bathroom renovation - corner tub

[Sherry Townes]

I'm renovating my bathroom to include a large corner tub. I am not sure what to do for the sides and top rim around the tub... I've seen it be tiled with ceramic tile which looks nice, but I don't know that I'd be able to make it look professional. I saw one display that had fomica sheets to box it in, and that looked pretty good to me. Would that hold out the water sufficiently? One other option I've seen is to have formica sheets, or tiles on the top, and then tongue and groove cedar going around the upright part surrounding the tub. I liked that too. Would it be a problem having cedar that close to the water? I have 3 kids that like to splash!

There will be a shower running into it, so I will need some sort of tiling on the surrounding walls. I was thinking of that tile wallboard. I'm afraid if I put too many different types of things in there it will look too busy and unmatching.

Any suggestions? I'm also redoing the floor - maybe linoleum?

Sherry

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sherry Townes [phone] x5103 Dept of Information Systems & Technology fax# [phone] University of Waterloo [e-mail]

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[Joe Bobst]

With three active youngsters you absolutely must go with something utterly practical and put appearance on the back burner. Get as much manufacturer info on tubs and surrouinds as you can and be brave when you ask about price. If you must do it yourself, be sensible about apprising your abilities. Remember that the more pre assembled and robust items you buy, the less are unusual skills needed and the shorter the project time. Scrounge as many catalogs as you can from Crane, American Standard, Kohler (especially), and hit the web sites too. Consider one piece surrounds for maximum kiddie-proofing and easiest assembly. Good luck.

Joe

[Jim Sullivan]

Haivng tiled a bathroom once (both floor and tub surround), I can say that with some planning and care, you can do a great job. Take the time to do some research. There are some excellent resources in the library and at the stores to assist you. Visit the local tile store and ask questions (do this during the week, when it's quiet).

If you're concerned about your ability to lay tile, then spend $20 on the cheapest, leftover tile at a store, get a board or some leftover drywall and practice!

Good Luck.