Get matched with top tub and shower conversion pros in Corning, CA

Whether replacing a bathtub with a shower affects your home's value depends on several factors, with the most significant being whether it's the only tub in the house. Removing the sole bathtub can lower a home's value because many prospective buyers, particularly families with young children or pets, require at least one.

However, a tub-to-shower conversion can also increase home value. A modern walk-in shower is often seen as an upgrade in a secondary bathroom and can be a desirable feature for its accessibility and style, appealing to older homebuyers or those without children. The overall impact is also influenced by your local real estate market and its typical buyer demographic.

If your bathroom layout allows, installing both a freestanding bathtub and a separate shower can be an ideal solution that appeals to the widest range of potential buyers.

Most shower arms are ½-inch national pipe thread (NPT). It’s best to check the thread size before buying a new shower arm or showerhead to ensure everything will fit together once you’re ready to install. Remember that older homes or those outside North America may not have standard pipe or thread sizes, which can complicate installation and make it more important to check the thread size before buying.

You can use sanded or unsanded grout for a shower pan, but sanded grout isn’t the best option for shower walls. For those areas, you’ll want to use unsanded grout, which works well on vertical surfaces and is less likely to slump than sanded grout. Alternatively, you can use epoxy grout for shower walls.

Use mortar underneath the shower base. The mortar holds the shower pan in place and creates a level surface when spread properly. If your flooring is not level, you would need to use shims to create a level surface before moving forward with the mortar and base installation.

Note that installing a shower pan on an uneven surface can eventually lead to cracks and leaks.