I am a retired Project Manager and as such I prefer to plan ahead. I live in a two-bedroom condo and plan to age in place which will probably mean at some point I will need safe sit-down shower capability. My guest bathroom had a small corner shower stall and a fairly large vanity. While my floor space would not accommodate a shower bench, I believed that I could meet my needs by widening the shower, replacing the vanity with a smaller one and using a fold-down shower seat.
With that in mind I contacted two different contractors who would not listen to my needs and suggestions. Instead, they told me what I needed and what they would do. Neither recommendation seemed to take my comfort or safety into consideration so I decided not to pursue my plans with either of these contractors.
I was discouraged and put my plans on hold. Then I decided I needed to move on this so I contacted the Home Depot who put me in touch with Cera Stone. From my first meeting I knew I had found the right contractors. Their Designer John met with me and listened to my ideas, my needs and my safety concerns. Once he determined all of that he then went to work to find a solution that would make it all happen. The plans included reinforcing the walls to ensure that they would carry the weight for the sit-down shower and the grab bars. We worked together to come up with a design and selected the materials that were needed. He kept me informed every step of the way, worked with me to select alternate materials if something was out of stock and kept me on track and on budget.
My project started on Nov. 30 and I was assured it would be done before Christmas. I admit I was skeptical. The Project Manager Charlie had a very aggressive schedule. I need not have worried. Charlie was on top of the job every step of the way and made sure the materials arrived when they were needed and on occasion even tracked a missing piece down and delivered it himself. The construction crew, Danny and Philip, did a great job – especially with the wall reinforcements. They were extremely concerned with ensuring my safety. The job was completed in 8 working days and it looks fantastic. While I wanted the shower to be handicapped equipped, I did not want it to look institutional. I found grab bars that look like corner soap dishes, a toiletries shelf and a shower head slide bar. The walls supporting them are heavily reinforced and I know they are all safe as am I. I could not be happier. Cera Stone made my vision a reality and it looks even better than I could have imagined. Several of my neighbours have already asked me who did my renovation and I happily passed along Cera Stone’s contact information.