Custom Shower

Hello, glad I found this website. We are adding a bathroom to our house and would like to put in a custom shower. We met with a couple different plumbers tonight to get estimates and one mentioned that since we have a well instead of county water our water pressure is more fluctuating and we wouldn't be able to get or sustain enough water pressure to really utilize a jetted shower system to its full capability. I wanted to get some opinions from this board.

Also, the store we are purchasing our tile from also quoted a price on installation. They use the kerdi system. I saw kerdi mentioned several times when going through this forum and would like some feedback on how good a system the kerdi is. The quote we received using this system was higher than other quotes we have received. Is it better or was the company just more expensive? Thanks.

IMHO, Kerdi is a really good way to build a shower. Check out www.schluter.com and you can read about it and view some installation videos. Also, check out www.johnbridge.com for insight on tiling and showers and some real-time feedback on how others have fared.

There are ways to keep fairly constant pressure with a well system (assuming you have enough yield recovery)...search on cycle stop valves. For multiple jets, keep in mind that you will go through a bunch of water, and the supply line likely would need to be 3/4" to the shower and your WH will probably need to be upsized to handle the load. This may lead to numerous other upgrades outside the bathroom itself, maybe significantly adding to the cost so you can enjoy the thing to the fullest. It is a luxury, and has some significant costs.

Kerdi is an excellent system. BUT the most important part of ANY shower install is proper installation. There is nothing wrong with a vinyl pan liner, water barrier and cement board on the walls with ceramic tile, etc. But proper slope and preslope on the floor, proper treatment of seams and joints on the wall.....these are the things which make or break the job.

If you have specific questions in this area, there is another excellent tile forum which we recommend: www.johnbridge.com

Thanks

Thanks for the replies. All information is greatly appreciated.