Master Bath Tub/shower

sbeaty

I am a homebuilder in central Missouri. I am currently building a new house for myself (it will also be used for showing customers). in our master bath, I want a large (probably corner) tub. In the last home we built, we did the same thing and I tiled the walls so we could use the same fixture for a shower. It worked OK, but the tile was a constant mildew problem/ hard to clean/ etc. I'm looking for a suggestion - surely some of you guys have seen some creative ideas for tub walls, or a prefab unit that is REALLY big. I don't want a separate shower - lots of reasons. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Stephen Beaty
Top Notch Builders

Mike Finley

Tile doesn't create mildew, so no matter what you put in there it has to be cleaned.

Try adding a bigger exhaust fan and set it on a timer to run at least 20 minutes after the shower gets used.

If you don't want tile, for a big area like that think a solid surface material.

Ishmael

What about corian?

Kgmz

Around here you can't sell a house except for a starter home unless it has a 5 piece master bath. Tub, separate shower, toilet and 2 sinks. On some of our smaller houses I will go 4 piece. And that means only 1 sink, the separate shower and tub are still there.

What I have done to save a little on the lower priced homes, is used a prefab shower instead of a tile shower. Higher end is all tile. For prefabs we have used 36" showers, and 48" and 60" showers with the little corner seats built in. We usually use Kohler Terracina showers.

The smallest homes we build are around 2400 sq, ft. And have 3 to 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths (not 2 3/4) with the master being a 4 piece like I described above.


The higher end tile showers are not that bad. I always rinse the walls down with the extra hand shower head we have, this helps with the soap build up. And just make sure the grout is done right and smooth, and sealed good.

go do it

i am getting ready to build another spec/personal house.

and have been debating putting in a jetted tub in the mast. bath just because MOST people don't use them that much.

i have used the one in our house we have now only twice in a year and my wife about 4 times.

according to a national builders survey the average use is 3 times a year.

in the next house i am thinking of useing the sq. footage that the tub takes up and put in a BIG walk in shower with body jets/sprays, and maybe a steamer. turn it into a little spa.

then that might free up some sq. footage that the original shower used for another closet. never can have to much storage.

in order to have a jetted tub in the house maybe put a 6' one in another bath.

what do you think KGMZ? or are people to trained on have a jetted tub in the master?

Mike Finley

The simple answer is hands down the shower and body sprays is 10 times more advantageous to your spec house than the jetted tub, if you want the long answer just do some searches on google about the subject, there is plenty of information about trends on bathrooms available that will give you evidence for what you are considering. For what it's worth we have done 3 bathrooms already this year that involved complete removal of the tub in master bathrooms.

go do it

thanx mike

that just conferms my gut feeling.

i think jetted tubs in the master are on the way out

troubleseeker

Agreed that jetted tubs are a trend that has pretty much run it's course. The same thing will happen in a few years to todays trend of showers with enough spray heads to wash a 747. I think the desire for a large oversize shower space will remain, but some new gimmick will replace these ridiculous nozzle set ups. Same reasons as jetted tubs are going out. Word spreads that the novelty is very soon gone and they don't get used, they start to break/leak and owner is not willing to spend many $ to fix them.