Garden Tub surround????

[peachlizzard]

I am thinking of making my garden tub into a usable space....we don't like the tub. I would like to make it into a shower if at all possible. I would need to remove the mirrors. Then I was thinking maybe using tileboard? Anyone have any suggestions on something better or have any experience with tileboard. I would appreciate any ideas you may have. Thanks as always!

[JD]

Were you going to go with a new shower unit in that spot then? Are there full height or half height walls on either end of the garden tub? What is the measurement of the garden tub?

Depending on what shower unit you choose, you may need to modify some walls. A "Neo Shower" unit might work without too much wall modification. It only needs 2 walls, a back and a side. Most shower units come with wall kits. For the rest of the room, tileboard (hardboard paneling with tile embossed into it, is good if that is what you would like to see. You can use basically any type of finished wall in the remainder of the room.

If you were looking to use the garden tub and change it to a tub/shower combo, you will need to run plumbing to a shower faucet in the wall next to the drain or existing faucet. Tile board can work for a shower wall surface, but you will need one panel splice. Tile board and Trifty panels can work, but they wear out pretty soon. An actual shower wall kit would be better. There are wall kits (bath size) available for your existing garden tub and sometimes you can get a 3 or 5 piece wall kit that will work. Width of the end panels is the hardest part to match.

I hope this info is useful.

JD

[peachlizzard]

Not a new shower unit. Hoping to turn the garden tub into a shower unit. On what I have been reading, tileboard apparently is not the best option here. I would need to put in a shower head (the kind that are on a pipe) I really don't know how to plumb at all. I would also need to make the two walls water proof. So yes JD thanks for your advice. I will look for the surrounds next time I am at the home centers. I appreciate your advice!

[JD]

Well you may need to get some help with this one. A standard garden tub faucet would require adding a diverter, and then plumbing in the wall to the shower head, or you can T off of the water lines to the garden tub faucet to a shower faucet, also plumbed into the shower head wall.

It can be difficult to find affordable wall panels for a garden tub at your home store. Most wall kits are for 30" wide tubs. Most garden tubs are 42" wide. You can get an ABS 5 pc wall kit from a mobile home supply store that will fit 42" to 48" wide. They sell for about $200.

A new neo shower (econo version) sells for about $400. But installing one of these could produce a floor covering problem with the smaller and different footprint.

JD