One of the most costly rooms in a home to remodel or renovate that a homeowner can take on is a bathroom. With a little research and a few tools, however, it is also the one room that contains several tasks that are fairly straightforward enough to accomplish on your own. One of these tasks is repairing or renovating a corner shower. Depending on which type of shower base you have chosen, the shower project can often be done with minimal effort, eliminating the need to pay a professional installer. The most difficult aspect of the project is the shower base installation, but once that has been accomplished, the remaining shower components are fairly easy to replace.
Which Shower Bases Can Be Self-Installed?
Acrylic shower bases, fiberglass shower bases, and fiberglass and acrylic blend shower bases are three most common bases used for self-installation projects. They are all available in a variety of shapes and sizes, which means finding the correct fit for your bathroom and shower area is fairly straightforward. Tiled shower bases are nothing more than unfinished acrylic or fiberglass bases that are installed the same way the finished models are and then set with ceramic or porcelain tile. As long as you have a basic knowledge of tiling procedures, this method is fairly simple as well. Corian, on the other hand, is a much harder substance to work with, even though it is simply another type of acrylic, and must be installed by a professional. Cast stone resin shower bases can also be installed with fairly minimal effort, however, true cultured stone bases also require the services of a professional installer.
What To Do Before The Installation
Regardless of the material you choose, there are several steps to take before beginning the installation process. If you are hiring a professional to install the shower base for you, make sure to get at least two or three quotes from reputable service providers. This will help ensure you are paying a fair price for quality work. If you are looking to tackle the project yourself, make sure you do your research first. Check to see that you have the proper tools needed for the job as well as the basic knowledge of plumbing, and tiling is applicable, before you attempt to take on the project yourself. If you are uncomfortable with any of the installation steps, it may be best to look into having a trained installer handle the project for you. Too many homeowners often find out too late that is is much more costly to have a professional fix a plumbing job you have tried to do yourself than it is to hire them to do the job in the first place.
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