My plumber friend said to skip the shower niche, but I'm glad I didn't listen

When I redid my main bathroom last fall, a buddy who works in plumbing told me not to bother with a built-in shower niche. He said they always leak and are a pain to tile. He pushed for a corner shelf instead. I thought about it, but really wanted that clean, built-in look. I found a good pre-formed niche online for about $45 and decided to give it a shot. I spent extra time on the waterproofing, using a full sheet membrane behind it and sealing every edge twice. It's been eight months now with daily use, and it's bone dry. The tile work around it was tricky, but having all my shampoo bottles tucked away looks so much better than a shelf. Has anyone else had a plumber or contractor tell them to avoid something that you ended up doing successfully?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavin_kim2d ago

That "clean, built-in look" you wanted is the key. I see this all the time. People get told not to do something because the pro only knows the shortcut way. They don't want to put in the extra work for proper waterproofing. So they call the whole idea bad. It happens with tile, with paint, with flooring. The job isn't bad, the fast way of doing it is. You did it right and it worked.

young.ryan1d ago

Ugh, that hits home. I once tried to do a "pro shortcut" on a backsplash and it was a total mess. Honestly, the right way is almost always more work but looks way better in the end.

aaron8802d ago

Sometimes the advice is just about saving time on the job. Your friend sees a lot of failed niches from rushed installs. A corner shelf is faster and less risk for him.