I have 2 bathrooms, both with showers, and no room to convert either one into a tub. So I thought about building up the wall on one and converting it to a soaking tub. The shower is square with 3-sides wall, ceramic tile. The new wall would be built onto the front with maybe a low seat added inside and a step added outside. Any advice? How would I plug the shower drain?

I have 2 bathrooms, both with showers, and no room to convert either one into a tub. So I thought about building up the wall on one and converting it to a soaking tub. The shower is square with 3-sides wall, ceramic tile. The new wall would be built onto the front with maybe a low seat added inside and a step added outside. Any advice? How would I plug the shower drain?

It's not the tub stopper I would worry about. This would do the job very well. Click on, http://www.shopfosters.com/GOOD-GRIPS-Drain-Stopper-p-1499.html
Since the lip of the shower pan only extends up 6 to8 inches how do you plan on containing the water over that level without tearing out the entire shower and building a new shower pan up as high as you wish in your soaking tub? I'll wait on your answer. Tom

Thanks for the drain stopper link.
Yes the lip of the shower today is about 6". I was going to extend that 6" wall up to about 30" or so, then cover with tile. The current shower is 3 walls in a U-shape so the extension would be secure between the 2 side walls. The pan is not fiberglass; not sure what but like concrete.
I don't know what material to use for the extension... probably build a frame and fill will mortar/concrete? That would be my next question.

CJ,
Shower pans are supposed to be seamless all the way up. How do you plan on addressing this? Tom

Well, it wouldn't be seamless. When you say "supposed to be" is that because of code issues or because there is no way to keep water from seeping through if it isn't seamless?
I was hoping that the new extension wall would be along the same principle as the other 3 walls... build the wall, attach the tile, grout well, etc.

Well, it wouldn't be seamless. When you say "supposed to be" is that because of code issues or because there is no way to keep water from seeping thru if it isn't seamless?
I was hoping that the new extension wall would be along the same principle as the other 3 walls ... build the wall, attach the tile, grout well, etc.
CJ,
There's a lot of difference between containing the splash from a shower head and containing a tub full of water. You were just hoping the three existing tile walls would contain the water that you fill the tub with? Am I missing something here? Regards, tom

I have 2 bathrooms, both with showers, and no room to convert either one into a tub. So I thought about building up the wall on one and converting it to a soaking tub. The shower is square with 3-sides wall, ceramic tile. The new wall would be built onto the front with maybe a low seat added inside and a step added outside. Any advice? How would I plug the shower drain?
I'm asking the same question - how to adapt my stall shower to a soaking tub. Worrying about the shower pan, I'm wondering about just lining the bottom couple feet of the shower stall with heavy plastic sheeting and putting something like a sheet of thick plexiglass over the door opening to keep the water-filled plastic from pushing the door open. It would be makeshift but perhaps do the job. I'm thinking of cutting a hole in the plastic over the drain and putting a flat rubber 'stopper' over the hole. The plastic would just be a big square, folded down into the shower stall. Thanks for input!

I'm asking the same question - how to adapt my stall shower to a soaking tub. Worrying about the shower pan, I'm wondering about just lining the bottom couple feet of the shower stall with heavy plastic sheeting and putting something like a sheet of thick plexiglass over the door opening to keep the water-filled plastic from pushing the door open. It would be makeshift but perhaps do the job. I'm thinking of cutting a hole in the plastic over the drain and putting a flat rubber 'stopper' over the hole. The plastic would just be a big square, folded down into the shower stall. Thanks for input!

"The plastic would just be a big square, folded down into the shower stall"
My idea exactly! Using Compaseal Plastic form a seamless square up as high as you wish the tub wall to be with a flange type shower strainer,(see image) for a drain.
You may then mud and tile the tub in. Works for me! Works for you? Regards, Tom

Tom:
I am also interested in doing this, can you give me your expert opinion to my plan?

I am remodeling the master bathroom on my house it is a 1967 home in phoenix az, the advantages is that I gutted the bathroom, me and the wife are going back and forth she would like a tub, but it only measures 54 inches stud to stud. I prefer shower.
To install a tub I found a 54 inches tub but I would need to relocate the drain to match.

I want to make it a soaking tub as I think I could use that once in a while if it was deep enough.

I plan to leave the drain on its current location, and build a box out of pressure treated plywood. Then cover it with tar paper, using hot tar, on the plywood then tar paper, then hot tar then a layer of the shower plastic I saw a kit on a building supply store.
Then over that use cement board. And tile over the whole thing.
(I think I saw something like this on this old house but they were building a planter)

Do you think this would be sufficient to stop the water from leaking?

Ah! And one more thing, the reason I am doing this is that the original shower pan failed and it was leaking into the walls.