In Walpole, a bathroom was rebuilt from one end to the other: the old shower came out for a walk-in shower, a pocket door went in, the window was reframed with decorative glass, the linen closet moved from the hallway into the bathroom, and the tile, vanity, toilet, shower valve, exhaust fan, and lighting were all renewed. Here is what the work actually involved, step by step.
What the Project Included
- Removal of the old shower, tile, vanity, toilet, light fixtures, and linen cabinet
- New walk-in shower on a mortar base with full waterproofing
- Pocket door
- Window reframed with decorative glass
- Linen closet sealed off from the hallway and rebuilt inside the bathroom
- New wall and floor tile
- New vanity, shower valve, and toilet
- New exhaust fan, light fixtures, and recessed lights
Step 1: Demolition
Demolition took out the old shower, the tile, the vanity, the toilet, the light fixtures, and the linen cabinet.
Step 2: A Walk-In Shower on a Mortar Base
The new shower is a walk-in built on a mortar (mud) base — a bed of packed mortar shaped by hand to slope toward the drain. A mortar base is heavy, solid work: it doesn’t flex, and the slope is part of the base itself rather than something added on top.
Over the base and the shower walls went full waterproofing, completed before a single tile was set. Waterproofing is the layer nobody ever sees again once tile goes up, which is exactly why it has to be complete and correct first. A shower that leaks almost never leaks through the tile — it leaks through the layer behind it.
Step 3: The Pocket Door
A pocket door was installed for the bathroom entry. Unlike a swinging door, a pocket door slides into the wall cavity beside the opening, so nothing swings into the bathroom or out into the hallway. In a bathroom, that reclaimed swing space is real square footage you can use — for the vanity, for the door swing clearance a wheelchair or walker needs, or simply for a room that doesn’t feel cramped when the door moves.
Pocket doors ask for one thing a swinging door doesn’t: the wall beside the opening has to be ready to receive the pocket. That preparation is part of the rough work, decided before finishes go on — which is why a pocket door is far easier to add during a full remodel than as a standalone change later.
Step 4: The Window, Reframed for Decorative Glass
The window opening was reframed to install a decorative glass window. The reframing, waterproofing around the outside of the window, and new siding on the exterior wall were all part of the job — not just a glass swap. The new frame and glass went in as one finished unit, trimmed and sealed against the surrounding tile and wall.
Step 5: The Linen Closet Moves Into the Bathroom
The linen cabinet that used to open to the hallway was sealed off, and a new linen closet was built inside the bathroom. Towels, toiletries, and cleaning supplies now live where they’re used instead of a hallway away. It’s a small reconfiguration, but it changes the daily routine of the room: everything the bathroom needs is in the bathroom.
Step 6: Tile, Fixtures, and Finishing
New tile went on the shower walls, the bathroom walls, and the floor — one continuous finish tying the shower, the window wall, and the vanity area together. A new vanity, a new shower valve, and a new toilet completed the fixture set.
Overhead, the lighting was renewed with new fixtures plus recessed lights, and a new exhaust fan went in. A bathroom produces a lot of moisture in a short time; a working fan moves it out before it settles into paint and trim. Installing the fan and the recessed lights while the ceiling was already part of the work area meant no extra holes in a finished ceiling later.
A Note on Scope
The same contract also covered a laundry room and a stair railing to the living room — separate work outside the bathroom, not part of this write-up.
Thinking About a Bathroom Remodel?
If your bathroom needs more than a fixture swap — a new shower, a door that doesn’t eat the room, a window that gives light — the first step is a look at what’s actually there. We do free on-site estimates: we look at the existing bathroom, talk through what the work would involve, and put the scope in writing.
No pressure, no sales pitch — just a clear picture of the work. (We’re licensed and insured, proof available on request.) Request a free estimate and we’ll schedule a visit.
Update (Oct 30, 2026): Reviewed after publication — the scope above follows the Walpole contract as written, and the pocket door and decorative glass window are the two changes that most affect how the room is used day to day.