We have been able to use the walk in shower in our new house for about 2 weeks now; our shower is about 3.5 feet by 6 feet, and the side wall doesn't go all the way to the ceiling - there is about a 1.5 foot gap at the top. Yes, it's cool - we don't get the steamy enclosure experience that we had from our enclosed shower stall at our old house. On the other hand, it's easy to clean without a shower door, and it makes life easier if you ever have physical challenges like a broken leg or major leg surgery. Oh - if you haven't decided on a shower head, I *really* recommend the shower heads on the sliding bar (what are those called?). Dh is taller than I am; the adjustable head allows for the difference in height. When you want to wash the shower stall, or wash a dog (whatever), remove the sprayer and get the water exactly where you want it.

Hi Cassie, I am right there with you as far as removing a tub and putting in the same receptor. First if you don't have help you will need it for at least one step of the process. If the tub is cast iron you can bust it up into smaller pieces with a sledge hammer (eye and ear protection, of course). If you have a standard tub configuration then the receptor is made so you don't need to make any plumbing changes. If you currently have a right hand drain the positioning should be the same. Don't forget to order the drain as it doesn't come with it. I am looking at the same model (in Sea Salt) and just to let you know Kohler quoted that piece as weighing 193 pounds. So a few extra hands will be needed As far as the drain size goes I assume there is an adapter. Shower doors.... I have been searching for exactly what you describe and here is what I've found. Kohler has something pretty cool yet costly and I don't think it comes in the size we want. Look up K-705791 on their site. This is a bypass doe with fixed panels. This is another I found, its a company out of Canada, yet they claim its available in the US. Look here and I know you will really like it. Let me know if you have luck getting local info. http://www.kinetikhardware.com/ I hope it help and I would love to see your project and its completed look.

bella, how I wish I could do something so spontaneous! I do think I'll feel better about my cabinets once the counters are changed. And I can't help to think even though I've never liked the oak, or the counters. None of it bothered me THIS much, when my walls were builder beige. I've even thought about just repainting the walls, and spending the $$ through out the rest of my house on stuff I can take with me :) BUT..dh says NO. He's tired of us talking about the kitchen, and doing nothing. So, it's getting done. NOW :) nicole, that make-over is amazing! I kind of hate people who can pull that kind of thing off, lol. I'm cheap..for sure. But when I do thinks on the cheap, it looks like it. And I have NO creativity. If I can't see it, and copy it..it's not gonna happen. So, yesterday I went shopping right after taking kids to school. I didn't have a chance to call and order. I happened in to Lowes to get some subway tile to double stick tape behind my stove. See how I like it :) And I saw the River Gemstone used on a counter! It's new, and hadn't been there before. And there it was!!! And oh my goodness, was it UGLY!!!! It had soooo much teal/blue in it, that it was up against a painted teal wall. BLECH! I feel I seriously dodged a bullet there. Had I not posted here, and waited for the votes. I probably would have gone that way, because dh liked it best. So did I, when looking at the sample. But, in it's full glory. Bad, bad, bad! Sooo, we're going with the Bella Noche ! I have to wait till 9, when they open to order. But, least I can do so with confidence.Well, sort of. My mother, who isn't the most supportive of my decorating ideas. Told me about 20 times yesterday I should keep my wood edge. Because the squared edge that I have to get (no choice there, because they're not building new decks) looks realy "cheap". Sigh. I can't win. But, that's ok. I'm fine with it. I think. Anyways, thanks again!!!!!!!!!

"Best form of shower construction..." That will lead to personal opinions, and oh my gosh, I just happen to have one! 1) Walls? 1a) Tile Backer Boards? I prefer to use a true cement board (Durock or Wonderboard) as the tile backer board. I'm not a fan of fiber-cement due to the moisture wicking nature of that product. Nothing horribly wrong with it. You can build a fine shower with it. I'm simply a cement board person. I'm against the "latest-greatest" tile backer boards that have waterproof skins protecting a core material of who knows what. Sure, those "latest-greatest" products are better than their predecessors, which were the "latest-greatest" in their day. But they're essentially the latest renditions of products that have failed in the past. I avoid them. Cement board? I know what it is. I know how it handles, how it performs, how it acts with repeated wet-dry cycles, etc. It's what I use. Waterproofing? I prefer waterproofing or a drainage plane of some sort in the wall. If it's within the budget, I highly recommend a topical or surface applied membrane on the face of the backer board. Topicals can be liquid (Hydroban, RedGard, etc) or sheet (Kerdi, Hydroban sheet, Nobel, etc). Some liquid topicals are waterproof but not vaporproof (Hydroban). RedGard is waterproof and vaporproof. All sheets membranes are WP and VP, though with varying thicknesses from one product to another, the perm rating (how vapor proof it is) can vary from product to product. But even with different perm ratings, they all work perfectly well in residential construction. For a basic shower you just need waterproof (Hydroban liquid) but you can also use a WP/VP product. For a steam shower you also need vaporproof (RedGard or any sheet membrane). Drainage plane? If you don't want to go with a topical membrane, there's nothing wrong with just using a drainage plane behind the cement board. Drainage planes can be #15 tar paper, or more commonly 6-mil polyethylene sheeting. They get stapled to the shower wall studs with the bottom edge of the material overlapping the flange of the tub, shower, etc. The cement board covers the drainage plane, getting screwed into the studs. If moisture gets through the tile/grout/cement board, it'll hit the drainage plane. The drainage plane generally holds the moisture until the shower is over and a drying cycle begins. As the shower dries out, the moisture usually travels back into the shower space by going back out through the path that it entered. I recommend topical membranes because you can tie a topical membrane on the wall to the topical on the floor. And speaking of floors... 2) Shower pans... First, the membrane on the floor needs to be sloped. No flat-on-the-floor membranes are allowed. Ever. Period. Manufactured pans? You mentioned Kohler Cast iron trays. I love them. They're well built, they look fabulous, they're durable, blah blah blah. It's all in the eye of the beholder, but to my eye, they are transitional in style in that they can cross styles. The negative? You pick a base and build your shower to that size. So they aren't customizable so to speak, but you can usually find a size to suit your build. There are not many other manufactured pans that I like. I don't do plastic/acrylic/fiberglass pans. Personal preference. Some are sturdy. Some are flimsy. Doesn't matter to me, as I avoid them. The foam pans like Kerdi Trays, that get covered with a membrane? They're good. They're actually pretty good. If your shower doesn't fit the size of a foam tray, with thoughtful consideration they can be cut down to a smaller size. On the same note, you can fill in around the foam tray with deck mud if your shower is a little larger than the foam tray. But as to my personal preference, because I don't generally build standard-sized showers, I usually do a deck mud base. I can make it whatever size I choose. Deck mud base. My favorite simply because of its versatility. Very seldom do I build a standard size or standard shaped shower with a standard location or a drain. Deck mud can pretty much be shaped to any shower geometry, and with though it can accommodate a non-centered floor drain location. So yeah, deck mud is my first choice in a shower. Pan membranes? Same as walls in that you can have a membrane buried within the floor, or you can have a topical membrane. Again, for moisture control, I prefer a topical membrane. For a topical membrane, you'll use a drain that matches the membrane you're using. Example, for a Hydroban Liquid or Sheet membrane, you use a Hydroban Flanged drain. For Kerdi membrane you use a Kerdi Flanged Drain. You set the drain. You pack sloped deck mud on the subfloor. You then apply a continuous topical membrane that goes from the drain, across the sloped mud floor, and up the walls. Muy Bueno. With a topical membrane, all that can get wet in a shower it the tile, the grout, and the thinset. That's it. Topicals are great for moisture control. Sheet PVC or CPE membranes? These are the thick membranes that get sandwiched between two layers of mud on the floor. With these membranes, you use a clamping drain. You pack sloped deck mud on the floor. You then install your membrane over the sloped mud, clamping it at the drain, folding the membrane neatly at the wall corners, and running the membrane up the walls 8-10" or so. You then pack another layer of deck mud on top of the membrane. you then tile on that top layer of mud. That's about it for now. Plenty of words. Plenty of option. My recommendations? Again, these are my preferences. For DIY ease? If you like the Kohler cast iron pans, get one. Set the pan. Use Durock on your walls, with the Durock overhanging the pan's flange. We can talk about furring strips later if you're interested. Then cover the Durock with a topical membrane. Then tile. For a non-CI base, using deck mud on the floor? Then I recommend cement board on the walls. Set a flanged drain (I prefer the Kerdi Drain, even if using Hydroban membrane) in the floor, then pack sloped deck mud from the drain to the walls. Then use a topical membrane (Kerdi or Hydroban) of your choice from the drain, across the floor, and up the walls. Geez. I just scrolled up. A LOT of words. Hopefully it makes sense.