My parents and in laws are getting older and all have issues with hips or legs. I want to convert a standard fiberglass tub / plastic surround into a walk in. Anyone done this? My biggest worry is trying to find a floor pan that won't require moving the drain

Sterling/Kohler makes floor pans in 60x32 and 60x30 which are common tub sizes and you can get left or right drain so it should line up.

You're going to do this yourself? My neighbor does this commercially, and we were talking about this last week. The new systems out for building the surround and waterproofing it have advanced so much in the last 3-4 years it makes the prior systems way obsolete. Good luck. And include some pictures please.

I had this done about three years ago. The floor had to be cut and a drain connected to the original tub location but it was not that big of job. A shower was then installed and the room retiled.

quote:

Originally posted by JasonATI:
Sterling/Kohler makes floor pans in 60x32 and 60x30 which are common tub sizes and you can get left or right drain so it should line up.

That's right.

But even if it doesn't line up, once you remove the old fiberglass tub it isn't all that hard to change where the drain pipe emerges from the floor. It's especially easy if you don't have to put it through another floor joist, but it can still be done even if you do have to put it through a joist.

There are several possible techniques to re-strengthen a floor joist if you have to bore a hole through one for a drain pipe extension.

Once you have the old tub out you can see what you have to do to line up the drain with the new walk-in tub's drain hole. If you have to extend the pipe through a joist, post again and I (and probably a lot of others here, too) can tell you about how to:

Locate the new penetration through the joist as close as possible to the joist's neutral plain (where the horizontal shear is at or near zero)

Sister the weakened joist to make the floor as strong as it was before, or

Use 2"x2"x3/16" angle iron to create flanges on the weakened joist to make the floor as strong as it was before

But you might not have to do any of that if the new tub's drain hole lines up well with the old tub's drain hole, or if the new hole location only requires you to extend or shorten the existing drain line without penetrating through another joist. You won't know the situation 'till you tear out the old tub and look.

Thanks,

Sap

I should mention my house is on a slab and the pipes are in the cement, so moving the drain would require busting up the floor

quote:

Originally posted by greco:
You're going to do this yourself? My neighbor does this commercially, and we were talking about this last week. The new systems out for building the surround and waterproofing it have advanced so much in the last 3-4 years it makes the prior systems way obsolete. Good luck. And include some pictures please.

greco, does your neighbor have any particular brands/models he highly recommends?

Wife & I are currently in the planning stage of removing bubble tub (jet motor bad) and getting a walkin shower, with build in seat, built in our master bath.
Any ideas welcome!

Bald1, talked to Rob this morning, he said he uses several different brands of pans, Delta, Kohler, depending on the application and availability; he said the one he is working on now is a Onyx. Frequently he custom makes wet bed showers, with mortar (screed?) and 6 mil liners, then finished with mortar and tile.

quote:

Originally posted by greco:
Bald1, talked to Rob this morning, he said he uses several different brands of pans, Delta, Kohler, depending on the application and availability; he said the one he is working on now is a Onyx. Frequently he custom makes wet bed showers, with mortar (screed?) and 6 mil liners, then finished with mortar and tile.

Appreciated the quick response. But I guess since I know jack squat here I'm looking for recommended brands of walk in tubs which I would assume need to be mated to a good pan. Don't want all the bells and whistles like spray jets ala jacuzzi or heated seats, etc. Just a very reliable leak proof walk in tub. We already upgraded the master shower to marble. This tub is next on the "to do" list.

Do not forget grab bars in shower stall. Elderly people need stability.

Did this myself several years ago, we used the Schluter shower system. We have a basement, so I decided to make the pan flush with the floor. Worked great. Very happy with a walk in shower. Taking out a 5' tub allows for a pretty big shower. Makes it easy for washing the dogs as well.

I'm confused. I thought OP was asking about a walk-in TUB, not a shower.

Tub to shower conversions are the most popular "modification" done in the bath at this time. All bath remodeling component manufacturers make pre engineered systems that both work very well simplify the project and reduce cost. Look a little, unless you have something really weird you should not have to move the drain.

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
Wife & I are currently in the planning stage of removing bubble tub (jet motor bad) and getting a walkin shower, with build in seat, built in our master bath.
Any ideas welcome!

I'd be interested in that design.

I did this about 5 years ago at the previous house. You can order fiberglass shower pans at most home improvement stores. The one we used was from Kohler, and was fairly simple to do.

Glad I searched this- we are planning to do this soon. If there is any other advise, I'd take it. Thanks

Why in the world would the folks that make these replacement walk in tubs with the drain in a different location than a standard tub? That sounds like a really stupid design.

My ex-inlaws just did this in AZ. $2500 plus the tile, which seems cheap to me, but I've seen pictures. It came out nice. I'm not sure how the floor was treated, but it is a tile shower floor and the contractor probably left the drain where it was.

If a drain has to be moved, it is not a huge deal. Concrete saw, chipper or sledge, some PVC, done.

One other item to consider. When the MIL had hers done she had to upgrade the size of her water heater. The walk in type tubs tend require a lot more water.