Shower Tile · Southport, NC
From a Worn-Out Tub to a Bright Tile Shower With a Touch of the Coast
A New Shower With a Corner Seat, Built to Fit a Get-Away-Home Budget
Neil and Rebecca wanted to update the master bathroom in their get-away home with a new shower, a corner seat and some tile with real personality, but they didn't want to spend like it was their full-time house. So I pulled out the old tub, set a new shower base with a built-in corner seat, and tiled the walls in bright white subway tile with a marine blue and silver glass stripe running top to bottom for a touch of the coast. A new glass shower door finished it off, and the whole room got the custom upgrade it had needed for years.
Shower tile · Southport, NC · About 5 days · Tub out, new shower base with corner seat, subway tile with glass stripe, new glass door
Free in-home estimate · Written, detailed pricing · No obligation
Before: the old one-piece tub and its sliding doors
The Old Tub Had Done Its Time
When Neil and Rebecca called, their master bath still had an old one-piece fiberglass tub and shower behind frosted sliding doors, which still worked but looked every bit its age. They wanted a real shower with a place to sit and some tile that felt like the coast, and since this was their get-away home, they wanted to keep the budget reasonable.
Out Came the Tub, Down to the Studs
The tub out and the walls open, ready for the new base
[The tub out and the walls open, ready for the new base
The new base with its corner seat, set and protected, with cement board on the walls
A New Shower Base With a Corner Seat Built Right In
In went a new fiberglass shower base with a corner seat molded into it, which gave them the place to sit they'd asked for without the cost of building one from scratch. Then the walls went up in cement board, because tile is only as good as what's behind it, and at least a third of every tile job I do is prep work before the first tile goes on.
Every Seam and Corner Sealed Before a Single Tile Went Up
This is the part nobody sees once the job is done, and it's the part that matters most. Every seam, every corner and every screw head got a coat of waterproofing, so when the tile goes on and the water starts running, it has nowhere to go but down the drain, and the shower won't leak into the walls.
The hidden work: waterproofing over every seam, corner and screw
White subway tile with a marine blue and silver glass stripe
Bright White Subway Tile With a Stripe of the Sea
The walls got bright white subway tile, and I suggested running a vertical stripe of marine blue and silver glass tile through it to give the room a touch of a nautical theme without going overboard. I always encourage my clients to get a little creative with tile, because an accent stripe like this costs very little extra and it's the first thing everyone notices when they walk in.
The Old Floor Tile Couldn't Be Matched, So We Made the Gap a Feature
The new shower base was a little narrower than the old tub, which left a strip of bare floor along the front that needed new tile. I searched for a match to the original floor tile and couldn't find one anywhere, so instead of patching in something that looked almost right, I ran the same blue glass tile along the base, and now the floor ties right into the stripe on the wall.
The gap along the new base, filled with the same glass accent tile
The corner seat, finished and sealed against the new tile
A Corner Seat That Makes the Shower Easier to Use
The corner seat was one of the first things Neil and Rebecca asked for, and it turned out to be one of the best parts of the new shower. It gives them a spot to sit, set things down, and because it's molded right into the base, there's no seam around it to leak or need upkeep down the road.
A New Glass Door to Finish It Off
The last piece was a new clear glass shower door on a sliding rail, which replaced the old frosted doors and lets you see the tile work every time you walk into the room. With the new base, the tile and the door all in, the whole bathroom finally got the custom upgrade it had needed for years.
The finished shower with its new glass sliding door
At a Glance
-Old one-piece tub and frosted sliding doors removed
- New fiberglass shower base with a built-in corner seat
- Cement board walls with every seam and corner waterproofed
- Bright white subway tile with a marine blue and silver glass stripe
- Floor gap along the new base filled with the same glass accent tile
- New clear glass sliding shower door
- About 5 days start to finish
In Their Own Words:
"The shower turned out just as we imagined. We really like the bright white subway tile and your suggestion for the vertical glass tile stripe was great!"
Neil R., Southport
Three Simple Steps
From Your Vision To a New Reality
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STEP 01
Tell Me About Your Project
Answer a few quick questions about your home and the job.
Takes about 2 minutes
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STEP 02
I Will Meet You Onsite for a Quote
I'll call you to discuss the project, then set a time to see the job in person. You'll be talking with me, not a salesman.
A real phone call from me
In-home visit at a time that works for you
Straight answers, no pressure
STEP 03
You Get a Written Quote
I will provide all the details and specifications, line by line, no surprises. If it looks right, we pick a start date and I get the work done.
Firm, detailed written quote
Clean up every day
Finished on time
Free in-home estimate · Written, detailed pricing · No obligation
FREE IN-HOME ESTIMATE
Start Your Project
Fill out the short form and I'll call you to talk through the job. If it's a good fit, I'll come out, look it over, and give you a clear written quote. Prefer to talk first? Call me at (828) 761-6760.
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Remodel Asheville · John McMullen · (828) 761-6760
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