Tub-to-Shower Conversion in a Minneapolis Condo

Assessing a 30-Year-Old Condo Bath

Our first look at the guest bathroom confirmed what Stacy already suspected: the tub was dead weight. It was original to the building, nobody was taking baths in it, and the only thing it was doing was forcing a family member to climb over a high wall every morning.

Re-plumbing a bathroom in a condo with concrete floors is always the question mark on a job like this. Our plumbers have done plenty of them, so the real decision was whether to cut the slab to center the new shower drain. Stacy was comfortable leaving the drain slightly off center, which saved cutting concrete, saved time, and saved money — and in a finished tiled shower, you'd never know.

Building the Tiled Walk-In Shower

We pulled the old tub, re-plumbed for the walk-in shower, and started the pan from the bottom up. First came a presloped mud bed so the shower liner would sit on a floor already pitched toward the drain, then the liner itself, tied into the drain properly. We don't frame shower curbs out of lumber because they fail down the road, so we formed the curb out of concrete with the liner running inside it. A second mud bed went over the liner, sloped to the drain, and waterproofed backerboard went up on the walls before any tile was set.

"We've hired A to Z Construction for two projects so far, and both were completed on time and with great quality. Val, the owner, is professional, responsive, and easy to work with. He provides quotes quickly, which makes it easy to plan and stay within budget, and he follows through on the schedule he sets. We've been very happy with the results and would definitely use A to Z Construction again for future projects." - (Stacy, A to Z Construction)

Tile went on the shower walls all the way to the ceiling and across the shower floor, then we grouted everything with epoxy grout, which resists staining and keeps maintenance down to a rinse. The whole job ran about 10 days once inspections were factored in, and we kept the mess contained to the bathroom — the only real noise was demolition day, which matters in a shared building. If you want to see how we sequence a project like this before you commit, take a look at Our Process or ask us for a Free Estimate.

Tile set to the ceiling over waterproofed backerboard, with a mud bed and liner pan below.

Easier Access and Low Maintenance

Stacy's family member now steps over a short curb instead of climbing into a tub, and the bathroom reads as a clean, modern tiled shower rather than an accessibility retrofit. The off-center drain never became an issue, and leaving it alone kept the slab intact.

Stacy loved the finished product and how quickly it came together — this was the second project we've done for her. The epoxy grout should hold its color and stay mold-free for years, and the mud bed and liner pan under it is the same traditional build we trust on every concrete floor we work on. We've seen too many foam pans fail to put one in a customer's home.