Many homeowners like you feel the dread of using dingy, non-functional showers, and they’ve successfully turned it all around. Some have turned their bathroom into a personal spa, others have enlarged their spaces, and even more home do-it-yourselfers have tweaked details here and there that customize their shower time experience. You can, too! See the bathroom shower ideas that have sparked others into action and gather inspiration for your bathroom. This raises the question, should you do your own shower tile work? While Burger did the tiling work by herself, this is one tiling task that depends on your attention to detail. Bathroom walls, backsplashes, and floor tile are not in direct contact with water all the time. However, showers are a different story. The tolerance for error is almost nil; the smallest crack or seam can allow water to damage the home’s underlying structure.
Read more about our Diversity and Inclusion Pledge to make The Spruce a site where all feel welcome. Keeping water in the shower and away from subflooring—a major issue with any shower remodel—is easier when using a waterproofing membrane. Waterproofing adds a critical layer of protection on top of the cement board, which will not be damaged by moisture but also doesn’t stop it from passing through to the subfloor if water gets behind the tile. Doing what a professional tiler would, Angela used Schluter Kerdi, a flexible plastic that can be cut with scissors and is applied to the cement board with non-modified thin-set mortar.
Considerations for Keeping or Ditching the Tub
Do you ever use the bathtub? Can you reglaze your current tub and save money? Do you have or expect to have children? It is simpler to bathe children in tubs than in showers. Do you have elderly or disabled persons guests or family who need to bathe? With their high walls, bathtubs can be difficult to step into; showers are much easier. Are you okay with the bathroom being listed as a “three-quarter” bath rather than a “full bath”? If you eventually list the home for sale, bathrooms without tubs are considered a three-quarter bath—even with a nice shower.
Frameless showers use thick tempered glass attached by metal clips to serve as the walls. They don’t need wood framing. If you don’t want the whole glass enclosure, you can buy a frameless shower door only. Be prepared to pay for this luxe option; frameless shower units are usually significantly more expensive than framed showers. A better way is to increase air circulation at the ceiling level. For this high-end residential bathroom remodel in Seattle’s Greenwood district, Malboeuf Bowie Architecture popped off the shower ceiling, exposing the space to natural light and airflow. For example, if you’re going for a coastal look like a seaside retreat, you have so many options with the color palette; you can pick colors like soft sandy browns, seagull grays, hints of blue, sunrise pink, and seagrass greens. You can tie in that theme in the shower with your choice of tile choices, door hardware, a shower curtain, and faucet fixtures. But also think about incorporating details in shower tiles, such as a mother of pearl mosaic tile with a scallop or fishtail design.
