The bathtub nobody uses is one of the most common things we remove in Central Florida. More homeowners are trading that rarely touched tub for a larger, easier walk in shower, and for good reason. It feels more luxurious, it is easier to use every day, and it fits how people actually live now.
Before the demolition starts, though, a few technical realities deserve attention. A conversion done thoughtfully lasts for decades. One rushed past these details invites leaks and regret.
Why Homeowners Are Making the Switch
A walk in shower simply earns its space. National research shows most homeowners now prioritize a generous shower over keeping a tub in the primary bathroom, and that preference plays out clearly in our market. People want room to move, a comfortable bench, and a spa like start to the morning.
Accessibility drives the trend too. Stepping over a tall tub wall becomes harder with age, and a low or curbless shower removes that obstacle entirely. For homeowners planning to stay put for the long haul, it is a comfort upgrade and a safety upgrade at once.
Drainage and the Curbless Question
The first technical decision is the drain. A curbless shower, where the floor flows in with no lip to step over, looks stunning and improves accessibility, but it demands precise slope and a drain capable of keeping pace so water never escapes the shower zone. Get the pitch wrong and the floor weeps water toward the rest of the room.
Central Florida adds a wrinkle. Our high water table and slab construction mean the drainage plan has to be engineered carefully, not assumed. We map the slope, the drain type, and the waterproofing as one system, because in a curbless design they all depend on each other.
Wet Walls, Waterproofing, and Older Plumbing
Behind every great shower is waterproofing you will never see. We build the wet walls with moisture resistant board and a continuous waterproof membrane so water has no path into the framing or the slab. In our humidity, this layer is what separates a ten year shower from a two year mold problem.
Older homes bring one more surprise worth budgeting for. When we open the walls in a mid century Winter Park or Maitland bathroom, we often find aging plumbing that is wiser to update now than to seal back up. Addressing it during the conversion costs far less than tearing a finished shower apart later.
Resale and Keeping One Tub
There is a smart resale rule worth remembering. Converting the primary bathroom to a roomy shower adds real appeal, but buyers with young children still value having at least one bathtub somewhere in the home. If yours is the only tub in the house, we usually talk through that before removing it.
The sweet spot for most homes is a generous primary shower paired with a tub retained in a secondary bath. You get the daily luxury you want without narrowing the pool of future buyers.
A tub to shower conversion rewards careful planning, and that planning is exactly what General American Services brings to every project. With over twenty years of bathroom remodeling across Central Florida, we engineer the drainage, waterproofing, and finishes to last in our climate.
We proudly serve all of Central Florida, including Winter Park, Maitland, Lake Mary, Heathrow, Oviedo, Longwood, Altamonte, Winter Springs, and the surrounding areas of Seminole and Orange County. Contact us today to schedule your free in home consultation and quote.
