Annual contest transforms an old bathtub to new shower

Many aging suburban homeowners are finding it harder and harder to get in and out of their bathtubs. Even more people lack the time or inclination to enjoy a lengthy soak, and rarely if ever fill the tub because all they want to do is take a shower.

It can be highly unpleasant and even frightening to climb into a tub as you age. In addition, when your tile is chipping and cracking and you are also suffering from an invasion of mold, taking that shower can even be unhealthy.

That is why the Daily Herald will once again team up with Streamwood-based Bath Planet of Chicagoland for the fifth annual Tub-to-Shower Transformation Sweepstakes.

Entries will be accepted from March 15 to April 13 at events.dailyherald.com.

The grand prize winner, to be announced in early May, will win a prize package valued at about $7,000, which includes a white shower base, a smooth acrylic wall system, one shower accessory, chrome fixtures and a glass shower door with chrome trim.

Bath Planet, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, will review the contestant photos and narrow down the list to ten semifinalists who be contacted the week of April 13 and asked to send in a photo of their existing bathtub and a brief explanation of why they should win the prize package.

Three finalists will then be chosen and site inspections scheduled. The grand prize winner will be notified by May 4 and work will be completed soon thereafter.

The Tub-to-Shower Transformation Sweepstakes' previous winners have been thrilled with the results.

Last year's winner was Mandy Hagestedt, a barber in the West suburbs who, along with husband Scott, owns a four-unit apartment building in Addison. The couple upgraded one of their rental units for a longtime tenant who is also a Vietnam veteran after winning in 2019.

Through the contest, Hagestedt was able to replace an aging bathtub in the rental unit after the tenant took a fall getting into the shower and broke the curtain rod and cracked the wall tile.

Older people often become fearful of climbing in and out of a bathtub 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. Or, as in this case, they have already fallen and don't want to do it again.

In 2018, Brenda Skittone, a sales clerk for a Carpentersville manufacturing company, significantly upgraded her 1960s Elk Grove Village home by winning the makeover.

She had the rusty old tub in her master bathroom replaced with a white shower base, a smooth finish white acrylic wall system (which was installed right over the aging tile), glass doors, chrome trim and chrome fixtures.

All of the replacement work was completed by Bath Planet in one day, Skittone said, and the installers were exceedingly clean, informative and professional.

Jan and Harry Raimondi of Schaumburg were the 2017 winners. They had Bath Planet remove the old tub in Jan's bathroom, replacing it with a shower similar to the one Skittone won.

"I have to admit that it sounded a bit scary when they said they were going to rip out the old tub to replace it with a shower, but they did a great job and now the bathroom feels luxurious," Harry reflected afterward.

All of the replacement work was completed by Bath Planet in one day, he said, and the installers were exceedingly clean and professional. In fact, five minutes after they left, he added, you couldn't even tell they had been there.

Homeowners who are tired of the look of their bathroom or whose circumstances have changed and are now in need an accessible tub or shower are flocking to Bath Planet for an economical solution.

The company is the wet area specialist so it has been the solution for many. It offers stylish, cost-effective, low-maintenance acrylic bath improvements that are made locally.

Many Bath Planet products install right over the existing wall tile and chipped or faded tub or shower for maximum cost-effectiveness and minimal mess. When a tub is being replaced with a walk-in shower, on the other hand, the tub is cut into two or three pieces and hauled away before the new shower base is installed, followed by the wall pieces. The existing wall tile is thoroughly cleaned and then left in place, but covered, said Kevin Gustafson, sales manager at Bath Planet.

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 including 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 needs and desires.

"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," Gustafson said.

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