What's behind the wall?

I just came across this post by johnfrwhipple

https://terrylove.com/forums/showth...-surrounds&highlight=maximum+thickness+mastic

There is a picture of a pre-existing job that looks exactly like the bathroom in my house. I guess it is a standard cheap approach? Or the same guy came out from BC all the way to Ontario to do my house? Here is the pic John posted:



I am going to replace my tiles & tub some day but it's the only bathroom in the house so I need to plan ahead to minimize downtime. At the head of the tub in your pictures there is a bit of a half wall tiled over and serving as a toiletries shelf. Is that frequently done? Is there usually anything inside there, like plumbing or framing or whatever? If it's just wasted space then I could plan for a longer tub, or I could build in a little storage cabinet with a slide out drawer on the narrow side.

No way to know until you open it. Personally, I would never go to all that trouble with the shelf, unless it was absolutely necessary due to structure. Can't tell from the photo but it seems to be a standard 5' tub, so maybe they did that because the room was laid out at 6'

Removing that "bulkhead" would make changing the tub a bit easier, but even with it there, there would be minimal "downtime" if a plumber changes the tub. About four hours from start of removal to turning the water on in the new tub.

Nothing behind the wall but drywall and studs. I still can't believe this install lasted so long.

I think a 5' tub is better than a 6' or a 5.5' tub. They are just more comfortable to sit in since you can keep yourself from sliding down the tub with your feet. Framing in some niches, glass display shelves and the like can be a pain and add to the cost of both framing and tiling - but so worth it in the end.

Using a liquid waterproofing product makes the waterproofing much easier when you do these types of installs.

Before you buy any tub - climb in it. Sit down and Chill-Axe!!! If you have a deep space you can make a nice deep shampoo niche.

Here is a little inspiration on shampoo niche's from my Idea Book on Houzz.com

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/42722/thumbs/Shower-niches---How-many-and-where-to-place-them-