Finally....A Shower!

What is the most expensive item in a bathroom?  The shower.  Even a cheap vinyl shower stall will cost hundreds.  Homeowners know this, so when they tear out their showers, they realize they can recover some of the costs of their do-it-yourself bathroom remodel by selling their used shower on Craigslist.  For hundreds of dollars!  In my ideal world, I hoped for a one-piece fiberglass shower stall.  I even found one in a nearby suburb for only $10!  But it was 48" wide and the seller told me that he was selling it because he couldn't get it into his basement, where he had intended to install it.  Since I have a tight corner at the bottom of my basement stairs, though which I cannot pass a Queen sized box spring, I realized I would not be able to wrangle a four foot shower stall through it either.

My next option?  A shower pan.  You know, the base of the shower, above which I could put tile on the walls.  Also a very common option.  But again, most homeowners were selling used shower pans for over $50.  Still a huge savings compared to a new one, but a lot more than my goal of free.

The final option?  Build a shower pan with a 2x4 frame, concrete to slope the floor, a rubberized membrane, steel mesh, and finally, a surface of fine concrete.  AKA- expensive and hard work!

With a bit more cleaning and conditioning it will be as good as new!

And then it happened- My Craigslist auto-search program sent me an email describing a shower pan and matching shower doors in a nearby suburb!  FREE!  I quickly called the man, told him I could come that afternoon or evening, and sealed the deal.  Awesome!

So now I have the biggest items!  I am almost ready to start!