Walk In Shower Remodeling in Jacksonville, FL

A true curbless shower brings the floor of the bathroom and the shower floor to the same level, which usually requires either recessing the subfloor slightly or building up the surrounding bathroom floor to meet it. A low-curb shower keeps a small step, often an inch or two, which is simpler to build and still far easier to enter than a standard tub wall.

On a slab foundation, which is typical in Jacksonville, going fully curbless can mean saw-cutting and lowering a section of the slab for the shower pan, which adds cost and time. Low-curb designs avoid that step while still opening up the entry significantly.

Every walk-in shower floor slopes toward the drain at roughly 1/4 inch per foot so water doesn't pool. Linear drains, set along one edge of the shower, allow a single-plane slope in one direction, which some homeowners prefer for the look and for simpler tile layout. Center drains slope from all four sides toward a single point and work well in square or near-square showers.

We size the drain and slope to the specific shower footprint rather than defaulting to one drain style for every project.

Frameless glass panels are a popular choice for a walk-in shower because they leave sightlines open, but framed glass and even no glass at all, with a properly sloped and extended wet area, are legitimate options depending on layout and splash exposure.

A walk-in shower has more exposed wall and floor area than a tub, so waterproofing coverage matters even more. We use a sheet or liquid-applied membrane over cement board or a similar substrate, extending it up the walls above the showerhead and across the entire sloped floor before any tile goes down. Corners, the drain flange, and the curb or threshold are the points most likely to leak if the membrane isn't detailed correctly, so those get extra attention.

Larger walk-in showers often include a built-in bench or a fold-down seat, a recessed niche for shampoo and soap, and sometimes a second showerhead or handheld unit. Each of these needs to be planned before waterproofing starts, since a niche is essentially a hole in the wall that has to be membraned and sloped just like the shower floor.

Curbless construction, linear drains, frameless glass, and full-height tile all add cost over a simpler low-curb, framed-glass, half-tiled design. Shower size itself matters too, since a larger footprint means more waterproofing membrane, more tile, and a bigger glass panel.

Homes on slab foundations, which cover most of Jacksonville, need extra planning for curbless entries since the drain and any recessed sections involve cutting concrete. In older Riverside and Avondale homes, we also check the condition of the drain line before tying a new shower into it. Near the coast, we lean toward corrosion-resistant hinges and drain hardware since salt air speeds up wear on unprotected metal.

We measure the space, confirm drain location and slope requirements, and review glass and tile options before demolition starts. From there, framing and plumbing adjustments happen first, followed by waterproofing, tile, and finally glass and fixture installation.