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Triple master contractor Ed Del Grande
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By Ed Del Grande
Q: Ed, we read you every week, and you're like having a personal contractor for us. So I'd like to ask you a question. I am disabled, and we have been using the standard tub that came with our house for my shower. Even though we have a sturdy shower chair in the tub for me to sit on, it's still a chore getting me into the tub because of the high tub wall. My husband wants to remove the tub and make a special needs shower for me, but we don't know how we can do this. We would like as little curb as possible or even a flat floor so we can roll my wheelchair right in. Is this possible and how is this done? Thank you Ed! Bob & Kathy (Florida)
A: Thank you, Kathy, for your letter. It's a good reminder to many people of the day-to-day struggles that people with disabilities go through to accomplish things that many of us take for granted, such as getting into a tub. I've worked on a lot of special needs bathrooms, and I don't have to tell you that a standard bathtub side wall can be a very large obstacle to overcome if you are in a wheelchair.
Fortunately, builders and manufacturers have also realized this, and today there are some very good options for special-needs shower bases. Most bathtubs take up about a 5-foot area. You can get a shower base that will fit perfectly into a standard tub footprint once the bathtub is removed. More good news is that usually the drains and water lines will line up with these shower bases as well! However, in most cases new surround walls will have to be installed so everything will match up.
Since you're just installing a shower base, this will give you different options for your wall materials, such as tile or fiberglass. Speaking of the walls, once they're opened up, make sure that backing support boards are installed so that grab bars and rails can be added. Finally special floor mounted shower doors finish off the package, and you end up with a very large and safe special needs shower stall!
The only bad news is that usually there is a small lip or curb at the edge of the base. If you absolutely need a shower stall with no lip, there are some custom options that a good contractor can do for you, but they will cost more money and be more invasive to your bathroom. One way is making a custom shower pan that blends into your bathroom floor on a sloping angle. The bathroom floor and shower are tiled in as one unit with hanging shower doors.
Another way (you need a very large bathroom for this one) is to build a large U-shaped shower surround with a divider in the middle. This is called a "doorless shower," since the outer walls and dividing wall will contain the water with no door needed. In most cases, these high-nd special-needs showers are not a practical option and, in my opinion, you will get a lot of bang for your buck by just installing the standard shower pan in place of your tub.
Good luck, Kathy, and God bless. I hope many of us will think twice the next time we step over our tub wall about how we can help out someone who may have special needs.
Ed Del Grande was born and raised in a family-owned plumbing business. With more than 25 years of experience in every aspect of construction, he holds current Master licenses in pipefitting, fire protection and plumbing. If you have a question for Ed, send him an e-mail at eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com.
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