$4000 Tub to Shower Conversion

I was asked to tear out a tub and replace it with a shower at my parent's home. I haven't done this before, but of course I have my KZbin assistant, so what could possibly go wrong??
Total cost for the shower pan, tile, glass doors, and a ton of little things was around $4000 CAD.
The drain plumbing was as expected 1 1/2" as a tub was there. Google seemed to think that 1 1/2 was fine (and it was the norm in Canada for many years until code changed). So, 1 1/2 it remained. Oatey makes a no-caulk gasket to fit a 1 1/2" pipe to a 2" drain. Other than that, oddly there were no real terrible surprises. I think it came out great!
To clarify, I used Denshield for waterproofing the walls. I didn't know much about it prior to purchasing it, but at the time it was all that was available. It's gypsum based, but has a completely waterproof side, which gets sealed at the joints. It also has a guarantee that I didn't bother looking into.
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[@docdoctme]

Great job! The conversion came out beautifully. Thanks for sharing your talent.

[@genelukevlahovic3661]

Man, I wish you were near me. I'm converting an old one pc. tub enclosure into a walk-in shower. Removal is not a problem, but the choice of conversion kits is a puzzle. Your job was professional, and your skills exceeded many of the so-called qualified installers. Thank you.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate that 🙂

[@vasylvykhovanets4550]

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[@bosshova23]

@@tokyosteve1223 Great video! What tile did you use and where did you get it from? Also, same questions for the accent you used for your niches and around the shower?

[@tokyosteve1223]

@@bosshova23 www.anatoliatile.com/collections/mayfair/suave-bianco 12x24 polished Accent tile Bergamo Interlocking 10mm x 11.81-inch x 11.81-inch Marble Mesh-Mounted Mosaic Tile www.homedepot.ca/product/msi-stone-ulc-bergamo-interlocking-10mm-x-11-81-inch-x-11-81-inch-marble-mesh-mounted-mosaic-tile/1001129871

[@emilamoralesleon5432]

👔👔👔💵💵💵

[@wandahoward-holmes4825]

This was great! You were a “real” person doing this and it felt relatable and honest. Thanks! 👍🏽

[@statuescher]

All credit to you. I enjoyed watching you work through the problems, much mirroring my own home improvement experiences over the years.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Nothing is easy. But the reward at the end is great.

[@net2000man]

I give you a LOT of credit, I would be terrified of anything AFTER the demolition phase!! I need to redo my bathroom tub/shower and want to turn into something much nicer (no tub, shower with a sit-down bench instead), but I'm going to need to watch a crap load more videos (and lots of beer!) to get up the nerve to tackle that project... Good job!!

[@imathreat209]

Lol I'm in the same boat. Did you ever end up doing anything

[@net2000man]

@@imathreat209 I'm sorta in limbo as I'd made some small quality of life updates to what we have that impressed the Mrs., so now she doesn't want to change the tub/shower anymore. Still going to set aside time to redo the mirrors, fixtures and lighting as I cannot stand those but that likely won't happen until next year.

[@markolson7877]

Superb conversion!! Seemed there were few issues...I'm planning the similar conversion and anticipate lots of issues!! Thank you for a great video!!

[@tokyosteve1223]

There are always issues 😂😭

[@dianachavez6232]

Words can’t describe how impressive your work is!

[@tokyosteve1223]

You are too kind ☺️

[@AtlantaCzar]

Great job and I respect your patience. Nice bathroom indeed!

[@lindamasson8799]

That looks amazing, great job.

[@autumn_vasch]

Congratulations, it looks great! I appreciate you stopping to talk about the parts you struggled to find details on how to do, one day I'm going to do this myself and it's useful to see where those hiccups are.

[@el.handyman]

Looks real nice dude.... you did a great job on the conversion!

[@tokyosteve1223]

First time! I'm really happy with it 😊

[@theprincessdivam7695]

You did a wonderful job! Love this!

[@StressLessCamping]

What a great video! Your honesty and apprehension but outstanding final product are enough to convince me that I can do this as well. A sincere thank you.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Very glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@jwald6795]

You should be proud. You did a great job. It's a ton of work to do but in the end it's so nice.

[@miccijrful]

Very very impressive work! Looks great!

[@dollyscorner4850]

Thanks for the video. Great job! Very inspiring!

[@bagsx5]

That is phenomenal!! Great job!!

[@SabanWorshipper]

Great video ! Glad everything turned out so nice

[@gordonroseborough8547]

Great job Stephen! For someone with no experience you looked like a master at work. :)

[@tokyosteve1223]

Much appreciated!

[@SLAU6HT3R]

wonderful job! thank you for posting this video.

[@MrHandiMac]

You did an awesome job, I couldn’t have done a better job. Keep up the great work

[@briansegall1084]

Looks good! I also looked far and wide for information on how to install a shower wall union, but came up empty. Thankfully I'm installing it on a fiberglass surround which can flex a little bit, so it's more forgiving than tile.

[@tokyosteve1223]

It's a simple thing with unforgiving tolerances, like +/- 1/16" Surely loads of people have tiled their wall and messed this up because there is so little information out there 🤔

[@joseduarte3884]

Beautiful work!!! I liked so much👍

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thank you

[@kevindivine9623]

Great job! I'm about to do the same thing - tub to standing shower bathroom remodel.

[@thomasdietzman8771]

Very, very nice. Great result.

[@mussimike]

Great results, I like the bold contrast black details, it works. Also love the horror editing skills.

[@davidedwards69]

Great Video! Quality work.

[@Simphome]

Woowww!!!! It changes so much!

[@bluerep40]

Wow, awesome job brother, it looks fantastic!

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thank you :)

[@vmccleod]

Fantastic is an UNDERSTATEMENT, Great Work!!!!!

[@tokyosteve1223]

Much appreciated!!

[@joeglennaz]

That looks great!!

[@robertgill448]

“You want the Job done Right, You Gotta Do It Yourself”. Those words were part of life in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. After Y2K all has gone to $hit.

[@supradaytona9576]

Professionally job Looks nice You have to keep it clean now

[@anthonynguyen8031]

Impressive! I hope to one day be able to do the same to my bathroom

[@richardtempro7013]

Man, you did a great job 👏

[@sheiladaly1507]

Looks awesome!

[@trhansen3244]

Truly incredible. I wish I could do that.

[@MadDog_Rules]

What a fantastic job. Late to comment, but glad to see you also added silicone to the screwed holes. Self doubt is really annoying, it's amazing what you achieved.

[@applejellypucci]

Man I just did a tub to shower conversion for 19k and it was not done all that great either. Total nightmare. You did a super job.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Much appreciated!

[@Morganexvavation]

Turned out great!

[@Oldpuck81]

Nice job!!

[@teel6226]

Beautiful!

[@phungo9375]

Great work

[@robingreen7678]

Simply amazing!!

[@a.m.dmobiledetailing688]

You did a bad ass job my friend 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thank you!

[@mikeelu6503]

Nice work did a very similar job on my bathroom which was about the same size. Two problems was the shower drain things didn’t line up exactly right and got the shower pan during lockdown and I had to settle for a pan I didn’t want. So the shower drain leaked had to move plumbing over about an inch so things lined up this was a pain as access from underneath was tight. Finally fixed that. Then shower pan was noisy and yes I put mud under the pan so had to shim subfloor. As for lessons learned get a good strong pan. Make sure plumbing lines up perfectly and using bigger tile like you did will inure a more even finish. I’m satisfied with mine but could of been better. Then again I’m no plumber, tile guy. Plus saved a bunch of money and the wife doesn’t notice any of the things I do.

[@tokyosteve1223]

I had a similar issue, even with a bed of mortar the base still creaked a bit, so I shot some low expansion foam under the base before the walls went up and I had access through the stud cavities. Seems to have done the trick, but that didn't make it into the video. My plumbing didn't line up either, but I'm well over my fear of just hacking it all off and connecting new pipe.

[@danielmccoy6200]

looks great!!

[@jw1731]

10:28 agree 100% I’ve no idea why but there is almost instruction and no template for the hand held showerhead water line and how deep to set the drop ear elbow. With the overhead showerhead you’d stick a long pole into the wall so the depth doesn’t matter, but the handheld one doesn’t have the tolerance, and so I had to measure again and again to figure out how long of a pipe extension I need to get.😢

[@makinMYway75]

Awesome job.. I call next!!

[@marcusbuckley2013]

That looks like a bathroom I'd love to use. Very slick. You learned all those techniques from KZbin? Damn !

[@tokyosteve1223]

Don't need any contractors with KZbin around 😋

[@suemel1716]

I wish you were near me! I would be thrilled with the bathroom BEFORE your remodel. We had a contractor bid 20k minimum for a reno. Love your work and videos!

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thank you :)

[@applejellypucci]

Yes that's the average asking price nowadays sadly.

[@lisakim1589]

awesome job !!!!

[@davidgiesfeldt6650]

Kudos brother, I did a $30K full on bath build last fall and had the same trepidation on the hand held block. Owner decided to switch trim parts from the day I was setting the tile… Great work, keep it up.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thankfully I could overrule any last minute changes haha. It was tricky enough knowing everything in advance.

[@drchangtorres]

Nice work man!

[@tokyosteve1223]

Appreciate it thanks!

[@kylejones9910]

Awesome work

[@tokyosteve1223]

Much appreciated

[@tonyd1149]

Beautiful job on that shower conversion. It looks fabulous. Thank you for making and posting this video. (Your parents have an awesome son). God[Bible] Bless.

[@tonyd1149]

I'd love to do something similar for my elderly mom. Thank you for this video.

[@keyboardwarrior2812]

Beautiful work first class job.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thank you 😊

[@benwebstar8304]

good job thanks you for sharing

[@guideme1503]

Wonderful!

[@jassh2610]

You did a wonderful job. It’s beautiful. I’m want to redo my shower area. I have a pan that I want to remove and just do tile flooring with no lip. I can visualize it in just a scared but I’m ready to get it done myself.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thank you. I almost went curbless in my own ensuite shower, but in the end decided it would have been too tricky in my situation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g320hHWGeZKEmsUsi=TM7b4TFJGN-VYXsW So I just tiled a very low curb instead.

[@karolstopinski8350]

Beautiful job! That square outlet, I can see how this is the most stressfull part of the work. You pretty much have to trust that the amount of tape and turn count is exactly right. And on top of that when you`re at your last turn you need to properly evaluate if it can do a full rotation or will it get stuck and you need to go back to the last straight position. And that tape doesnt like turn backs too much. Surprisingly the tiling is the easiest part of this job :)

[@tokyosteve1223]

That's exactly what went through my head causing stress for days leading up to doing it 😂😂

[@michaelpham7169]

Thanks great videos 👍👍👍

[@luckehandyman]

That came out unreal. !!!!!

[@tokyosteve1223]

Much appreciated!

[@jamesford9039]

For the DIY person, yes this can be done for that price... For a professional remodeling company with payroll, insurance's liabilities, labor, materials, experience and other costs it is around 10-15K all across the nation.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Probably even more in Canada. Precisely why I DIY'd it

[@mannylucasny]

That's a hell of a job. Very nice

[@tokyosteve1223]

Much appreciated!

[@fredbrunn5359]

Nice job

[@justinmoore1194]

Great job

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thanks

[@AMERICANA-BOOMSTICK]

You done good!

[@ifollowjesus1667]

Awesome!

[@billyncube6106]

Good job

[@tokyosteve1223]

Much appreciated. Thanks

[@JohnSmith-hl4bb]

Very Good job.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Much appreciated!

[@peters9943]

amazing job...wish i could do that...

[@travisedwards9983]

Can use 2 screwdrivers through drain grate, form and x and just twist. Comes right out. Being said.. no vapor barrier, did not seal backer board or the joints. Simply laid tile on board. Yea saves some material cost but.. not how its done.

[@tokyosteve1223]

So I probably should have elaborated on this more in the video. The backer board is called DensShield. They specifically tell you not to put a vapor barrier, because the board is waterproof, and becomes the vapor barrier. Also, all the joints were sealed with polyurethane caulking following the installation instructions of the DensShield exactly. I know it looks like a different installation than typical backer board, but I followed the instructions to the letter. 🙂

[@se7515]

If I have learned anything from KZbin renovation videos, it’s that Tim Hortons coffee is a vital component

[@tokyosteve1223]

😂

[@TheCoolOwen]

I have the SAME EXACT beige tile in my bathroom. It was layer unevenly and is almost impossible to re caulk because the grout lines are uneven. The tile doesn’t even go all the way up to the ceiling so refinishing isn’t an option. It all needs to be torn out and be redone.

[@jjyay2077]

thats beautiful,

[@davidphu7403]

Thank you so much for your time to make the vid. You inspire me to do same. My washroom is exactly same as yours. Just wondering, which brand of shower pan did you used? Is 32x60? thanks

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. The pan was a Sterling (and made of vikrell). And I do believe it was 32x60.

[@joshkelly6423]

The shower head not being in the center makes my ocd go wild

[@tokyosteve1223]

Hahaha. You aren't the only one. Limited options when surrounded by exterior walls and wanting a niche too. I eventually got over it. But my ocd is strong too 😂

[@davidu8688]

People truly do not understand the work that goes into this mostly because of the hack videos that do not show the majority of the work or do terrible work unlike this video that gives a great representation of what is needed. People also do not understand this is not an EXACT science because many things can change depending on many different factors as you can tell from the video. You have to be able to work it and think on your toes which only comes with experience.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Much appreciated and yes, it was a lot of work 😂

[@trailslug893]

GREAT JOB! Where did you source the tile and especially that black trim on the cubby?

[@tokyosteve1223]

Tile was from a local tile distributor, had to be ordered. Exact name is here in the comments somewhere, I posted it for someone earlier. It was cheap though. The trim was from Home Depot, nothing special.

[@jeffreyjbyron]

Looks fantastic! I'm trying to decide whether to use basin like this or tile/stone floor instead. Hard to beat this simplicity. How many days did it take? Was this your first shower build? Thanks!

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thank you. Actually my second but this was far more complex than my first haha. I did my own ensuite shower after this one and I tiled the pan (pebbles) and I much prefer it. You can't argue with simplicity and waterproofness of a premade pan though. I think it was about 3 weekends start to finish. I don't move fast, I overthink everything unfortunately. 😂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/g320hHWGeZKEmsUsi=Dsm6nidUlwiVNm3F

[@lunguo6293]

That looks great! Just a question that confused me for quite long time. Do you need to apply waterproof paint on the gib board? I saw a lot of KZbinr seal the gib board also.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Denshield has a waterproof side. I suppose you could, but it would be redundant. You seal the joints and screw holes though. I liked the concept for it's simplicity. Time will tell if it was the right decision, but q lot of guys swear by this stuff

[@lunguo6293]

@@tokyosteve1223 Thanks!

[@imaramblins]

Well done sir. Very sharp! My only question was did you have preexisting flex vent in the attic that you attached that bath fan to? Or did you just vent it into the attic space? If the latter, I'd be wary of moisture and mold.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Neither. I went up there and ran new venting to a vent cover I cut a hole for and mounted on the side of the house. 🙂 The amount of swearing involved made it wholly inappropriate for the video 😂

[@imaramblins]

@@tokyosteve1223 Haha 🤣. I figured as much. You were so pro on the rest of the project, I didn't think you'd let something that obvious get by you.

[@ericshiver2268]

How did you check for possible water leaks on plumbing? Thanks! Beautiful job!

[@tokyosteve1223]

I left all the supply side open for about a week and observed no leaks, and regarding the drain, I used the highly technical method of standing in the bathroom below the shower standing on a chair listening for any dripping 😂

[@scrapon]

You did a great job....... They have nicer looking pans available ... solid composite slate grey would have gone great with the tile , but adds a grand $ to the cost

[@tokyosteve1223]

Thanks appreciate it! Next time I'll have a crack at tiling the shower base instead of a store bought one.

[@Angela-bz8sw]

Nice!!

[@tonybashiproductions3356]

Great job, just a question about vapour barrier. Do you not need to put vapour barrier between insulation and the cement board?

[@tokyosteve1223]

Common question! Denshield is a different kind of animal (that's the name of the gypsum board). They specifically say remove any vapor barrier because their board (completely waterproof on one side) becomes the new vapor barrier. I was suspect too! Much googling was done and I actually ended up calling them with a few other questions because it's so different from using regular cement board.

[@ralphemerson497]

I did one of these DIY redo the entire bathroom in one of our rental properties. I know first hand the frustration and difficulties. Doing it yourself is courageous. Not second guessing, but why no plastic sheet over the insulation and the wall? Why no water proofing of the cement board before tiling? Nice job tiling. Especially the mitre work in the shower niche. How is the sliding shower door holding up so far? Like the door and the choice in faucet hardware. I know it wasn’t a heavy use bathroom, the job must have taken a month or two. Looks good. Hats off.

[@tokyosteve1223]

All good observations! But actually I followed the manufacturers installation instructions to the letter. Denshield acts as its own vapor barrier apparently and they specifically say not to have a second one (the plastic sheeting). They also said further waterproofing isn't required as the outer skin of their board is waterproof. I actually went through the same thought process as you just outlined, but decided to just go with what the instructions said to do. I'll update if it all blows up in my face, but I feel pretty good about it all. Especially with large tile and small grout joints. I haven't done many tile projects in my life, but I'm gaining confidence and man do I find it satisfying 😂 Door is holding up great. It felt decent quality. The bathroom gets daily use but my folks have a second one in the basement that I built last summer (video also available 😬) so there was no rush for the few weekends it took.

[@el.handyman]

...I'll be honest, I was a bit concerned about the lack of waterproofing too.

[@tokyosteve1223]

@@el.handyman Denshield. Check it out 🙂

[@pl6935]

Good Job, one comment for next time, put a sheet of plastic on the subfloor before installing the mortar/cement. The subfloor tends to suck up the moisture from the cement and shrink. This will cause the shower pan to flex and eventually crack due to the space between the cement and shower pan.

[@zigner]

Won't this mean the mortar won't be connected to the subfloor, but would just be sitting on the plastic below, and potentially move?

[@pl6935]

@@zigner won't move since the pan is fastened to the wall studs. The cement helps support the weight of a person by making the shower pan stiffer. There are shower pans out there that don't require mortar, this is due to the manufacturer adding alot of stiffening ribs.

[@MadDog_Rules]

@@zigner Imagine it in 3 layers, subfloor (movement), mortar with shower tray fixed. If all three are bonded together, any movement from the subfloor, will affect the mortar which in turn ends up cracking the shower tray. You need the plastic sheet in order to allow the subfloor to move, without it affecting the mortars movement. For ease of access, you can use shower tray feet instead of using mortar.

[@henrywilliams2421]

There is a special tub drain removal tool you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes.

[@tokyosteve1223]

Yep, I just didn't want to buy one for a single use :)

[@kellyobrien6436]

Looks great! That's about the exact color and size tile I'm looking for. What size gap did you use between the tiles. It looks like 1/16th. Really looks clean! A+++ 😀👍

[@tokyosteve1223]

Yep 1/16th spacers for the tile. I really like the stacked look with small gaps.

[@mg5454]

How did you get the edge where the tile meets the normal wall to look so clean? Is there something that makes that edge? A strip of some material?

[@tokyosteve1223]

www.schluter.ca/schluter-ca/en_CA/Profiles/c/P Schluter edging profiles. Or might have been a Prova (just a different brand). $10 solution to make the edge look clean and beautiful.

[@robertgill448]

Perfect Job. KUDOs to you.

[@cafemolido5459]

Glass door vs. shower curtain - which best!

[@lindadavis3098]

You did a good job? Beautiful

[@peteionescu1107]

I just wander where did you buy the glass door for the opening.Nice job

[@tokyosteve1223]

www.bathdepot.com/

[@chrissikora3359]

Just curios why did you go back to the mosauc after you put tile above ? I mean why not tike then mosaic the tile during install ?

[@tokyosteve1223]

Yeah, actually I went back and forth on this a little at the time. If I recall there were two reasons. First I wasn't 100% sure I wasn't going to need to screed a thin layer behind the mosaic to make it flush with the large format tile. Second, I worried because the mosaic was on that mesh backing and it moved around like crazy that I wouldn't be able to maintain a perfectly straight line around the room. Leaving the gap and going back to it solved both problems for me. Remember, I'm a DIY noob who learns things off KZbin 😂. Everything needs to be carefully thought out and risks removed. Haha 😆

[@jamskinner]

Might want some curtains in that window

[@OGCJ10]

Very impressive. What type of shower valve is that ?

[@tokyosteve1223]

I believe it was the Delta MultiChoice universal valve. R10000

[@ChrisSG]

I have a couple minor touch up to do before handing over my condo to the landlord. Would you and your funky tool be available before end April?

[@tokyosteve1223]

You pay for the flight and I'm there! 😂. And which funky tool are we referring to? Haha

[@ChrisSG]

Good bits are from Tim Hortons, not Amazon 😋.