Walk-In Shower Installation, Layer by Layer

Curb, low curb or curbless

The first decision is the entry. A standard curb is the simplest to build and keeps water in even with a small glass panel. A low curb reduces the step while still giving the pan an edge. A curbless shower has no step at all, which suits aging in place and gives the bathroom a continuous floor, but it needs more work underneath.

To go curbless, the shower floor has to sit lower than the bathroom floor so it can slope to the drain. On a slab, that usually means cutting and recessing the concrete in the shower area. On a wood subfloor, joists may need to be notched or the rest of the floor built up. It is very doable, but it belongs in the plan from day one, not as a change halfway through.

Drains, slope and tile layout

A shower floor is typically sloped about 1/4 inch per foot toward the drain. With a center drain, the floor slopes from all four sides, which works best with small mosaic tile that can follow the gentle valleys. With a linear drain along one wall, the floor slopes in a single direction, so you can run larger tiles across the floor and even carry the same tile from the bathroom straight into the shower.

On the walls, large-format porcelain keeps grout lines to a minimum. The layout is planned before setting starts: where full tiles land at eye level, how the niche lines up with the grout joints, and where cut pieces go so they sit in the corners rather than the middle of the wall. Matte-black valves, heads and drains are set to those same lines so everything reads as one design.

Glass and the finishing details

Frameless glass is measured only after the tile is on, because the tile thickness changes the opening. A single fixed panel is common for walk-in layouts where the shower is deep enough to keep spray inside. A hinged door suits smaller showers or ones that face the vanity. Glass thickness is commonly 3/8 inch, which feels solid and needs no metal frame.

If your current shower is a tub with a curtain, a tub-to-shower conversion in the same footprint may be the most direct route. Showers are also the center of most full bathroom remodels in Dallas, where tile, vanity and lighting are planned together. Either way, the first step is a walkthrough and a free written estimate for your shower.