Meridian, Idaho

Curbless Tile Shower — Meridian, Idaho

An oversized corner garden tub and a 36-inch shower traded for one curbless wet area with a linear drain, a full-depth bench and a flush transition to the bathroom floor.

Finished curbless walk-in tile shower in a Meridian, Idaho master bathroom with a linear drain, tiled bench and frameless glass panel — Finished curbless shower in Meridian — linear drain at the back wall, full-depth bench, flush entry with no curb. Representative photography of the work described — being replaced with job-site photos from this project.

Project data

Location: Meridian, Idaho (Ada County)
Project type: Curbless walk-in shower conversion
Approximate wet area: About 40 square feet
Duration on site: Roughly three weeks including inspection holds
Tile: 24x24 grey porcelain walls and floor, matched cut floor tile
Waterproofing: Bonded sheet membrane, banded corners, linear drain flange

Existing condition

The bathroom was laid out the way most late-1990s and 2000s Meridian subdivisions were: a large corner garden tub nobody used against the window wall, and a 36-inch shower squeezed beside it with a fiberglass base and a framed door. The tub had a slow drip at the deck and the shower base flexed under weight, which usually means the pan was never fully supported.

What the homeowners wanted

The homeowners wanted the tub gone, one large shower instead of two half-used fixtures, and an entry with no curb to step over — planned as a long-term decision rather than an accessibility retrofit later.

Scope of work

Remove the corner garden tub, the fiberglass shower base and both surrounds
Cap and reroute the tub supply and waste lines
Recess the subfloor between joists to bring the shower floor flush with the bathroom floor
Set a linear drain along the back wall and build the slope to it
Install a bonded sheet membrane across the floor, curbless threshold and walls with banded corners
Frame and waterproof a full-depth bench and a horizontal niche
Tile walls and floor, then template glass to the finished walls

The problem we hit

A curbless entry only works if the shower floor can drop below the bathroom floor, and the joists ran the wrong way for a simple notch. Cutting them was not an option.

How it was solved

We sistered and furred the surrounding floor instead of cutting structure, then used a linear drain at the back wall so the entire floor could pitch in one direction across a shallower depth. That kept the transition flush at the entry without touching the joists, and it made the wall tile layout easier because the floor tile could run in one continuous direction.

Materials and systems

Waterproofing: Bonded sheet membrane system with banded seams and corners
Drain: Linear drain, back wall, single-direction slope
Wall tile: 24x24 porcelain, stacked layout
Floor tile: Matched porcelain, cut to size for slope and grip
Glass: Single fixed frameless panel, templated after tile

Where to go next

Questions about this project

Does removing a garden tub hurt resale in Meridian?: In our experience buyers in this market care far more about a usable shower than an unused corner tub, provided the home still has a bathtub somewhere. If it is the only tub in the house, that is worth a conversation before demolition.
How long was the bathroom out of service?: Roughly three weeks on this project, including waiting on inspection and the glass template. The rest of the house stayed in use throughout.