Santa Ana, CA
Tub-to-shower conversion for aging in place
A Santa Ana tub-to-shower conversion for a homeowner who was finding it harder to step over the side of her tub. Every height in the new walk-in shower was set to what she asked for: the grab bars, the shower head and the mixer valve.
We took the bathroom down to the studs. The concrete slab was trenched so the drain could move to the center of the shower, the tub drain was replaced with a larger one, and the floor was sloped to it so everything drains well. A new valve and a copper repipe in the wall put the shower head where she needed it.
The shower is waterproofed the traditional way: a hot-mop pan, which we water tested for 24 hours, and mortar walls floated over lath. Newer systems go in faster but often don't last as long. In our experience this method is bulletproof.
The wall and floor tile is ceramic, with a hex mosaic on the shower floor and in the niche, and the fixtures are brushed nickel. The homeowner chose and bought the tile and fixtures, and we installed them. The sliding door is 3/8-inch glass on a standard 60-inch opening, with a lifetime stain-protection coating.
Everything else in the room was replaced too: the vanity and top, floor tile, toilet, lighting, exhaust fan, paint and baseboards, plus a medicine cabinet the homeowner supplied. The house is in an HOA, and we met its requirements without any issue.
The job took three weeks from start to finish and was completed on October 16, 2026. For the homeowner it has made a real difference: the shower is much easier for her to use now, with the grab bars, shower head and valve all at her height.
Project photos
Project details
Why replace the tub with a walk-in shower?
Stepping over the side of the tub had become hard for the homeowner. A walk-in shower with grab bars, and a shower head and valve set at her height, made the bathroom much easier for her to use every day.
Did the drain have to move?
Yes. We trenched the concrete slab to move the drain to the center of the shower, installed a larger drain than the tub had, and sloped the floor to it. A new valve and a copper repipe moved the shower head to where she needed it.
How was the shower waterproofed?
With a hot-mop pan that we water tested for 24 hours, and mortar walls floated over lath. It takes longer than newer systems, and we use it because it lasts.
How long did the remodel take?
Three weeks from start to finish. That included taking the room to the studs and replacing the vanity, floor tile, toilet, lighting and exhaust fan along with the shower.