When it comes time for a walk-in bathtub conversion for your parents to continue live independently in their Denver home, or needing to provide comfortable bathing arrangements for a loved one in there home after a surgery, it’s crucial to know your options. Individuals in this situation usually have either time or money restrictions…sometimes even both. Which can place you or your loved ones in a vulnerable position to certain salesmen. So hopefully this will help.

Investing in a brand new Walk-In Bathtub is, in our opinion, a little excessive. The tubs are the length of a standard bathtub, but are 37 – 47 inches high. These bathtubs are created for you to walk into, shut the water tight door and let the tub fill up, bathe, let the bathtub drain and then step out.

There are several concerns we have in this design. First, your bathing time just doubled, easily, if not tripled. You have to wait inside the 37”x60” tub to fill up before bathing and then have drain fully before you can open the door to get out. If there is an emergency of any sort and you need to escape the bathtub, all of the bath water would flood the bathroom. Creating severe water damage. Secondly, most residential water heaters do not hold 40+ gallons of HEATED water. You won’t have enough hot water to bathe in; hence, a chilly bath. Third, The cost for these tubs $5,000-$6,000 not including installation or an additional surround, which can add up to be drastically more. This option, we believe is taking advantage of individuals in these situations.

Another option for a bathtub conversion, is to remove the current bathtub and install a large shower pan. This would involve demolishing the bathtub in place, removing any or all tile within the surround, address movement of the plumbing for the future shower pan, install pan and shower door (more stable then a curtain for balance). Even though this option is decent, it still will take a lot more time then most are comfortable with. Plus, remodeling projects tend to have a hidden, unforeseen hold-up. This in of itself can be stressful, especially if you’re using multiple Denver contractors to complete the remodel. The cost for a remodel can still easily come to $3,000-$10,000. So doable, but not ideal.

What we have found to be the best option for Walk-In Bathtub Conversions is to alter the current bathtub by cutting a section out of the front wall that usually would be stepped over to enter the bathtub. Then install a “U” shaped step to be able to walk directly into the bathtub. These steps can even have a water tight door for bathing, if desired. You would still use the same amount of water, still have your bathroom as it is. This bathtub conversion can range $800-$1,300 depending on the needs and situation of the bathroom. The step is installed in a day and needs 3 days to bond to the bathtub. It’s a fraction of the cost, time and stress.