Hanover Park woman wins tub-to-shower transformation

Ilyce Treger, 44, of Hanover Park has been using a wheelchair since she was a child because of a degenerative bone disease. Because she relied on her aging parents, Iris and Stewart, to help her to get into and out of the bathtub in their 52-year-old house, all three were hopeful this could change when they noticed the fifth annual Bath Planet/Daily Herald tub-to-shower transformation sweepstakes, announced in March.

Ilyce immediately entered and prayed she would win.

“I am on a limited budget, living on Social Security disability payments only, so I decided to take a chance and pray,” Ilyce said.

In her entry she wrote: “We have needed a new bathroom makeover since the day my folks and I moved into this house. I have a physical disability so I cannot use the shower without help from my mom and dad.”

If she won the new shower, Ilyce said, she could “wheel myself in and transfer myself to my shower chair. I have been wanting a barrier-free shower for a LONG time to make things easier for me and my mom. I'm a 44-year-old woman and I'm very dependent on my parents because I need a lot of help with things. It would be so nice and helpful to be chosen as the winner!”

Thanks to her contest win, Ilyce was able to replace the old tub and yellow tiling in the family's bathroom with a walk-in shower featuring a smooth finish Calcutta marble-look acrylic wall system, a contrasting white ceiling panel (to brighten up the area), a white textured Fiberglas shower base, a grab bar, brushed nickel trim, two corner shelves and a clear glass door. The prize package was valued at about $8,000.

“Winning this prize will enable her to have some independence in her own home,” said Karyn Kraske, director of event marketing for the Daily Herald. “Her parents do so much for her, which includes picking her up to get her into her bathtub. She is concerned about her parents and worried they will get hurt trying to help her.”

Sweepstakes entries totaling 1,580 were received this year because many homeowners of all ages and abilities prefer to enjoy a walk-in shower. Few have the time or inclination to enjoy a lengthy soak, so why take the chance on a tub/shower combination when they just want to take a shower?

In addition, many homeowners become fearful of climbing in and out of a tub that doubles as a shower. They hear horror stories about others who have fallen during this daily chore and don't want the same fate to befall them. Others, like Ilyce, cannot take a shower without physical assistance from a family member.

Bath Planet of Chicagoland, based in Streamwood, reviewed the contestant photos and narrowed the list down to 10 finalists. Those 10 were then asked to provide a brief explanation of why they should win the prize package.

A representative of Bath Planet stopped by to see the potential project and agreed that Ilyce's existing tub was too difficult for a person with disabilities to maneuver into and out of on a regular basis.

All of the replacement work at the Treger home was completed by Bath Planet in half a day, Ilyce said, and the installers were exceedingly clean, informative and professional.

“I love how everything turned out! The guys did a great job. It was just a huge transformation — a whole new look,” Ilyce said.

Bath Planet is a wet area specialist, so it has been the go-to for many needing tub and shower transformations. It offers stylish, cost-effective, low-maintenance, acrylic bath improvements that are made locally — in a 200,000-square-foot facility in Libertyville.

“Our guys are factory trained so they are literally ‘masters of the shower area' because that is all we do. Repetition pays off,” Tim Niesen, sales manager at Bath Planet, said. “They tarp off their entire path to the bathroom, and the bathroom itself, so that all of the debris and garbage leaves with them. Ninety-nine percent of the time the job is done in one day and we leave the house as clean as it was when we got there.”

Many Bath Planet products install right over aged, existing wall tile and chipped or faded tubs and shower enclosures for maximum cost-effectiveness and minimum mess.

When a tub is being replaced with a walk-in shower, as it was in the Treger home, the tub is cut into two or three pieces and hauled away before the new shower base is installed, followed by the wall pieces. Sometimes the existing wall tile is thoroughly cleaned and then left in place, but covered, Niesen said. But at the Treger home, the wall tile was removed and replaced with green board, a water-resistant form of drywall.

Bath Planet's products feature the elegant look of ceramic tile, granite or marble — in a wide variety of colors and finishes — but without the grout, mess and irritating maintenance because the liners are made of a nonporous, easy-to-clean material. Add to that the array of finishing touches that are available, such as shower caddies, soap dishes, grab bars, curved shower rods and a selection of shower doors, and homeowners can easily create a complete, unique bathroom that meets their particular desires.

“Our exclusive product line, ranging from spa showers to walk-in tubs, is constructed out of the toughest acrylic — specially designed to withstand the wear and tear of daily bathroom use,” the Bath Planet website states. “The acrylic is custom-fitted to your existing bathroom and installed with triple-seal technology. Not only will your new bathtub or shower be stunning, but it will also fit seamlessly into your current design and protect your home from harmful water damage.”

In addition, all of that tough cleaning of grout, using harsh chemicals, will be a distant memory. A little vinegar or dish soap and hot water is all that is required to effectively clean a nonporous Bath Planet acrylic shower, according to Niesen. And you don't have to count on workers invading your home for days or weeks.

Bath Planet offers replacement tubs and shower bases in a wide selection of colors, sizes and styles to add value to the bathroom within your home. Bath Planet also has a full line of accessibility products and aging-in-place bath systems to ensure independent living for as long as possible. Roll-in showers, walk-in tubs, soaking tubs and even jetted tubs are all available.

“Our products have been huge for elderly and disabled people, in particular, because research has shown that 80% of sicknesses are transferred in conventional tile bathrooms and that doesn't happen as readily in nonporous acrylic environments,” Niesen said.

Dimitris Nacopoulos, owner of the regional Chicago dealership, has been in the bathroom remodeling business for 21 years. His Bath Planet dealership is one of 122 dealerships around the country and his territory extends from Rockford to Lake Michigan and from the Indiana border to southern Wisconsin.

“What sets us apart is the fact that we offer great service, competitive pricing, the most color and design options in the business, the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and a lifetime warranty,” Nacopoulos said.

“And if you sell your home within the first two years after a Bath Planet tub or shower has been installed, the lifetime warranty can be transferred to the new owners,” Niesen added.

For more information, call (877) 705-7177.