1 day shower installs; If they can do it, can’t we?

[David S.]

Looking for tips and tricks on quick shower and tub installations. I see a ton of advertising on “One day shower installations” but noticed that most renos are still done with inserts or large format tile, not with the systems used for these “one day” installs.
The big box stores are lacking in a good selection of shower/bath panels. They want $1000 and have one or two options for anything similar to what these outfits are using. 
Surely there are some of you more experienced flippers/renovators who use a bit more affordable shower wall systems that are well built and look good/higher end? If so, where are you buying these? 

All in all I’m looking for any tips on quick shower/tub renovations, from studs up; Effectively cutting out existing tile and backer, then installing a panelized wall system from there. I can’t believe this isn’t more common.

Thanks

[Andy Sabisch]

We have gone a different route and that is refinishing the tub and tile surround.  The finish is amazing and the cost was less than the material alone to put in a new tub.  We had them done in a day.  Two tubs with surrounds and two bathroom sinks with the counter to look like marble for $900.  If I can find the pictures I will post them but on two houses we used this system and got great feedback from buyers.

[David S.]

Quote from @Andy Sabisch:

We have gone a different route and that is refinishing the tub and tile surround.  The finish is amazing and the cost was less than the material alone to put in a new tub.  We had them done in a day.  Two tubs with surrounds and two bathroom sinks with the counter to look like marble for $900.  If I can find the pictures I will post them but on two houses we used this system and got great feedback from buyers.

Thanks Andy… I would LOVE to see some pictures of this. Especially curious how tile would be made to look nice with a marble finish… intrigued! 

I just had a tub refinished in KC for $700 by a reputable outfit. That did entail stripping down a prior refinish. Overall it looks good, but like new? Not quite. The owner mentioned they can do a lot with tile refinishing too, which I’m likely to try down the road.  

But what are you doing when the tile needs to be replaced? That’s where I’d like to cut the tile out entirely and replace it with full panels. Looks like the shower in a day outfits put up plywood backer, then the acrylic panels that look like tile. Looking for a good source of these and some ideas on how to go about such an install. 

Thanks for your input! Hope you can find those pics.

[JD Martin]

If you are talking a full tub tear-out and reinstall, I wouldn't want to budget a single day since there's usually going to be some prep work requirements before setting the new tub.

Beyond that, the best way to minimize time commitment is a single-piece unit if possible. This is usually impossible on existing construction, so a tub & panel system is next fastest. You still need a clean installation setup, taking down existing tile or panel system, removing screws & cleaning up studs, addressing any faucet & plumbing issues. All materials plus extras on site and ready to go. Problem with a bathroom is that it's small and you can usually only have 1-2 workers in there at any one time, so no one can really be getting another job ready to minimize downtime.

I've done a full bathroom remodel on a 3-day holiday weekend. It was a marathon and not a lot of fun but we had an existing tenant and a badly leaking tub and damaged floor that needed addressing. We replaced the toilet & vanity "while we were in there" but those were the fast & easy parts of the job. I wouldn't want to do it on anything less than 2 days for sure and that would only be in an emergency situation. Rushing through this kind of thing doesn't give you proper time to inspect & correct.

[Andy Sabisch]

David,

Here are some pictures of what we had and what we ended up with.  The process is not a do it yourself project but there are refinishers that can get it done in hours.  The sink was a 1970's yellow with yellow formica on the top.  They came in and prepped it and when they were done, it looked like great and received positive comments when we listed it.

The tubs were shipped and the finish was shot.  The tiles were dirty and a few were shipped as well.  The guy that did it used a material to fill the chips and sanded the spots before refinishing the surrounds.

Just another option to consider especially if time is an issue.

[Ryan Normand]

Quote from @David S.:

Looking for tips and tricks on quick shower and tub installations. I see a ton of advertising on “One day shower installations” but noticed that most renos are still done with inserts or large format tile, not with the systems used for these “one day” installs.

What type of systems are they marketing with these one day installs? The only systems that you can install that fast are one-piece or panelized acrylic, or some sort of refinishing of the existing tile. And like @JD Martin said, even with those acrylic systems they would still be rushing the prep work to get it done in one shift.

As to why panelized systems aren't more common? Just speculating here, but the big box stores are primarily marketing to homeowners, not flippers. Most homeowners who want a custom bathroom remodel are going to take a couple extra days and spend a little extra money to get a real tile surround installed. That's why there are rows upon rows of tile but only a couple options for panelized acrylic.

[Jason Tougas]

@Andy Sabisch

Incredible transformation.

I’ve never been a fan of refinishing until now. Well done!

[Jason Tougas]

@David S.

I like your idea of the panel installs. One of the major reasons I replace the tub/surround is to get at and upgrade the plumbing. Many of the homes I purchase are old/dated. They have the 3 knob style mixing valve which dates the home, regardless of the tub finish.

Personally I don’t like the inserts. They feel cheap to me and although they are tough they are easily damaged. Onyx makes some nice panels that adhere to the wall which significantly reduces the time required to tile and grout the surround. They also work well when properly installed to prevent moisture intrusions. The downside is they are expensive when compared to tile. But, labor and time are also expensive so you just need to weigh the options and make your decision.

Hope this guys opinion helps! Good luck!