Are you considering ways of adding comfort and value to your home? Remodeling showerstall or installing a new shower stall will surely fulfill your expectation. Indeed, shower stalls are increasingly being preferred to bathtubs as practical bathroom fixtures and you do not really need to be an engineer or a builder to uncover the secret behind a shower setup.
Firstly, shower-stalls occupy much less space compared to bathtubs and hence fit into small bathrooms as well.
Secondly, in these fast-paced days when we all are running to catch up with time, taking a quick shower is a far more convenient option to waiting for the tub to fill.
Gain the knowledge to make your home a better living space for your family and yourself, "Do It Yourself Tips" is a by-weekly newsletter loaded with valuable Home Improvement Tips & Tricks. Simply fill the form & click on "Sign Up!".
It is obvious that in a modern home, remodeling a bathroom to install a shower is great idea for a bathroom remodel.
Contemporary shower stalls are usually multi-sided, large sized enclosures. Various geometric shapes are imitated in their structures. Other than the standard square and rectangular models, you will have the option of choosing between a variety of shapes like triangular, pentagonal and hexagonal or any other shape. In fact, you can get them custom made to your specification to add a dash of style to your bathroom interior.
The increasing sizes of shower-stalls, likewise, allow you to add multiple accessories in the enclosure. Thus, you can be a little adventurous and choose to integrate a bathtub and a shower stall installed (instead of going for a bathtub with a handheld shower).
You can even have a Spa-like shower stall or a theme based luxurious bath by adding special kits. Installing Jacuzzi kits by the bathtub wall converts it into a Jacuzzi bath. Likewise, introducing a steam source along the ordinary showerheads would give you an excellent Steam Shower. Just be a little cautious while installing it, for a steam shower should essentially be enclosed and watertight.
You can also experiment with the showerheads. They come in multiple designs. In addition to standard ‘out of the wall’ showerhead, you have overhead showerheads, sidebar showerheads and even sliding showerheads. Overhead showers (affixed in the ceiling) allow you to stand directly below the down pouring water jet. Sidebar showerheads are slender rods running down the sides of the shower stalls. Together with an overhead showerhead, it makes for a ‘total body’ shower. Sliding showerheads that allow you to change the position of the showerhead vertically is ideal for families where heights vary.
Modern shower stalls with their sleek designs and colored or etched glass finishes prove an excellent makeover for your bathroom-remodeling project. Remodeling a shower stall or get a new shower installed, requires you to be very specific about the following requirements:
- If you are remodeling a shower-stall, check if the drainage lines, water supply lines or the floor area needs any repair work. Make necessary additions as well.
- In case it is a new shower installation, you will need to lay all the drainage and water (both hot and cold) supply piping
- Anchor the tub to the enclosure.
- If it is a steam shower stall, you will need proper ventilation.
- You may choose to do without a door for your shower stall but in that case it needs to be at least 5-feet by 8-feet to facilitate easy passage of water through the drain. Such shower-stalls also need additional heating arrangements.
Gone are those days when shower stalls were regarded as 3 by 3 foot enclosures that were “used to keep water off the floor”. The modern-day shower stalls are as much about comfort and style as bathroom design. Hence, in every aspect of a bathroom remodel, a showerstall installation is a nearly indispensable part.
by Manuel Kupka
