The free guide from Twist & Spout
Don't Replace Your Shower Until You've Read This
The No-Nonsense Shower Replacement Guide runs 31 pages and was written by Eric Barker, who has been pulling out old showers since he was fifteen. He and his wife Charis have owned Twist & Spout since 2021.
It is everything Eric would say at your kitchen table, minus the sales pitch: what the different materials are really like, how long the work takes, how a fair price comes together and how to choose the person who will be in your home. Read it before you talk to us, or before you talk to anyone.
Call or send a note and the guide is emailed to you.
What is inside
The guide, chapter by chapter
Know your wet area
The guide starts by naming every kind of tub and shower space you might have: the common three-wall alcove, a corner shower, a pony wall shower, a neo-angle and a cave shower, plus jetted and walk-in tubs.
It also settles an argument most homeowners do not know they are having, the difference between a walk-in shower with a low threshold and a barrier-free one that sits level with the floor.
Why people dislike their showers
Eric sorts the complaints into three buckets: function, safety and beauty. Cracked fiberglass and grout that has gone missing sit in the first, high steps into the tub sit in the second, and a color scheme stuck in another decade sits in the third.
Materials, from cultured marble to solid surface
Three tiers, laid out plainly: quick fixes that only delay the problem, traditional fiberglass and tile, and grout-free systems. In that last tier he walks through cultured marble, Monterey by Samuel Müeller, the Onyx Collection and Sentrel, including the honest downsides of each.
Onyx, for example, resists UV and keeps its color for decades, but it takes longer to arrive than other products.
Fixtures, doors and accessories
Water pressure, shower heads and valves get a chapter of their own, followed by enclosures from a simple curtain to bypass doors, barn door sliders and different glass finishes.
The accessories chapter covers grab bars, niches and shelves, and why the wall needs solid blocking behind a grab bar before the finished panels go up.
How long an install really takes
Is a one-day shower replacement a myth? Eric answers it straight: it can be done, but only if nothing goes wrong, and he would rather his installers not rush. At Twist & Spout it usually takes two or three days.
He also explains why a natural stone slab shower is a different animal, taking one to three weeks.
How the price works
Every homeowner asks what it costs, and the honest first answer is that it depends. The guide shows what the number depends on: what you have now, what you want, what is behind the walls, and the products you choose.
Once a consultant has seen your space, you get an exact price with nothing left out. No ranges, no estimates, and a quote that holds for a full year. Payment options are part of that conversation too.
How to hire a contractor
A short checklist you can use on any company, ours included: real experience, a good reputation, a physical office in your community, a license you can look up with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, and a Certificate of Insurance they will actually show you.
He adds the questions to ask if a company uses subcontracted installers: the sub's name, license number, insurance and background check.
The installation process, step by step
From the first phone call through the 30-point measure, the second measuring visit by the project manager, the parts inspection at the shop and the day-by-day work in your home, it reads like a walkthrough you can follow along with.
What could go wrong
Pipes run through the wall behind the tub, rusted drain lines, rotted floors, mold and a mis-measured product all make the list, told with a straight face and a few jokes. The chapter ends on warranties and what a lifetime labor warranty is meant to do.
Ask for the guide
Call the office at (479) 321-3834 or send a message through the contact page and we will email it to you. Once you have read it, the next step is a free in-home consultation, when a design consultant measures your bathroom and leaves you an exact price. You can also browse our walk-in shower installs or see how a project runs from first call to final walkthrough.