Kohler LuxStone Shower Makeover Case Study in Terre Haute

This Terre Haute bathroom makeover started with a leaking, older tile shower that wasn’t a good candidate for a “quick fix.” This project is a good example of the kind of bathroom remodeling we do across West-Central Indiana. The shower had a 4′ mud pan with lead in it, plus two layers of tile and roughly 2″ thick reinforced mud walls. With limited matching tile available and no way to confidently guarantee the old system was properly waterproofed, we recommended a full tear-out and replacement using a Kohler LuxStone wall system with acrylic shower pan that matched the existing bathroom tile style without the expense of rebuilding a full custom tile shower.

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When an older tile shower is built with a heavy mud pan and layered tile/mud walls, repairs are often risky, hard to warranty, and nearly impossible to make look seamless if matching tile is limited. For this project, the most reliable solution was a full demo down to structure and a fresh shower build using Kohler LuxStone walls to keep the bathroom’s look consistent while delivering a watertight, low-maintenance finish.

Project snapshot

Location: Terre Haute, Indiana (Vigo County)
Service type: Shower replacement as part of a bathroom makeover
Homeowner’s goal: Stop the leak, avoid mismatched patchwork tile, and upgrade the shower without re-tiling the entire bathroom
Key challenge: Extremely heavy, layered construction (mud pan with lead + multiple layers of tile and reinforced mud walls)

What the homeowner noticed and why they called us

The homeowner contacted Patriot Property Pros because the tile shower was leaking and the bathroom needed a dependable fix, not a temporary patch. There were two big concerns from the start:

1. A leak that suggested the shower system was failing below the tile
2. A tile-matching problem that made “repair and blend” unrealistic

In many bathrooms around West-Central Indiana, we see older shower systems that were built tough but not always built in a way that’s easy to repair once a leak starts. This one was exactly that.

Why a repair wasn’t the right solution here

Even though “repair the leak” sounds simpler, this shower had several red flags that make repairs unreliable:

1. The shower was built with a 4′ mud pan that included lead
2. The walls weren’t just tile, they were two layers of tile over about 2″ thick reinforced mud walls
3. Matching tile was limited, which turns repairs into visible patchwork
4. Without opening everything up, it’s difficult to guarantee the original waterproofing method is correct and complete

The homeowner’s main point was fair: they didn’t want to spend money twice. Because we couldn’t confidently warranty a partial shower repair on a system like this, the smarter approach was a full tear-out and replacement with a system we could stand behind.

Demo day: tearing out an older mud-pan tile shower

This demo took a full day because the shower assembly was massive and layered.

What made it time-consuming (and important to do carefully):

1. A mud pan with lead is heavy and not a “pop it out in an hour” type of base
2. Two layers of tile add thickness, weight, and extra removal steps
3. Reinforced mud walls are dense, tough, and slow to remove cleanly
4. The goal during demo is controlled removal, not chaos, so the surrounding bathroom stays as protected as possible

Homeowner takeaway: Older “mud pan” showers (especially with lead liners and thick mud-set walls) take significantly more time to remove than modern shower systems. That’s why demolition on this type of shower can be a full-day step by itself.

Shower before demo looking good but leaking

Other angle of shower before

Leaking tile shower base

Thick mud bed walls during demo

Thick mud bed walls and 2 layers of tile during demo

The solution: a Kohler LuxStone shower makeover that matched the bathroom

The homeowner wanted a finished look that worked with the existing tile in the rest of the bathroom, without the cost and complexity of a full tile rebuild (and without the risk of a “close enough” tile match that never truly matches).

So we selected a Kohler LuxStone wall system that visually fit the space and delivered practical benefits:

1. A cleaner, updated look without hunting down hard-to-match tile
2. Less grout maintenance compared to a full tile shower
3. A system approach we can install consistently and stand behind
4. A bathroom makeover result without needing to re-tile the entire room

This is the sweet spot for a lot of homeowners in Terre Haute: upgrade the shower, keep the footprint and overall style, and avoid turning the whole bathroom into a months-long project.

What we did step-by-step

Here’s the high-level workflow we followed on this project:

1. Evaluate the leak, tile availability, and repairability
2. Plan for a full tear-out so we can confirm conditions behind the walls
3. Complete a controlled demo of the layered tile/mud shower system
4. Prep the area for the new shower system (structure and surfaces)
5. Install the new shower base (level, stable, and properly set)
6. Install Kohler LuxStone wall system and finish details for a clean seal

After demolition, we inspected the framing and surrounding areas for any moisture damage and corrected any issues we found before moving forward. We prepped the shower area so the base sat solid and level, then installed the wall system to the manufacturer’s specs so all seams and transitions were properly sealed. Before final cleanup, we double-checked alignment, door/edge transitions, and all seal points to make sure everything looked clean and performed the way it should. That’s how we make sure the new shower is solid, level, sealed correctly, and built to last

Materials and selections

Core selection:

• Kohler LuxStone Veincut Dune wall system chosen to match the existing bathroom tile look

Typical supporting components:

• New shower base sized to the existing footprint (or adjusted as needed)
• Drain connection and trim as needed
• Sealants/adhesives per manufacturer requirements
• New finishes that complement the existing bathroom design
• Moen shower head with wand
• Dreamline 48″ x 32″ white shower pan
• Kohler Rite-temp shower valve
• Kohler 21″ Choreograph brushed nickel shelves
• Brushed nickel sliding shower doors

Results: watertight shower, matched look, easier maintenance

The finished result gave the homeowner what they actually wanted:

1. A reliable fix for the leak (not a temporary patch)
2. A shower that matched the existing bathroom style without expensive tile-matching work
3. A cleaner, low-maintenance wall system compared to a grout-heavy tile shower
4. Peace of mind that the shower system was rebuilt in a way we can stand behind

This is what a true bathroom makeover looks like: a big visual and functional upgrade focused on the shower, without changing the whole bathroom layout.

Cost drivers (what can change the price fast)

Every shower is different, but these are the biggest pricing factors on projects like this:

1. Mud pan with lead and reinforced mud walls (demo complexity and disposal)
2. Multiple layers of tile (time and tool wear)
3. Hidden damage behind the shower (framing/subfloor repairs if needed)
4. Plumbing changes (moving valves or drain vs keeping them in place)