can shower be added to jacuzzi tub? (with pictures!)

17 years ago

Me again. sorry for being a pain. But, I'm SO new to all of this, I'm hoping that you more experienced people will be able to give me some insight on how things are done!

In this house that we're buying, the main floor bathroom has only a jacuzzi style tub. There is a shower stall in the basement bathroom, but the master bedroom is on the third floor.

Is it possible to add a shower to a jacuzzi tub? Once again, I can not find any examples of this on the internet. Perhaps there is a reason that there are no shower/tub combinations?

This is the current tub:

There is not enough room to add a shower stall in a separate area of this bathroom:

But, I really don't want to have to go down two flights of stairs just to have a shower!

Thanks again,

Kim

Featured Answer

live_wire_oak

17 years ago

That's a drop in tub, not an alcove tub with an integrated tile flange. It is extremely ill advised to add a shower to such a situation. It's inviting mold, mildew, and moisture damage to be your constant companions.

Comments (6)

zzxx
17 years ago
You can certainly add a shower head to this Jacuzzi tub. My only concern would be two things. 1st it looks as though you would have to add ceramic tile to the tub area to at least the height of the shower head. 2nd is the actual placement of the shower head on the wall. If you place it above the tub faucet you may have issues with water flowing on that flat surface and on to the floor. It may be feasable to have the shower head installed on the opposite side of the tub in order to keep the water in the tub with the use of a shower curtain.
Related Professionals
Franklin Plumbers · Beachwood Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Wood River Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Bay Shore Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Bellevue Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Channahon Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Cocoa Beach Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Idaho Falls Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Independence Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Los Alamitos Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Morgan Hill Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · South Plainfield Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Toledo Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Waukegan Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Weymouth Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers
zzxx
17 years ago
"It is extremely ill advised to add a shower to such a situation."

I am interested in knowing why. Could you explain what an integrated tile flange is and how does it invite those nasty companions? Just curious!!!
live_wire_oak
17 years ago
Take a look at a "conventional" tub. It has an apron front on it, but it also has a very narrow ledge surrounding the top surface that directs the water overspray downward into the tub. That ledge has a little lip on it that projects upwards onto the shower wall surface and over which the vapor barrier behind the tile comes down over and then the tile is mounted over it. It's designed to shed any water straight back into the tub and down the drain. Some jetted tubs are available with an integrated tile flange, but most are designed for a drop in (or undermount) configuration. Most jetted tubs are used in situations where a separate shower stall is also available. The hand showers that you see with jetted tubs are mainly so that the tub itself can be more easily cleaned, or sometimes for rinsing the hair.

What you see above is a drop in tub. It drops into a deck. Where would the splashing water from a shower go? It won't drain into the tub. It'll sit on the deck and make it's way behind any unsealed grout and into the substrate below as well as run down onto the floor. Where water stands, mold and mildew form. WHere the grout is unsealed, or imperfectly sealed, or where there is naturally porous stone, moisture migrates through it and into the substrate behind the tile. Where mold and mildew form.
karencon
17 years ago
First Home, I am glad you got good info from the above posters. However when I've got something I want to do I can be like a dog with a bone in figuring it out. The only solution I can think of is to put a shower head in the ceiling above (or one with a long extension arm from the wall) and use the claw foot tub type, round curtain set up so that you are protected all the way around. I would also be fairly vigilant if children would use that shower, watching for spills. The other issue is that water can get in the jets and cause bacteria. That is why my set up is an air tub that is set to dry out the jets every 24 hrs.
Karen
transfan1976_hotmail_com
14 years ago
Hi. I was searching for the same answer. To the OP, did you end up adding a shower head and how did that go?

We're building a new home which is modeled from one that is currently being built which has this jacuzzi tub.

{{!gwi}}

I personally don't think it's practical, but my family would like to keep it if we can get a shower head installed. Would it not be advisable to try to get the contractors to install a shower head?
Thanks