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Hello Workshop folks! About a month back I posted that my hubby (B) and I (K) were buying a fixer upper. We settled yesterday and got the keys! We’ve about 3 months of weekends to get the place habitable, and I’m currently sitting in my local Bunnings cafe planning the next steps to tackle the bathroom renovation. I’d love to hear your thoughts in general and have a few specific questions too.
The bathroom: I call dibs on the title ‘worst tiled bathroom in Western Australia’ there’s really no words, this is just a shocker of a job. Check out the photos and laugh, or cry!
We’re getting a demolition crew in to get this and the living areas ready for work, and save us time / effort.
It’s a small room - 1650mm wide and I think 2900mm (not 6750mm long - it’s not a crazy long bathroom!) the ceiling is 2350mm We want an open shower with a frameless (?) panel and no door, and thinking a 750mm wide vanity, with an on bench sink, is the best way to use space. The second door to the bedroom will get bricked in.
We are thinking if two potential layouts
- Layout 1, we move the shower in front of the window where the bath is, about 1m wide and a 850-900mm glass screen from the right hand side. Vanity goes where the shower currently is, so the line of sight is to the sink
- Alt Layout is to keep shower as is but move the shower head to the left. This means you walk in the door and immediately face a glass panel, maybe having 30-50cm from the door. The vanity remains where it is.
In both layouts the sending door is bricked in and there’s no bath.
Can a shower be placed in front of a window like this (if properly tiled, waterproofed etc!) or is there risk of damage to the frame?
thanks for sharing this journey with me!
Hi @SensibleHill,
Congratulations on the settlement! It must be an exhilarating time for you, filled with possibilities and dreams. I'm sure you already have a list as long as your arm of D.I.Y. jobs that need attention. Be sure to post whenever you have questions, as we're here to help.
That's certainly an interesting tiling job, filled with plenty of character.
You can place a shower in front of a window, and commonly you'll see head-height windows included within showers. These typically don't receive direct water as they are not within the spray zone. In your case, with a larger and lower window, the water will likely spray directly onto the sill. If you prepare the area correctly and membrane and tile up to the window glass, you can include the window within your new shower's footprint. If done well, it will look sensational, but since the window introduces several areas where water can get past the membrane, it would be best to at least consult with a professional.
One issue might be the style of the window frame that is currently used. Is this a sliding window with a bottom track? If so, I have concerns that the bottom track will fill up with water. You could consider swapping the window and frame out with a different style. If you are not changing the frame, then at a minimum, I'd recommend replacing the glass if it is not safety glass.
Please let me know if you have further questions.
Mitchell
Hi Mitchell,
Thanks so much for your reply. Yes that’s a sliding window with a bottom track - I think it has safety glass, but I’ll be getting a pro out to take a look. Am considering if we should replace the window if budget permits.
Started demolition today, no surprise the horror tiles came off with relative ease, bringing the paint and plaster with it. Looking at the adhesive under the bad tiling, it’s chunky and gritty, and really placed on quite thin! When I removed some of the original clay tiles, the difference was stark. It’s certainly a fun and rewarding job!
With the layout, what we’re thinking is to build a nib wall of 300mm in front of the window, wall to wall, and then locate the shower 1000mm wide out from that (open, with a frameless screen). With the second door bricked in, it gives us room to move, and I’m hoping the distance will help it not pool around the window so much. I’ll definetly take your advice and get someone in to give us the “ok” or not first 
Cheers, K
Hey @SensibleHill ,
Some of our friends are currently doing a bathroom reno with the same idea of having their shower in front of the window and have used the image below as their template. As you can see, the bottom part of the window is a solid piece, while the top can open outwards for ventilation. They've opted to have the slightest of angles on the bottom of their window sill so that water doesn't pool and rolls onto the floor. They've been told it's the best option for a shower / window setup.
Hi @SensibleHill,
Your bathroom reno sounds like a fantastic project! You've been given some great advice and inspiration from @MitchellMc and @Remarka6le and I am sure they and the community would love to see your journey with this project so please keep us updated with photos along the way.
Katie
