I have three bathrooms, and originally, they all had 60″ (beat to heck) tubs. When I renovated them five years ago, I wanted showers rather than tubs in two of the three. But, I was on a budget and was put off by the high cost to have a plumber prepare a shower base to tile. So…with little other choice…I installed plain white Swanstone solid surface shower pans. In reality, these have been fine. They get dirty fast – but clean up nicely with Lysol Basin Tub & Tile cleaner ROG products.
Three more ideas for a shower base:
- Terrazzo pre-formed base — If I would have known then about these Crane Terrazzo shower bases, I most likely would have gone with them. NOTE: Historically, there were several manufacturers of terrazzo preformed shower bases — since this story was written in 2008, I do not know how many are still available.
- Tile onto a preformed base — Or – if this Tile Redi easy-to-tile shower base (above) had been available, I might also have used it. (Website: tileredi.com).
- Or, tile your shower base the old fashioned way — with a mud base.
**One thing to remember when tiling a shower base –
CONSULT WITH A PROFESSIONAL about
specifying the right tile for a shower base
considering the potential for slip-and-fall safety issues.
Vandana says
Hi, We just purchased a 1957 ranch house and had a contractor out to look it over in prep for some renovations. He expressed concern that the shower pan measures 30 x 30 and said it will be really hard to find a replacement as the smallest available these days is 32 x 32. Any suggestions? We’d prefer a tiled floor but are open to other ideas. Thanks!
pam kueber says
if you can’t fimg that size shower pan, yes, do a tile pan…
Vandana says
Thanks, Pam. Sorry, I am so clueless about this whole process. What’s the difference between a regular shower pan and a tile pan?
pam kueber says
there is preformed then there is tile-in like this https://retrorenovation.com/2014/02/17/mud-set-tiles-bathroom-remodel/
Carol says
My daughter purchased a 1957 ranch home in September ’08. She will be redoing her master bath and retiling the floor in the main bath. One thing I’m concerned with is the age of the water pipes, etc. in these retro homes. My question to you is this; have you or anyone you know with homes of this age had to replace the plumbing pipes to prevent lead poisoning? Is this a real concern? I’ve read the link you provided to the government site on lead in homes (thank you for that,) but I’ve not seen any mention from your site contributors about having replaced lead pipes before renovating their homes. Any words of wisdom anyone has on the subject? We sure could use some tried and true expertise at this time. Thank you for a terrific website!
pam kueber says
Hi Carol. Regarding your question I really recommend you seek advice from a professional. This site’s focus is on design and aesthetics – not questions pertaining to detailed restoration/renovation issues. When it comes to environment/safety issues – you’ll hear me referring readers to a pro who can look at their specific situation and make the appropriate advice. It sounds like you are asking some good questions – good luck.
nancy says
This is a great day!!! I finally figured out how to make comments, making plans to have my 50’s L&H ovens repaired (thanks to you), have tile samples coming for the redo on one of my baths(thanks to you), & on top of all that-you solved my shower problem before I even realized I had a problem! I hadn’t gotten to the details of building our new shower & now we have the info & product!! You are such an unbelievable resource for those of us who are really trying to do a good job these wonderful 50’s homes!
Many thanks! Nancy