Clawfoot Tub Shower Conversion

by The Clawfoot Hunter

Here at clawfoot tub shower I get a fair number of questions about how to do a clawfoot tub shower conversion. So I felt like I should devote a post to the question and just point people to this post going forward.

One of the first things that you should think about is the location of the tub today. If you have a clawfoot tub that is an open area for the most part you will have a few more options that someone who has their but in the corner or against a wall. For those of you who have your tub mounted near a wall it will be necessary that you are cognizant of the types of shower curtain rods you are looking at. For example many tubs in a corner will require a D shaped shower rod. A good thing about these rods is that they have a have two good wall attachments as well as a ceiling attachment giving it one of the most stable configurations of all clawfoot tub shower conversion options.

Clawfoot tub shower enclosure types
This is a decision that really needs to be made in tandem with the type of faucet you’re purchasing but I will outline the there are three primary types of enclosures and here is a link to my clawfoot tub enclosure post as well.

Here is a quick description of each
A freestanding clawfoot tub enclosures will consist of a faucet that is not mounted on the tub. As the name implies the faucet and enclosure are freestanding as it relates to the tub. There are typically mountings near the faucet handles and then again the enclosure will attach to the ceiling in two or more places. I usually recommend that home owners go for a clawfoot tub shower conversion with at least 3 contact points for stability.

There is also the tub wall mounted shower enclosure and deck or rim mounted shower enclosure. Each of these will work in much the same way for your clawfoot tub shower conversion as both of these faucet types are attached to the tub. The benefits of one over the other is small but I prefer a deck mounted faucet as it will give you more room when you are choosing to soak in the tub as opposed to using it as a shower. The primary thing to consider when doing a shower conversion with these types of faucets is making sure that your drillings match the type of faucet you buy.

The bottom line for anyone wanting to do a clawfoot tub shower conversion is that planning is of the utmost importance. You will not have the luxury that new installations have of being able to have an idea and work straight from there. You will have constraints but often times working within constraints can result in the most dramatic and impressive changes.

When you’re clawfoot tub shower conversion is complete please don’t hesitate to send me a picture!