Mary and Erin had just moved into their new home and were eager to refresh a few rooms. Their top priority? Remodeling the two bathrooms. While functional, the bathrooms were undeniably builder-grade—featuring flimsy doors and basic fiberglass inserts. This write-up focuses on the 48″ walk-in shower conversion and a few key lessons we learned along the way. For details on the other bathroom, see HERE.
First challenge: To start, Mary and Erin had initially received a quote from Rome Bath Remodeling for an acrylic shower. We rarely match quotes for acrylic because the difference in quality between acrylic and our preferred cultured stone products is vast. However, the homeowners were open to being flexible with their schedule, allowing us to fit them in when we had availability. Unfortunately, this flexibility turned out to be more limited than anticipated, causing some disruption to our schedule. On top of that, the price match left no margin for unexpected issues, and when they arose, we had little room to maneuver.
Sometimes, that’s just how projects go. After Thanksgiving, a slot opened up, and we finally had an installation date locked in.
Second challenge: If there’s one thing we always emphasize, it’s this: For cultured stone wet spaces, our typical timeline is 3-5 days. Mary and Erin wanted both bathrooms completed within the same week. While we always strive to meet customer expectations, tackling two full bathroom remodels in such a short timeframe is difficult—especially since we can’t predict what we’ll uncover behind the walls. In this case, we discovered a web of waste and vent lines that needed to be completely reworked, further complicating the timeline.
Third challenge: Drywall repair and paint-ready walls. Shower replacements can get messy, and it’s common for us to end up with some damage to the walls outside the wet space. A few factors contribute to this:
- Sometimes, we need to extend drywall work by over a foot just to find a secure stud.
- Even with precise measurements, we never know exactly what’s hidden behind the walls. A shower pan that’s perfectly sized on paper may end up recessed by an inch or two once installed.
- Most bathrooms aren’t perfectly square. Fiberglass can be forgiving, covering up out-of-plumb walls, uneven floors, and other quirks.
- Fitting panels into tight spaces is tricky. While we always handle installations with care and respect for the home, minor scuffs or marks on the walls can happen. When they do, we make it right.
As a rule, we always leave drywall paint-ready. For smaller jobs, our install tech will skim coat the walls with joint compound. For larger, more complex jobs, we bring in a specialized drywaller to ensure a seamless finish. We don’t typically replace base trim, as matching existing trim can be difficult and costly. However, in this instance, the homeowners requested that we paint and replace their base trim. While this service is available, it does come with an additional cost, which is passed on to the homeowner.
The installation itself was smooth. To meet the homeowners’ tight timeframe and keep our calendar on track, our install tech, Vincent Aponte, was joined by our Operations Manager, Josh Brodnicki. This particular shower features Samuel Mueller’s “Carrara” cultured stone slab with a matching shower pan, accented by two corner shelves. We also installed two safety bars, a curved curtain rod, and an upgraded Spectra+ Duo dual shower head/wand.
In the end, despite the scheduling challenges and added complications, Mary and Erin were pleased with the final result. We always go the extra mile to accommodate homeowners—even when the circumstances make it difficult. The project tested our ability to stay adaptable, but we’re proud of the work completed and excited to share the transformation in these before-and-after photos., the homeowners requested that we paint and replace their base trim. While this service is available, it does come with an additional cost, which is passed on to the homeowner.