still, I don’t like showers. The front edge of the shower is about four inches high and covered with tiles. The question: How difficult would it be to build up the front edge of the shower stall to make it into a bath/shower? Replacing the whole thing with one of those fiberglass units is financially out of the question right now. It also has a plastic accordion door which rides on a rail. This could be easily removed and replaced with a shower curtain. I figure it would have to be about 18" high. The tough part would be to make sure it’s watertight. We do have another full bath with a bathtub, but it’s in the hallway and is mainly used by the kids (and the kitties!). Thoughts? Suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-a-shower-to-a-bath-shower/250576/2 "2004-06-16T00:50:28Z")
Does appearance matter? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-a-shower-to-a-bath-shower/250576/3 "2004-06-16T00:53:00Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Does appearance matter? Considering what it used to look like, not too much. It won’t be making any appearances on HGTV any time soon. 🙂 I don’t want to do a craptacular job, but it should kinda look like it belongs in the same bathroom. It’s just a basic white-tile shower stall. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-a-shower-to-a-bath-shower/250576/4 "2004-06-16T01:03:11Z")
Well, since you asked, it sounds like a home improvement disaster waiting to happen. If I were you, I’d wait until I could replace the whole thing with a tub/shower combination. Funny thing is, here I am wanting to replace the tub/shower combination in the guest bathroom with a walk in shower. I have a garden tub and a shower in my master bath, but I wish the shower was a big walk in one. Think Joan Crawford shower in “Mommie Dearest.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-a-shower-to-a-bath-shower/250576/5 "2004-06-16T01:21:02Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I don’t want to do a craptacular job, but it should kinda look like it belongs in the same bathroom. It’s just a basic white-tile shower stall. Well, I was gonna start with "Get a couple rolls of Duck[sup]TM[/sup] Tape. . . But apparantly you still want some kind of non-jury rigged tub. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-a-shower-to-a-bath-shower/250576/6 "2004-06-16T01:37:53Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Well, I was gonna start with "Get a couple rolls of Duck[sup]TM[/sup] Tape. . . But apparantly you still want some kind of non-jury rigged tub. IANAC(arpenter), but I am imagining something like this: Remove the channel the accordion door rides in. Remove the tiles along the bottom and sides. Construct a frame work to fill in the gap. Cover structure with blueboard. Cover blueboard with tiles. Caulk all around. Hop in and have a good soak. I need to replace the showerhead anyway. I’m sure there’s some sort of pipe configuration that will allow me to keep the showerhead at the regular level and have a faucet at “bathtub level”. The bathtub in the hall bathroom had a valve that allows you to switch from shower to faucet. This one would just be exposed (I’m sure I could find one that’s chromed).