Walk-In Shower Installation Claremore, OK
C&A Roofing & Construction builds walk-in showers for homeowners in Claremore, OK and Rogers County. We frame the opening, waterproof the pan and walls as one bonded system, then tile and glass it. A new shower is usually the centerpiece of bathroom remodeling in Claremore.
Curbed vs. Curbless Showers
A curbed shower has a 4 to 6 inch dam at the entry. It is the simpler build because the pan sits on top of the existing subfloor and the curb contains the water. Almost any bathroom can take one without touching the framing.
Curbless means the shower floor is flush with the room. That requires recessing the joists or building the whole bathroom floor up, plus a linear drain and a tighter slope tolerance. It is worth the work for wheelchair access or a flat-entry master, and it is the safer choice for anyone who trips on a step. On a slab, curbless usually means cutting the concrete to reset the drain.
Waterproofing the Shower Pan and Walls
This is the part nobody sees and the only part that decides whether the shower lasts. We build a sloped mortar bed at a quarter inch per foot to the drain, then bond a sheet or liquid membrane over the pan, up the curb, and 6 inches onto the walls. Every inside corner, the drain flange, and each valve penetration gets banded.
Walls get cement backer board or a foam board panel, never green board, with seams taped and sealed in the same membrane. Niches are waterproofed as their own box and sloped. We flood test the pan for 24 hours before a single tile goes down. If it holds, we tile. If it drops, we find it then instead of two years later.
Tile and Solid Surface Options
Porcelain tile is the default: it takes water, holds up to scrubbing, and comes in large formats that cut grout lines down. Twelve by 24 inch wall tile with a mosaic floor is the most requested combination we install. Natural stone reads high end but needs sealing on a schedule.
Solid surface and acrylic wall panels are the low-maintenance alternative. There is no grout to clean and installation is fast, though the look is plainer and repairs mean replacing a panel. Both paths get the same waterproofing underneath.
Glass, Doors, and Niches
Frameless half-inch tempered glass is the cleanest look and the most common upgrade. Semi-frameless costs less and still reads open. Glass is templated after tile is set, so the measurement matches the real walls instead of the plan.
Niches get framed between studs and sized to the tile layout so cuts land clean. One large niche at chest height beats two small ones. Slope the niche floor slightly and use a solid surface sill rather than tile so water sheds instead of sitting in grout.
Drainage and Ventilation
Center drains work for square showers; linear drains along one wall suit rectangular and curbless layouts because the floor only slopes one direction. Either way the pan slope and the drain type get decided together, not after the tile is ordered.
Ventilation matters more in Oklahoma than most homeowners expect. Summer dew points here sit in the 70s for weeks, so a bathroom that never dries between showers grows mold in the grout and behind the trim. Size the exhaust fan at one CFM per square foot of bathroom, minimum 50 CFM, duct it in insulated pipe to the outside and never into the attic, and run it on a timer for 20 minutes after the water shuts off. Older Claremore baths vented into the attic are where we find the worst damage.
Free In-Home Walk-In Shower Estimate
We measure the bathroom, check the framing and drain location, and bring tile samples. No charge, no obligation.
Walk-In Shower Installation Claremore, OK FAQs
How long does it take to install a walk-in shower?
A standard walk-in shower takes seven to ten working days. Demolition and plumbing changes take two days, the waterproofed pan and wall system take two more with cure time, then tile, grout, and glass follow. Custom glass is measured after tile and adds one to two weeks for fabrication.
Do walk-in showers leak more than a tub shower?
Not when the assembly is built right. Leaks come from the pan and the corners, not the open entry. We use a bonded waterproof membrane over a sloped mortar bed and band every corner and penetration, so water never reaches the framing behind the tile.
What size should a walk-in shower be?
Thirty-six by 48 inches is the practical minimum for a comfortable walk-in, and 42 by 60 inches is the size most homeowners here settle on. Curbless showers need extra width so spray does not carry past the opening. Any shower under 36 inches wide feels tight with a bench.
Can you put a bench in a walk-in shower?
Yes. A bench is framed as part of the shower and gets the same waterproofing as the floor, sloped a quarter inch so water runs off instead of pooling. Floating benches keep the floor clear for cleaning. Fold-down teak seats work when floor space is tight.
Does a walk-in shower need a door?
Not always. A fixed glass panel with a wide opening works when the shower is long enough that spray stays inside, usually 60 inches or more. Shorter showers need a hinged or sliding door to keep water off the bathroom floor and to hold heat in.
Removing an existing tub first is covered on our tub to shower conversion page, and a shower is one piece of bathroom remodeling in Claremore alongside the rest of our home remodeling services. Budget figures live in our remodel cost guide, and payment plans run through our financing options.