Round Lake, IL
Round Lake homeowners know how quickly a small bathroom problem becomes a big one—especially after a winter freeze-thaw cycle or a musty smell near the shower pan. If you’re near Round Lake Beach or commuting off IL-134 and your tub wall is cracking, we can replace it with a modern walk-in shower built for safe entry, easy cleaning, and rock-solid waterproofing.
In Round Lake, IL, a lot of bathrooms were built with fiberglass tub/shower combos that start failing at the seams—loose valve trims, soft drywall, or grout that won’t stay sealed. We see this often in homes around Round Lake Beach and near the Chain O’Lakes corridor, where seasonal humidity can magnify moisture issues. Fox Lake Bathroom Remodel Contractors Pro installs walk-in showers that address these local conditions with proper ventilation planning, accurate slope to the drain, and materials that resist long-term moisture intrusion.
Our walk-in shower installation process starts with a moisture investigation using a pinless moisture meter and a full substrate check from studs to subfloor. We frame and true the walls with a laser level, then install cement backer board or foam backer panels with alkali-resistant mesh tape and polymer-modified thinset. For waterproofing we use a bonded sheet membrane system (Schluter-KERDI) or a liquid-applied membrane (LATICRETE Hydro Ban) with preformed inside/outside corners, plus a flood test before tile—so Round Lake homeowners aren’t relying on caulk as the “waterproofing.”
For surfaces, we commonly install large-format porcelain tile (12x24 and 24x48) for fewer grout lines, or engineered stone-look porcelain for a clean, modern finish. Floors are set with slip-resistant tile rated for wet areas (DCOF-aligned selections) and sloped at 1/4" per foot to a center drain or a Schluter-KERDI-LINE linear drain for barrier-free entries. We set tile with ANSI A118.4/A118.15 mortars, use a leveling system like Raimondi clips to prevent lippage, and finish joints with color-consistent grout and 100% silicone movement joints per Tile Council of North America (TCNA) guidelines.
Every Round Lake walk-in shower we build is planned around performance and longevity: blocking for future grab bars, proper valve depth for Delta or Moen trim kits, and code-aware plumbing tie-ins that align with local requirements. Our goal is a shower that looks sharp and stays dry behind the walls—tight corners, straight lines, clean glass readiness, and a base that won’t flex. The outcome is a safer, easier-to-maintain bathing space that adds resale appeal while eliminating the recurring leaks and patchwork repairs many Round Lake households deal with.
A homeowner in the Valley Lakes neighborhood of Round Lake called after noticing a persistent mildew odor and cracked grout along the tub’s back wall. Their 1990s fiberglass surround had started separating near the valve wall, and the subfloor felt slightly spongy at the tub apron—especially after showers. With a parent moving in who needed safer access, they wanted a true walk-in shower, not another temporary re-caulk. We scheduled an on-site measure, inspected the plumbing rough-in, and confirmed elevated moisture behind the lower wall. After protecting floors and running a HEPA air scrubber, we demoed the tub and wet wall down to studs, replaced a small section of compromised subfloor, and corrected wall plumb with sistered studs. The new build included a Schluter-KERDI shower system with a sloped pan, KERDI-BAND seams, prefabricated corners, and a 24-hour flood test. We installed a Delta pressure-balance valve, a handheld on a slide bar, and added blocking for future ADA-style grab bars. For finish materials, the client chose 12x24 matte porcelain on the walls, a small-format mosaic on the floor for traction, and a curbless-style low threshold entry to reduce trip risk. We set tile using ANSI A118.15 mortar, used a leveling system to keep lines flat, and finished with silicone movement joints at changes of plane. The result: a bright, easy-clean walk-in shower that eliminated the odor source, improved safety for the family member, and provided a clean layout ready for a frameless glass door upgrade later.
We offer same-day service for most walk-in shower installation needs in Round Lake. Our local team can typically arrive within hours of your call.
Serving Round Lake from our Fox Lake location — Fox Lake Bathroom Remodel Contractors Pro is just a short drive away.
Get your free design consultation scheduled today. Our team in Fox Lake handles full bathroom remodels, walk-in shower installs, tub-to-shower conversions, and ADA-accessible bathroom builds — all with in-house licensed trades and fixed-price written quotes.
