Alright ladies, this post has been a long time coming. Two reasons… first, I’ve been wanting to share more of our home remodel process on my blog since my DIY Shiplap tutorial is still my most popular post of all time. Second, I’ve been waiting over ten years since we bought the house to remodel this bathroom. I can’t believe it’s finally (alomost) finished! Of course I waited until I was 9 months pregnant to check this off our list, so there is still a few things like the glass doors that I will have done after baby comes.
Unlike some of the other projects in our home, we decided to hire this one out. I will still go over the whole process with you because I feel like there is so much I was still involved in and learned. I will also share the cost break down, because again I had no idea of what to expect and just paid for things as they were needed. Shower costs are so variable, you could spend way more or way less than we did. Alright, let’s get into the shower remodel process!
Before The Shower Remodel
I can’t believe I am even showing you how horrible our “before” shower was. It was probably original to the house (built in 1979) and we really never used it. We remodeled another bathroom last year ourselves and that is the one we were all sharing to avoid this one. It was originally a tub/shower combo. We also had recently replaced the window in here.
The Process
The first step was demo. Everything was ripped out of the space including the tub and the old insulation. Once that was complete, they had to move all the plumbing since we were going from a tub combo to a stand up shower. The drain was moved to the middle of the area, the handle lifted, and the shower head lifted. Also, be prepared with the matching brand valve to the shower trim you are planning on using. I didn’t realize they needed to be the same brand to work together and we had to pause on the plumbing until I had that exact valve. Now I know šĀ They also built out the shower niche for us to store shampoo, etc and the floor threshold so water doesn’t escape.
After all the plumbing was completed, we had someone come do the hot mop application. I think this is to make the shower base waterproof. Our whole house smelled like asphalt after this so make sure to have plenty of fans on hand!
I am honestly not sure what they were doing at this point, but I think they were floating the walls to make them square and for the tile to attach to. Since our house is so old, many of our walls are slightly out of alignment. I think this helped to make everything perfectly square.
Next up was the tile, the best part! Since we chose a herringbone pattern. our contractor laid everything out beforehand to make sure it would align perfectly and be centered. I had no idea how many small cuts would have to be made!
The last steps were floor tiles, inside the niche, and hardware. We used the larger tiles on the threshold and inside the niche and window to frame them out. They were from the same brand so the colors matched up perfectly with the wall tiles. I actually originally had a larger floor tile picked out but my contractor persuaded me to go with the smaller hexagons so the could slant better to make water go down the drain. Finally everything was grouted and we had to let that dry for a few days.
Materials Used
Kohler Shower Drain – Matte Black
Kohler Purist Handle – Matte BlackĀ (you could save money here and buy a less expensive brand)
Kohler Shower Head Arm (yes you have to buy this separate lol)
White Subway Tiles (size 3″ x 12″)
Threshold tiles (we used to 8″ x 24″ and cut down to size)
Grout (color: Silver Shadow)
*The rest of our materials were purchased by our contractor.
Cost Breakdown
Alright, I know this is the part you have all be waiting for (besides the final reveal). I want to first remind you that there is so much variation in how much a shower costs… depending on style, materials, etc. This is just what we have into this specific one and I think it’s pretty fair. We did spend a lot on hardware and trim, but you could definitely save money there. The tub/shower remodel we did in the girls’ bathroom upstairs was less and we (I mean Jeff) did most of the labor.
Labor
Demo – $300
Hot Mop Service – $300
All other labor including plumbing and tile install – $2,660
Materials
Kohler Trim, Valve, and Drain – $678
Subway Tiles – $285
Floor Tiles – $240
Misc. Materials (contractor provided, trim, larger tiles, grout, mortar, etc.) – $920
Labor ($3260) + Materials ($2123) = $5,383.00
The last thing we need to do before the shower is completely finished is to have shower doors or a large glass panel installed. I did get a few quotes for this and it will be anywhere from $1,000 – $1,800 depending on which option we choose. Right now we have a temporary clear shower curtain on there so the shower is usable and I can play with the opening to see if water gets out. I think one solid glass panel would look so chic! I’m planning to have it finished off after baby comes so I will be sure to keep you all posted.
Alright, I think that’s everything and this post is getting way too long! Let me know if you have any questions down below or you can always email me. I hope you guys love our new shower as much as I do!!