Steam Shower Comeback: Neeta & David’s Bathroom

We kicked off 2025 with a wild one. Neeta and David hadn’t been able to use their master shower for years — they knew something was off, and sure enough, mold started showing up in the basement ceiling below. That’s when we got the call.

Once we tore into it, the problem showed itself fast. The old shower failed because of bad waterproofing and almost no slope on the floor. Some of the drypack had turned back to dust, other spots were still soaked from a slow valve leak. The subfloor was rotted, moldy, and even had fungus growing. Yeah… not good.

We stripped everything out, cleaned it up, replaced the subfloor, checked the wall cavities for moisture, and started fresh. Brand new shower system went in — this time with a valve that pushes over 15 gallons per minute to feed two shower heads and two body sprayers. It’s got some serious power now.

Neeta pointed out about 18 inches of dead space behind the shower that was just walled off before. Of course, we had to use it. We extended the shower, added a bench — but that made it a bit far from the other heads, so… why not add another? Now there’s a fifth shower head in the mix, with its own thermostatic valve.

She also wanted a rainfall shower over the bench, but with a slanted ceiling, the escutcheon didn’t fit right — so we custom machined it to make it work clean.

The old drop-in whirlpool tub was outdated and bulky, so we swapped it for a freestanding tub with all the bells and whistles — the kind you actually want to use.

And while we were at it, we built a custom vanity with a matching backsplash, plus added all new towel bars and hooks around the space to finish it off right.

We wrapped it all up with a Schluter heated floor system (the old one didn’t work), new paint, and replaced the ceiling drywall in the basement where the leak had damaged everything.

Now, Neeta and David have their dream bathroom back — a true spa setup that actually works this time.