How To Install A Shower Head In A Bathtub

Want to add more than functionality to that jacuzzi? Add together a shower to the tub! In that location are a few different ways y'all can get about this task, each with their own pros and cons. I'll walk you lot through the options, and then testify you what I did in my own bathroom!

Remember when I declared that my bathroom remodel was finally complete? Well, home improvement never stops around here! It seemed like such a shame to take a beautiful bathroom with a huge tub that doesn't get used very often. We decided to add a shower to the tub to make information technology more functional and put information technology to better employ!

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The layout of our bathtub environment made installing a shower a lilliputian tricky. The deck-mounted faucet is off to 1 side, with the handles on the other side of the tub.

I wanted to avoid ripping out whatever of that tile that I so painstakingly installed merely a calendar month ago. I did some research and came upwards with iii options for calculation a shower to a tub.

Diverter Tub Spout with Attached Shower Caput

If the faucet was mounted at the cease of the tub, it would have been like shooting fish in a barrel to install a diverter tub spout with a continued shower caput like this.

Alas, naught most this bathroom renovation is that easy! The faucet is deck mounted, which means the plumbing comes upwardly from underneath, rather than out from the wall. In addition, a wall mounted spout would have to be about a foot long to span this gap. That would expect pretty ridiculous!

bathtub surround with new tile being fit

Roman Tub Faucet with Manus Shower

The 2d option was a Roman tub faucet with a hand shower. Here are a few examples.

bathroom tub with handheld shower head and separate shower area

All these homes have a stand up-lone shower side by side to them, so the paw shower is merely for rinsing off bubbles from the bath. Showering while seated is a catchy endeavor and not really the convenient option we were looking for.

Plus, this would involve rerouting the tub handles over to the spout and tearing up my newly laid tiles. No thanks!

Separate Shower Head and Valve on the Wall

In the terminate, we decided to install a shower head on the wall with its own valve to control the h2o flow. This option allows us to keep the existing tub plumbing intact, and won't destroy all my difficult work! The shower valve on the wall will be less confusing for guests to use, because it'southward more than obvious that those controls operate the shower and non the tub.

stand alone bathtub with diagram of shower placement

The shower head I chose has a removable hand shower, so nosotros can rinse off after soaking in the tub without draining information technology starting time. This will as well make it easier to clean.

For a project like this, it'due south best to phone call in the professionals. I'm thrilled to be working with Mr. Rooter Plumbing to add this shower to our bathtub!

One of their technicians came out earlier the scheduled service to take a wait at the project. The other side of the bathroom wall is my workshop, which is an unfinished room that was once a garage. It'south non pretty, and so I don't mind cutting it upwards! In that location's an onetime laundry hookup correct next to the spot where the shower will go, and so it would be fairly piece of cake to reroute the plumbing.

garage wall with tongue and groove cedar plank wall and ductwork

On installation day, the Mr. Rooter technician came prepared with everything he would need to access the wall and install the shower. Instead of drywall, the workshop is clad in tongue and groove planks (which I've been gradually covering up with white paneling to brighten up the infinite). He cut along the studs with a circular saw to expose the pipes hiding inside.

plank wall with hole cut out to access pipes

Apparently all the pipes for the business firm run in this ane stud bay! If I had attempted to tackle this chore myself, I would take run screaming from this mess! Luckily, the Mr. Rooter technician knew just what to do.

He removed more of the wall so he could meet all the connections and appraise where the shower caput and valve would be installed.

After turning off the water main, he got to work cutting the PVC pipes that were blocking access to the new shower location.

The piping with the knob is the common cold line that runs outside to the sprinkler organisation. He tapped into the hot line through the washer hookup that is no longer in use. He continued both lines to the shower valve, which then continued upwards to the shower caput. Everything went back into place easily, and he moved on to the finished side of the wall.

water pipes exposed for new shower installation

He marked the spot for the shower valve from the finished side, centered over the tub bleed. This pinnacle is easy to reach whether you're sitting in the tub or continuing for a shower. The dual function handle controls the temperature and water flow separately, then you won't get a blast of common cold water if you're just rinsing off in the tub.

shower valve installed in wall above jacuzzi tub

The shower head was placed equally high as it could go without running into problems with the low ceiling. The arm is long enough to extend over the bathtub edge, so water won't drip onto the tiled deck when the shower is get-go turned off. Over fourth dimension, the curlicue will relax and hang straight down.

The detachable manus shower can be used in conjunction with the stock-still shower head, or separately. It was exciting to finally come across a functional shower in this bathtub!

The walls are painted with Benjamin Moore Bath and Spa paint, which is peculiarly formulated for damp environments. I plan to install a ring shower mantle rod around the perimeter of the tub to farther protect the walls from splashes, merely like yous would with a clawfoot tub.

ring curtain rod for stand alone bathtub

A huge thank you to Mr. Rooter for making our house a two shower abode! At present guests can have their own shower and mornings will go much smoother and quicker!

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