The past six weeks have been spent getting contractor estimates to repair what we know is a leaking shower pan. Two of the three contractors agree that a full shower tear-out and rebuild is unnecessary. Repair work will entail a complete removal and rebuild of the shower pan plus 2-3 rows of the surrounding wall tiles.

The good news:
(1) Our wall tile is still being made and current samples blend beautifully with the existing tile.
(2) We can reuse the existing frameless glass shower surrounds.

The not-so-good news:
(1) We won’t know the true extent of the damage until the shower is demoed.
(2) Color preferences have changed over the past decade, meaning it’s been a challenge to find a replacement tile I like that is suitable for shower floor installation.

I’ve been to five separate tile showrooms – bringing home samples of mosaic 2×2 tiles that might work, only to have to take them back a couple of days later. Yes, there is a 3×3 size tile available that matches the existing wall tile, but I want something a lot less matchy-matchy. Hey, that’s the way I choose fabric for my quilts, too!

I did find a partial sample I really liked that we later identified as Happy Floors Fitch Fawn 2×2. Of course, it’s been discontinued. No one in the greater ATL seems to still have it in stock, but I did find it online at tile dealers in AL, KY and VA. There’s a similar, newer version called Sierra that the tile shop ordered samples of for me in the Trail and Meadow colorways. They should arrive on Monday.

As for the tile sample pictured above, it was brought home on a whim during a stop at Home Depot today for something else. Honestly, it blends so much better than anything else I’ve found so far and the price is about half of what I’m finding in my local tile shops.

Now, to count up the number of 12×12 square and 3×12 bullnose tiles I’ll need. Late this afternoon, I found a tile shop in Suwanee that carries both the Daltile wall tiles I need and Happy Floor Fitch/Sierra mosaic tiles I’m considering. I see a road trip in my future – to look at tile and stop in Sew Sew Studio while I’m on that side of town.