Bath to shower conversions

Why people convert

The reasons are usually practical. The bath is used twice a year while everyone showers daily, climbing over the side has become difficult, or the room is small and losing the bath would transform it. A conversion is one of the most requested changes in the bathrooms we refit, and done well it makes the room feel bigger as well as easier to use.

It is worth one honest thought first: if the bathroom is the only one in the house and you have young children, or might sell to a family, keeping a bath somewhere in the property is usually sensible. Where that applies we will say so rather than talk you into a conversion.

What happens to the bath space

Once the bath is out, the room shows its secrets. The wall behind the bath panel is usually untiled and rough below the rim, the floor under the bath may be bare boards or damaged from old leaks, and the supply pipes are often run along the surface. All of that is made good as part of the conversion: walls boarded or patched, the floor checked and repaired where needed, and pipework rerun neatly.

The bath recess is often close to ideal for the new showering area because the waste is already at that end of the room. A standard shower tray fits the footprint of many baths, which keeps the plumbing changes modest.

Plumbing and waste changes

A bath waste and a shower waste work differently. The bath empties a large volume slowly through a wide trap, while a shower needs to clear a steady flow for as long as it runs. The waste pipework is altered to suit the new tray or former, with enough fall to drain quickly, and the supply pipes are extended or moved to the new valve position.

If the shower is moving to a different wall from the bath taps, the pipe runs are planned before any tiles or flooring go down, because that is when changes are cheap.

Tray or level floor

Most conversions use a low-profile tray: quick to fit, forgiving and easy to keep clean. Where step-free access matters, the floor can be built as a level former that slopes gently to a drain, which is closer to a wet room build and takes longer. Our accessible bathrooms page covers the access side in detail, and walk-in shower installation covers screen options.

Whichever route is chosen, the wet area is tanked before tiling. Water getting past grout is the most common cause of shower leaks, and the membrane behind the tiles is what stops it reaching the ceiling below.

How long a conversion takes

A straightforward conversion takes several working days because waterproofing, adhesive and grout all need curing time between stages. Floor alterations or wall changes add to that. We tell you at the start which days the bathroom will be out of use, keep the water off for as short a time as possible, and tidy up at the end of each day. For a full shower swap rather than a conversion, see shower installation.

Quotes and warranty

Quotes are free and in writing, and the finished conversion carries our 1-year workmanship warranty. To discuss your room, call 01268 206409 or send photographs of the bathroom through the quote form. Our bathroom fitting page explains how a conversion fits into a wider refit.