A 1968 block home gets a true zero-inch shower
Gulf Gate, Sarasota
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Walk-in tub installation ยท Nokomis
When the walk-in tub was actually the right answer
We usually steer people toward a curbless shower. This was the case where we did not, and the reason was a rheumatologist's letter about morning stiffness.
- Door sill
- 4 in
- Measured drain
- 92 seconds
- Heater
- 40 to 80 gallon
- Seat height
- 17 in
01Before and after
The room, either side of the work
- Standard 60 x 32 in alcove tub, used daily for a long morning soak despite the risk.
- 40 gallon water heater, nowhere near enough to fill a walk-in tub.
- No bars, no seat, a bath mat and a lot of hope.
- Homeowner able to lift a foot 5 in reliably while holding a support.
- Walk-in tub with a 4 in inward-swing door sill and a 17 in moulded seat.
- Paired 2 in fast-drain valves emptying the tub in 92 seconds, measured on site.
- Water heater upgraded to 80 gallons, which is the part most quotes leave out.
- 24 in vertical bar at the door and a 24 in horizontal bar at 34 in on the long wall.
- Thermostatic fill at 120 F, plus a handheld on a 59 in hose for hair washing.
- Textured floor tile at 0.51 DCOF around the tub, replacing a 0.29 glazed original.
02Timeline
How the days ran
3 working days on site. Sample budget $14,600 including the heater (sample figure).
- Day 0Heater capacity checked, upgrade quoted before the tub was ordered
- Day 1Old tub out, floor and framing checked, water heater swapped
- Day 2Tub set and levelled, plumbing rough, inspection
- Day 3Surround, bars, floor tile, fill and drain timed with the owner watching
03The customer
In their words
They told me twice that a shower would be cheaper and easier. I told them about my mornings. They listened and then they built the right thing.
04More work
Other case studies
A concrete condo wall that could not take blocking
Crescent Beach, Siesta Key
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A roll-in shower built around a toilet that could not move
Jacaranda, Venice
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The last thing on this page
Ninety minutes, at your house, for nothing
Joaquin measures the room against every clearance, maps the studs so we know where blocking can go, and leaves a written report. If the honest answer is that your bathroom cannot do what you need, he will say so and the report is still yours.
- Call
- (941) 555-0213
- Office hours
- Monday to Friday: 7:30 am to 5:30 pmSaturday: 9:00 am to 2:00 pmSunday: Closed, messages answered Monday
- Workshop
- 2140 Cattlemen Road, Suite 4, Sarasota, FL 34232
We do bathrooms only. If you need a kitchen, an addition or whole-home work we will give you two names of people who do it properly.