What Matters Most
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Something feels off about your tub or shower, but you're not sure if it's bad enough to fix. Most homeowners don't know the extent of the damage until a bigger problem forces their hand. Maybe it's a smell that keeps coming back, a door that doesn't close right, or a surface that looks worse every time you clean it. It's easy to chalk it up to normal wear and move on with your day.
Shugarman's Bath has completed over 6,000 tub and shower remodels across San Diego and Orange County. We've seen every version of this problem, and we've opened up enough walls to know that what's visible on the surface is rarely the whole story.
This article walks you through the 5 most common signs that your tub or shower needs more than a quick fix, what you can do in the short term, and when it’s time to call a professional.
Table of Contents:
- Sign #1: Getting In and Out Of Your Tub Has Become a Safety Concern
- Sign #2: You Smell Moisture Damage From the Tub and Shower Area
- Sign #3: Your Tub or Shower Is Getting More Difficult to Clean
- Sign #4: Water Is Escaping the Tub and Shower Area
- Sign #5: Your Tub or Shower No Longer Fits How You Live
- Are There Other Signs That I Need a Tub or Shower Remodel?
- When Should You Call a Professional for a Shower Remodel?
Sign #1: Getting In and Out Of Your Tub Has Become a Safety Concern
Slip-and-fall accidents often occur in the bathroom more than anywhere else in the home. Don’t ignore a close call when you’re getting in and out.
A bathtub sits at around 15 inches high. This is a significant lift, especially if you’ve had surgery, deal with pain, or have limited mobility.
Bathtubs aren’t typically built with heavily-textured non-slip surfaces since they’re designed for lying down. Older tubs will lose the texture they had when they were new, increasing the risk of slipping.
As a temporary solution, a bath mat can help provide some grip in the tub. They should not be solely relied upon for safety, as suction cups can fail.
When dealing with a tub’s high threshold, a grab bar can reduce the risk of a fall. However, a grab bar works best if it’s properly anchored to a stud. Using a suction-cup version isn’t reliable enough to support your full weight.
The best solution would be a tub-to-shower conversion, as it reduces the step height. A walk-in shower can be built with non-slip flooring, seating, and correctly installed grab bars.
Sign #2: You Smell Moisture Damage From the Tub and Shower Area
If you notice a mildewy or musty odor, damage to the tub and shower area may have been building for a while. Sometimes the smell returns as soon as you’ve finished cleaning your shower. If the smell keeps coming back, moisture is likely affecting your walls.
Here are some signs to look for when the smell reoccurs:
- Mold is growing between grout lines.
- Tiles feel soft or are starting to bow out from the wall.
- Drywall next to the tub and shower area feels spongy.
- Dark spots on the ceiling or paint that’s bubbling and peeling near the tub and shower area.
If you want to confirm there’s moisture damaging your walls, use a moisture meter. Start near the bottom of the tub or shower since that’s where water tends to get in first. If a reading is 20% or higher, it may indicate mold or wood rot.
If you have tile-and-grout walls, resealing the grout can help slow the damage. However, it won’t resolve the bigger issue.
A full remodel down to the studs is the only way to address what’s behind the walls.
Sign #3: Your Tub or Shower Is Getting More Difficult to Clean
When you’re scrubbing harder and not getting results, the surface is the problem.
Both tile grout and fiberglass materials are porous. When the protective layers break down over time, the pores are exposed. Those pores trap moisture, dirt, soap scum, body oils, and bacteria. When these materials get trapped, they stain the surface and become difficult to clean.
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Stained Tile Grout |
Stained Fiberglass |
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When you’re reaching for heavy-duty cleaners instead of basic ones, the surface is past the point where regular maintenance can do the job.
Grout sealing services can extend the life of a tile shower. They will pressure-wash or steam-clean the grout and reseal it with fresh caulk or silicone.
Refinishing is an option for a fiberglass tub. Fiberglass can usually be refinished only once. After that, the material won't hold a new coating.
Sign #4: Water Is Escaping the Tub and Shower Area
You might have cracked grout or broken down silicone around the base of the tub or shower. Those gaps provide a direct path for water to get behind the wall or under the floor when the seal fails.
A shower door that no longer closes properly, or one that's warped or off-track, sends water onto the floor every time you shower. That water collects. If it's pooling in the same spot regularly, it's working its way into the subfloor or the wall framing underneath.
You can temporarily reseal a gap in the wall to keep water contained. However, it doesn’t address the water that’s already made it through.
A tub or shower remodel addresses the source of the issue and prevents water from causing structural damage.
Sign #5: Your Tub or Shower No Longer Fits How You Live
Nothing needs to be broken for a tub or shower remodel to make sense. Maybe your tub and shower area no longer works for your lifestyle, and you’ve adapted around it. For example, you have a bathtub-and-shower combo, but you haven’t soaked in the tub for years.
There isn’t a temporary fix for a tub or shower that’s run its course. The best fix is a remodel that accommodates your lifestyle.
Are There Other Signs That I Need a Tub or Shower Remodel?
Here are a few other signs worth mentioning:
- Tiles that are starting to bow or bulge slightly.
- Moisture or mold appears in the room next to the shower, or in a room that shares a wall with the tub and shower area.
- Spots on the ceiling near the tub and shower area.
- Paint that's bubbling and peeling in or around the area
- A vent fan is loud, slow, or clogged with dust.
Call a professional if you're seeing more than one sign at the same time.
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Paint peeling in the tub and shower area |
A water spot on the ceiling |
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When Should You Call a Professional for a Shower Remodel?
A shower remodel isn’t something to put off until a bigger problem forces your hand. The signs covered here don't fix themselves. The longer the problems remain unaddressed, the more they cost to fix.
If your shower is unsafe, difficult to clean, leaking, or no longer working with your lifestyle, it’s time to speak with a professional.
Now that you know the signs of whether you need a tub or shower remodel, read our article on how to find the right contractor for your project.
Are you noticing these signs and need a professional to look at your tub and shower area? Schedule a free design consultation with Shugarman's Bath!
The opinions expressed in the referenced materials are those of the authors only, not necessarily of Shugarman’s Bath. While these referenced materials are useful in answering generalized questions, each bathroom is unique. For a particular question about your tub or shower remodeling project, contact your Shugarman’s Bath consultant.
