Where it started
The original tub, shower and tile had been in this bathroom for a long time, and patching them wasn't going to get the homeowner the room they wanted. So instead of a surface refresh, we planned a full gut: same room, rebuilt from the ground up.
Before1Demo down to the studs
Everything came out: tub, shower, tile and fixtures, all the way down to the framing. Opening the walls up is messy, but it's the only way to see what's really going on behind them and to build the new room on a clean, solid start.
2New rough plumbing
With the walls open, the old rough plumbing was reset for the new layout. This is the moment to do it. Once tile is on the wall, changing a valve location means tearing it all out again.
3Waterproofing before any tile
Before a single tile went up, the shower pan and walls were fully waterproofed with a Schluter-Ditra membrane. It's the step you never see in the finished photos, and the one that decides whether a shower lasts.
Tile and grout look solid, but they aren’t waterproof on their own. Water works through grout lines over time. The membrane behind the tile is what actually keeps it out of the walls and floor.
4Marble, tub and the finishing touches
Then the fun part. The shower was tiled in marble from floor to ceiling, a freestanding soaking tub was set against a full marble accent wall, and a chandelier went up overhead to finish the room.
After
Replaced
- Original tub, shower & tile, stripped to the studs
- Old rough plumbing
Done
- New rough plumbing set
- Schluter-Ditra waterproofed shower pan & walls
- Marble-tiled walk-in shower & freestanding tub
Want this done at your place?
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