Shower suround with window

[bowser]

I have a bathroom that has just a tub in it. I would like to make it into a tub/shower combo, but I have just one little problem. There is an exterior window right above the tub. I want to leave the window in, but am considering replacing it with a vinyl one. What would you folks do to make this project work?

[Bobby Bass]

I would move the window. You are always going to have an issue with water, rot, draft problems with the window. I did the very same thing you are going to do and I relocated the window and later added a skylight. We call it the GUY light as it is directly over the toilet. i do have a customer who has a window in the shower and she got around it by hanging a shower curtain over the window and putting several coats of poly over the trim. It works but she had no other place to put a window.

[fishinchicks]

You could also buy one of those shower curtain holders that form a circle around the tub. You have two curtains on it - one on the window side, and one on the opposite side. Where moving a window isn't an option, that works. My friend also put glass tiles on the wall surrounding the tub. She wanted everything as waterproof as she could, being she has three boys and her hubby to worry about. It looks pretty sharp, and was their least expensive solution. To get around the shower head problem, they have the external shower head kit, which made the project a lot less messy. The only part of her whole bathroom remodel that she had help on was the plumbing, since she is unfamiliar with how to do that, and she didn't want to run the risk of problems later.

[Stratosman]

It is not an ideal situation to have a window in a wet area like stated above, If it were me I would remove or move the window....put in a solatube or something similar to regain the light you will lose without the window, easy for the average homeowner to install themselves... You could remove the window and replace with glass block as well, you might have to adust the R.O. size a bit, and if it is below the height if the surround, tile the whole surround for a nice look. I'm not sure if you can get a custom molded fiberglass surround to go around an opening like a window, ect....

[nytelyter]

what we did in my g/f mobile home was to put in a vinal style window and did a cut out to match the window opening then we bonded them together with some adhesive then trimmed it out with poly typr trim also bonded with adhesive been up for two years now and no leaks or problems. ... paul

[fishwidow]

We had the same situation at one time. Not an ideal fix, but we used good quality spar varnish on the window trim and hung a vinyl shade that extended about a foot on either side of the window. The shade was pulled down when you took a shower and wiped dry before rolling it back up afterwards. Again, not ideal, but it worked if you made sure the shade was dry before putting it up. And it was cheap.

[18 inch Crappie]

Just make sure to have a good fan in there, maybe one on a timer, like I have it, stays on 1/2 hour after you turn the lights off. Just to get all the hot/wet air out.

Ch 2 (PBS) This old house on Thursday just had the same thing in a house they are working on, and Norm put in the 2 shower curtains.

[Flatlander]

I have remodelled upwards of 75 S MPLS/Highland Park bathrooms over the past 8 years. Almost all have the same problem. In 95% of those jobs, we replaced the window with glass block. You can then either tile the surround, or, if you buy a pre-fab surround, very carefully cut out the window opening and caulk the edge. I much prefer the tile, and if you go that route, make sure the glass block sticks into the shower side appx. 3/8", and your tile will be almost flush. Thus, leaving no place for water to sit, and possibly cause problems down the road.