Shower Remodeling in Naperville, IL

Shower Remodeling for DuPage County and Chicagoland homes

Showers are where bathroom remodels succeed or fail. Tile and grout are not waterproof, so a shower lasts only as long as the pan and wall system underneath it. We build showers on a sloped pan and a waterproof membrane or board system, and extend that protection to the floor on curbless designs.

Common upgrades: a built-in bench, one or two niches sized to the bottles you actually use, a handheld sprayer on a slide bar, a rain head, a linear drain, and frameless glass. Thermostatic valves hold a set temperature, which is a comfort upgrade and a safety one.

If your current shower has cracked grout, loose tile or staining on the ceiling below, the water has probably already found a way through. Replacing tile alone will not solve it; the shower needs to be rebuilt from the pan up.

This work is usually part of a larger bathroom remodeling project, and it pairs naturally with tub-to-shower conversion and bathroom vanity installation. We do it for homeowners in Hinsdale, Glen Ellyn, Palos Hills and Lincoln Park, among the other towns we serve.

Signs your shower needs more than new tile

Cracked or missing grout, tile that sounds hollow when tapped, soft spots on the floor, mildew that keeps coming back, water stains on the ceiling below and peeling paint outside the shower are all signs that water is already getting past the tile. At that point, re-grouting or re-tiling is a short-term fix. The shower has to come out down to the studs so the pan and waterproofing can be rebuilt.

Shower pans and waterproofing systems

A traditional shower pan is built from a mortar bed sloped to the drain with a waterproof liner. Newer systems use foam trays and bonded waterproof membranes, which are lighter and make curbless and linear-drain designs easier. Either way, the key is that the whole wet area is waterproof and slopes to the drain, and that the waterproofing ties into the drain correctly.

Walls are covered with cement board and a waterproof membrane, or with a waterproof foam board system, before tile goes on.

Glass, fixtures and finishing touches

Frameless glass makes a shower feel open and shows off the tile. A fixed panel with no door works when the shower is deep enough. Fixtures come in matte black, brushed nickel, brushed gold and chrome, and thermostatic valves let you control temperature and flow separately.

A niche sized for your bottles, a bench or a fold-down seat, a handheld on a slide bar and good lighting over the shower are small additions that make a big difference.

Steam showers

A steam shower needs a fully sealed enclosure, a steam generator, a sloped ceiling so condensation does not drip, and vapor-tight waterproofing on every surface. It is a bigger project than a standard shower and is best planned from the start of the remodel.

Shower Remodeling in Naperville homes

Naperville is the largest city in the area, with the Riverwalk downtown, a historic district of older homes near it, and neighborhoods of homes built from the 1980s through the 2000s. Much of Naperville was built by production builders, so many homes share the same builder-grade kitchens and baths — oak or cherry cabinets, granite, and fiberglass tub surrounds. Naperville primary baths often trade a large corner tub nobody uses for a walk-in shower, and hall baths get new tile and vanities.

How it fits into a bathroom remodel

Shower Remodeling can be a project on its own or one part of a full bathroom remodeling job. Here is how the common project sizes compare:

Before your walkthrough

• Take photos of the room and text them to us before the walkthrough.
• Make a list of what you like and dislike about the current room.
• Save a few pictures of kitchens or bathrooms you like, even from magazines or online.
• Think about how long you plan to stay in the home — it affects how much to invest.
• For condos, get a copy of your building's remodeling rules.

Our process

1. Walkthrough. We look at the bathroom, check for water damage signs and talk through what you want.
2. Design and scope. Layout, shower or tub, vanity, tile, fixtures and lighting are set in writing.
3. Estimate. A written estimate that lists what is included, room by room.
4. Demo. The old bathroom comes out and any hidden damage is shown to you before it is repaired.
5. Rough-in and waterproofing. Plumbing, electrical, ventilation and the shower waterproofing system go in.
6. Tile and finish. Tile, vanity, fixtures, glass, accessories and a final walkthrough with you.

We serve these areas

Shower Remodeling is available across our service area, including:

• Orland Park
• Old Town
• Oak Brook
• Glen Ellyn
• La Grange
• All service areas