Projects › Upper Manhattan › 510 West 123rd Street
Completed project · Upper Manhattan, New York, NY
A Morningside Heights bathroom rebuilt shower to shower, with an unusually long list of things deliberately kept: the custom glass shower enclosure, the toilet, the showerhead and handshower, the pressure-balancing trim, a grab bar, both recessed ceiling lights, the dimmers and the GFCI outlet.
Job record
- Location
- Morningside Heights, New York, NY 10027
- Building
- 510 West 123rd Street
- Scope
- Bathroom renovation, shower to shower
- Construction
- Joist-construction floor and ceiling
- Reused
- The custom glass shower, the toilet, the shower fittings, a grab bar and both recessed lights
- Completed
- 2021
What was kept, and why that is the interesting part
Most renovation scopes have a demolition list and little else. This one has a protection list almost as long, and reading the two together tells you more about how the job was run than any photograph does.
Out went the door and hinges, part of the dropped ceiling, the surface-mounted tri-view medicine cabinet, the sconce, the floor tile and saddle, the wall tile, the vanity, counter and sink, the shower stall with its bench and drain, one grab bar, the pressure-balancing valve, the shut-off valves, the hot and cold branch lines and the shower fixture.
Protected and put back: the door lockset, the tank toilet and seat, the showerhead and arm, the handshower with its hose and elbow, the pressure-balancing trim, one grab bar, both recessed ceiling lights, the dimmers, the GFCI outlet and its plate, and the custom glass shower enclosure. That last item is the one that matters most: custom glass is expensive, slow to remake and easy to break, and keeping it through a full strip-out takes deliberate care.
What the crew did, in order
Separate the demolition list from the protection list
Before anything came out, the scope named what was staying. Two grab bars illustrate the distinction precisely: one is listed under demolition and one under protection. That is the level at which a scope has to be written if the crew is to know what to wrap and what to skip.
Replace the branch plumbing back to the risers
New shut-off valves, water hammer arrestors and new hot and cold branch lines run back to the risers. A new pressure-balancing valve went into the existing location, feeding both the fixed shower head and the handshower, with the original trim reinstalled over it.
Rebuild the shower base in cinderblock
A new lead pan was installed and the shower curb and bench were constructed in cinderblock. Cinderblock rather than timber is what allows a lead pan and a tiled bench to sit on something that will not move or rot behind the waterproofing.
Waterproof the floor and the shower walls separately
Laticrete 9235 membrane across the bathroom floor, turned six inches up the walls, then floor tile grouted, sealed and caulked with a stone saddle. A separate waterproof membrane went onto the shower enclosure walls, over cement board.
Tile the shower ceiling and the beam
Wall tile runs to ceiling height inside the shower enclosure, and the scope is specific that this includes the shower ceiling and the beam. Outside the enclosure the tile stops at about four feet. Tiling a shower ceiling is uncommon and it is what stops the one surface that takes the most steam from being the one surface that is painted.
Put the fittings back where they were
The vanity, sink and faucet went into the same location. The tank toilet went back on the same rough-in. The GFCI duplex and dimmers were reinstalled in their existing positions. A new sconce went in with its position adjusted slightly where needed.
Skim the ceiling, hang a new door
Part of the dropped ceiling had come out, so the ceiling was skimmed before painting. A new door, lockset and hinges were fitted, except that the original lockset had been protected and was reused.
The finished bathroom
A walnut vanity floating above a black tile floor, a white stone counter with an undermount basin, and white wall tile running to the ceiling in the shower. The glass enclosure, being the original, sets the shower dimensions and everything else was built to suit it rather than the other way around.
This is described in the scope as a joist-construction floor and ceiling, which matters more than it sounds. It means the floor and the ceiling below are timber rather than concrete, so the waterproofing under the tile is not a formality and the lead pan under the shower is the only thing between a leak and the apartment beneath.
Materials and finishes
Protected and reused
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Shower enclosure | Custom glass, protected through demolition and reinstalled |
| Toilet | Tank toilet and seat, reinstalled on the same rough-in |
| Shower fittings | Showerhead and arm, handshower with hose and elbow, pressure-balancing trim |
| Grab bar | One of two, protected; the other was replaced |
| Lighting | Both recessed ceiling lights, plus the dimmers |
| Electrical | GFCI duplex and plate, reinstalled in the same location |
| Door lockset | Protected and refitted to the new door |
Shower construction
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Shower base | New lead pan |
| Curb and bench | Constructed in cinderblock |
| Enclosure walls | Cement board with a waterproof membrane over it |
| Wall tile | To ceiling height inside the enclosure, including the shower ceiling and beam |
| Wall tile outside | To approximately 4 ft |
| Pressure-balancing valve | New, in the existing location, serving fixed head and handshower |
Floor and finishes
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Floor waterproofing | Laticrete 9235, turned 6 in up the walls |
| Floor tile | Grouted, sealed and caulked, with a stone saddle |
| Ceiling | Partial dropped ceiling removed, then skimmed |
| Walls | Resurfaced where required |
| Finish | Bathroom painted |
Fittings
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Vanity, counter and sink | New, installed in the same location |
| Faucet | New, deck mounted |
| Medicine cabinet | Surface mounted, replacing a surface-mount tri-view unit |
| Sconce | New, position adjusted slightly where required |
| Accessories | Toilet paper holder, robe hook, towel bars, grab bar cleated to the wall, shower shelves |
| Door | New door and hinges on the existing lockset |
The result
More MyHome projects in Manhattan
Questions this project answers
Can I keep my existing shower glass or fittings in a bathroom renovation?
Yes, and this job is the clearest example of it being done properly. The scope carries a protection list alongside the demolition list, and on it are the custom glass shower enclosure, the showerhead and arm, the handshower with its hose and elbow, the pressure-balancing trim, the toilet and seat, one grab bar, both recessed lights, the dimmers and the GFCI outlet. Custom glass in particular is worth protecting: it is made to the opening, so replacing it means remaking it. Ask for anything you want kept to be named under protection in the written scope, not merely left off the demolition list.
Will my downstairs neighbor be affected if my bathroom leaks?
In a timber-framed building, yes, and this scope names the condition explicitly as a joist-construction floor and ceiling. That means the floor beneath your tile and the ceiling of the apartment below are wood rather than concrete, so the waterproofing is the only barrier. Here that was taken seriously: a Laticrete 9235 membrane across the whole floor turned six inches up the walls, a separate membrane on the shower enclosure walls over cement board, and a new lead pan under the shower. If your building is pre-war and timber-framed, ask specifically what goes under the tile.
Should I tile my bathroom to the ceiling or stop partway up?
This bathroom did both, deliberately. Inside the shower enclosure the tile runs to ceiling height and the scope specifies that this includes the shower ceiling and the beam. Outside the enclosure it stops at about four feet. That is a sensible split: the shower ceiling takes more steam than any other surface in the room and is the first place paint fails, while the walls beyond the glass do not need the same protection or the same cost.
What is a lead pan and why does a shower need one?
It is a waterproof tray formed under the shower floor, and in a timber-framed building it is the last line of defence before your neighbour’s ceiling. This job installed a new one and built the curb and bench above it in cinderblock rather than timber, so that the structure carrying the tile cannot rot or move behind the waterproofing. A shower bench built on studwork over a pan is a much more common and much less durable arrangement.
What are change orders, and how do I avoid being overcharged by my contractor?
A change order is a written amendment to what was agreed. This scope defends against them by being specific about small things, which is where surprises usually live. It distinguishes between two grab bars, one removed and one protected. It says the new sconce position may be adjusted slightly if required. It names the partial dropped ceiling rather than the ceiling. When the paperwork is that granular, the crew knows what was priced and so do you.
