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Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 12:00 pm
by Mark440
After 8 years of having to wedge myself in the corner of the tiny little shower - I am ready to tear out the never-used-garden-tub-except-to-wash-dogs. I've searched the forums up and down and believe I have most of the bases covered.

The unit is a 4 piece Sterling Accord shower: 36x60 pan, back wall, and two end walls. I'll end up building a wall to close off the one end - no biggie. I'll have to relo the drain as the garden tub was a right hand drain whereas this enclosure has a centered drain. If needed I can access the bottom side with plenty of room to work. Supply lines are already in place and currently capped off.

BUT! (there is always a 'but'!)..... I am wanting just a regular old fashioned two handle faucet with a shower head. One handle for hot, one for cold. The pricing jumps from $50 to $250 with not much in-between - unless you want a bath spicket.

So, the question is..... drum roll, please..... can the spicket just be capped off behind the wall and left unused? Hence I would end up with a two handle + shower head arrangement??

Also - there are some units in which the whole shabang (valves, piping to shower head, etc) is mounted on the inside of the shower wall. Anyone have any experience with this type of fixture?

Re: Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:04 pm
by Greg
I understand your frustration with the single handle shower faucet, but I found this one when I remodeled ours (link below). It's an inexpensive faucet that does what I want it to, regulate the temp and the flow - most single handle faucets have no flow control.

You could plug the old faucet behind the wall, but I don't know if I would wand to risk a leak.

I would guess the type with exposed plumbing would be expensive since it would have an appeal to the "New look" people that think nothing about a $20k bathroom remodel.

Greg


http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R ... reId=10051

Re: Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:18 pm
by Mark440
Actually wanting two separate handles(hot/cold) rather than the integrated approach. The models at HD and Lowes went from $45....then jumped to $225 ... like there was nothing in between. Like from plastic to diamond encroached!

I learned the hard way that a cheap plumbing fixture is a 'be back'.....yep, you will be back replacing it again and again. I had hoped to some units with middle-pricing to provide for the overall quality yet steer clear of that $20k bathroom! :) A chrome plated water pipe really doesn't bring on the goosebumps!

Re: Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 5:46 pm
by UmpJJ
Try a plumbing supply place - they always have a much better selection than the big box stores. If you're really adventurous you could try a used fixture place - a plumbing supply house should be able to suggest a couple.

UmpJJ

Re: Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 7:25 pm
by DaleM
Many towns are requiring anti-scald faucets be installed in bath/shower units. That's why it's getting harder and harder to find the simple 2 handle shower faucets these days. Plumbing supply houses or "old" local hardware stores may have what you're looking for, however those may be fairly expensive as they are usually a better constructed faucet than the big box store or may be rated for commercial use.

Re: Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 5:53 am
by Mark440
OK...I capped off the water lines, pulled the trim, unscrewed the flanges...but how the heck does the drain come loose? Do the drain fittings screw together or are they usually glued? If screwed, it appears drain area can only be accessed from the belly. If glued, is there a preferred "place" to cut so not to mess up the whole thing? (I'm thinking of Greg's profile signature!>> "If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either." :)

I'm putting in a 60 x 36. The pan drain is centered, so the drain has to move anyway. I'll move the vent inside the wall I'll need to put up on the one end. FWIW (and what I found odd) the current vent is horizontally lower than the drain??? I figured it would have to be at least as high as the top edge of the garden tub???

Re: Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:37 am
by UmpJJ
Hey, I admire your resolve to do this job - we have the same kind of garden tub and I get the urge every now and then to do just what you're doing.
Can you post a few photos of the ongoing project? That "picture - thousand words" thing.
Thanks!

UmpJJ

Re: Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 5:48 pm
by Greg
The easiest way to remove things - Saws all!!!

Greg

Re: Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:54 pm
by 1987Commodore
IIRC the drain should unscrew from the top by wedging a couple of screwdrivers through the drain grate and using them as levers to turn it.

Re: Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 3:31 am
by chablis
Actually, I'm finding the prices are better at plumbing supply houses than the big box stores, particularly for the "guts." The multiple choice Delta shower valve we got for the master bath re-do was ten bucks less than the box store, and the Swanstone shower pan was $21 less. Plus, both of these items were in stock! The box stores have gone to "order online," and frequently only have a sample in the store that you can go look at. I only go to a box store if it's Sunday afternoon and I need an emergency part!

Re: Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:22 am
by Mark440
Chablis - Home Depot and Lowes have steadily become my biggest point of aggravation. Stock in the stores is hit or miss - and in some cases the stock they have clearly shows the ravages of time and gravity. Add to it that both of these are 18 miles away. So to drive all the way in to find an empty spot on the shelf.....

My last two trips to HD resulted in zero purchases. I had a list of 4 items (different depts) - and they had none of it. I bought new countertops from Lowes and when I got them home they were warped end to end as well as front to back. And I mean WARPED!

Oh....FWIW - I have had to abandon the bath remodel for the time being. Unemployment strikes the bathroom!

Re: Bye-Bye garden tub. Hello REAL shower!

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:53 pm
by italianmomof4
I just got rid of my moat...aka garden tub last month. We ripped that bad boy out and capped it off below the floor. I have a free standing shower. I did find we had to retrofit and improvise for the drain. However, you can go to stylecrestproducts for any fittings.