Andy was having a hard time getting in and out of his existing tub. In fact, he mentioned that on more than one occasion he had tripped while exiting and nearly fallen. Tubs can be dangerous in this respect: according to the National Institute on Aging, up to 80% of falls in the home happen in the bathroom. With aging in place on his mind, Andy saw our ad in a magazine and gave Buffalo Bath Pros a call.
Jennifer Hugill walked him through the differences between acrylic and cultured stone, along with the pros and cons of each. Andy had a well-kept home and didn’t want to install what was essentially plastic into his bathroom. He appreciated that most of our work features cultured stone slab, and it didn’t hurt that he’d already received estimates from a few local competitors. Jen scheduled a site visit and drove out a few days later to help design the space.
The bathroom was fairly standard—about 5 feet wide by 11 feet long. Smaller bathrooms often follow these dimensions, particularly on homes built before the 80’s, and for good reason. The standard bathtub is 30″x60″, or roughly 2.5 by 5 feet, making it easy to frame in and install. Most bathrooms were built around 10–12 feet in length to accommodate a toilet and vanity. It was simple, functional design that made sense for the time. Of course, times have changed—many of the bathrooms we showcase on our website today are massive—but as recently as a few decades ago, people lived more modestly and designed accordingly.
Having already received several quotes and seeing firsthand what others were charging for basic acrylic, Andy signed on the spot. We were able to get him on our schedule within seven weeks.
James arrived on a Monday—after making a quick stop at the landfill to dump debris from the previous week—and got to work. The project went off without a hitch, and Andy had no complaints whatsoever (we followed up multiple times just to be sure!). The entire job wrapped up in four days.
This particular installation featured a 60″x32″ Onyx Collection shower pan paired with Samuel Mueller’s Monterey Crème cultured stone walls. We added two 24″ safety bars to help reduce the chance of future falls. While we were there, we also replaced the toilet with a comfort-height American Standard ‘Cadet Pro’, which is easier on the knees and ideal for aging in place. We’re proud of this one.
If you’re a homeowner in Buffalo or any of the surrounding suburbs and looking for a reputable, honest company to remodel your bathroom—or just make it safer for your loved ones—give Buffalo Bath Pros a call at (716) 216-5794. We’ll treat your home with the same care we would treat our own.