How to Replace a Shower with a Bath

Replacing a shower with a bath is an excellent way to enhance both the functionality and comfort of your bathroom, especially if you’re accommodating a growing family.

Budget-Friendly Bath Installation Guide: Step-by-Step Process for a Durable and Professional Bathroom Renovation

In this specific project, we carefully removed an outdated shower and installed a durable, space-efficient bath that was designed to suit the needs of daily family life. Our goal was to create a bathroom that would combine durability, comfort, and soundproofing, all while ensuring technical precision throughout the renovation process. The entire project was completed in approximately 15 working days and included a comprehensive structural overhaul—everything from plumbing updates and new walls to doors and finishes.

1. Full Bathroom Strip-Down and Preparation

We started by completely stripping out the old bathroom, removing all outdated shower components, structural walls, tiles, flooring, plaster, and fixtures. The entire space was taken back to its bare structure to prepare for the new bath installation. Before this renovation, the house had undergone a full re-plumbing, ensuring we were working with fresh, clean copper pipework that would support the bath for years to come. Additionally, the first-floor walls had been completely restructured to create more space in the bathroom and adjoining bedrooms. This provided the perfect foundation for our transformation. During the demolition, we discovered that the original framing lacked the necessary integrity to support the weight and structure of the new bath. Rather than moving forward with the existing framework, we took the opportunity to rebuild the bathroom structure, ensuring straight and true stud walls, as well as installing a new, appropriately sized door frame and door.

2. Moisture-Resistant Wall Installation and Sound Proofing

Before boarding the walls, we took an important step to enhance comfort and privacy by adding sound insulation within the stud cavities. This is often an overlooked part of the process, but it’s crucial in family bathrooms where noise from running water, drainage, and other activities can easily travel to adjacent rooms. The insulation helps minimize this sound transmission, creating a quieter, more peaceful bathroom environment. Next, we installed green moisture-resistant plasterboards. These specialized boards are ideal for high-humidity areas like bathrooms, offering superior protection against dampness compared to standard plasterboard. We carefully taped and sealed all board joints and screw holes in preparation for the waterproofing phase, ensuring a solid foundation for the next steps of the bath installation.

3. Floor Reinforcement and Preparation

For the flooring substrate, we chose cement boards, which are ideal for wet environments like bathrooms. These boards are a top-tier, industry-approved choice for floor tiling, offering exceptional dimensional stability, compressive strength, and superior water resistance. When installed properly — fully bedded and securely screwed into the subfloor — cement boards provide an ultra-stable, non-flexing base that supports both the bath and tiles, preventing any risk of movement or cracking over time. Unlike traditional materials such as plywood or chipboard, cement boards offer significantly better long-term durability, especially in high-moisture areas or spaces that see a lot of use. In this project, their use was crucial because the bathroom is adjacent to a staircase, an area susceptible to slight vibrations and structural movement. Cement boards absorb and dampen these vibrations far more effectively than timber, greatly reducing the chance of cracked tiles or loose grout down the line. For these reasons, cement boards weren’t just a logical choice — they were essential to ensuring the floor’s durability and the bathroom’s overall longevity.

4. Bath Selection and Frame Construction

The chosen bath was a 7.5mm thick square acrylic bath. Thickness matters — thinner baths (2–4mm) tend to flex, leading to sealant cracking and eventual leaks. A 6mm, 7mm or 8mm bath is significantly sturdier and retains heat better, making it ideal for regular family use. The square shape was a deliberate choice. Compared to curved or rounded baths, square baths offer more internal leg room, making them more comfortable and suitable for both adults and children. Although the bath came with standard brackets, we built a custom bath support frame.

This was done for two main reasons:

• To prevent any bath movement during use, which can compromise seal integrity.
• To allow precision fitting of the bath panel later in the project, creating a clean, professional finish.

5. Waterproofing and Tanking

Before fitting tiles or finishes, we applied a full tanking membrane and waterproofing kit (from Mapei brand), a trusted brand in the industry. This included a liquid membrane over the walls surrounding the bath and wet zones, as well as sealing tapes at all board joints, wall-floor connections, and around pipe penetrations. This step ensures that any water penetrating the tile surface cannot reach the structure, preventing long-term damage and mold growth.

6. Bath Installation: Key Techniques

With the structure and waterproofing complete, the bath was set into place on the custom frame and securely fixed. Critical detail: We filled the bath with water during the sealing process. This step ensures the bath is under full weight load, allowing the silicone sealant to flex correctly and prevent cracking once the bath is later used. Once cured, the silicone forms a watertight seal that won’t pull or separate when the bath is filled.

7. Ceiling and Final Finishes

For the ceiling, we opted for composite ceiling panels. These were chosen for their:

• Water resistance (ideal for high-moisture environments)
• Low maintenance (easy to clean, no painting required)
• Affordability, which made them suitable for a mid-range budget renovation

This choice also tied in with the overall goal of creating a low-maintenance but high-performance bathroom.

8. Purpose Behind Shower-to-Bath Conversion

A significant part of this bathroom remodeling was replacing a shower with a full-size bath. This decision was driven by the fact that the house will be occupied by a family with young children. Baths offer:

• Greater versatility for young families (children’s bathing, cleaning, etc.)
• Improved resale value in family-oriented housing markets
• More relaxation options for adults while retaining practicality

Final results..

Bath Installation – Questions and Answers by Builders Squad Ltd

Why Choose Builders Squad Ltd?

At Builders Squad Ltd, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional craftsmanship and customer satisfaction. Our team of expert bathroom renovators is dedicated to bringing your vision to life, whether it’s a complete bathroom overhaul or a simple update. We handle everything from bathroom tiling to plumbing, electrical work, and waste management, ensuring a hassle-free renovation experience. Discover how our bathroom remodeling company can transform your space into something beautiful and functional. Get in touch with us today for a consultation and let us help make your bathroom renovation dreams a reality.

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