If you’ve been poring through and over home design websites and magazines looking for bathroom remodeling inspiration, you’ve no doubt come across images of chic and airy doorless showers. Not only do they make a bathroom feel more spacious, but there’s also no door or panel to scrub clean. But doorless showers aren’t for everyone.
Before deciding to ditch the door, read on to see if this bathroom trend is right for you.
Pros and Cons of Doorless Showers
Before getting rid of that dated tub-and-shower combo in favor of a doorless shower, consider the following pros and cons.
Pros
- No door means one less thing to keep clean.
- No step-over threshold means those with joint injuries or mobility issues can enter the shower with ease.
- More design options – add a shower seat or multiple niches to hold hair and body products.
Cons
- Requires more floor space than standard shower stalls so may not be suitable for small bathrooms.
- Showers can feel drafty without doors or panels to trap the steam.
- Less privacy than a standard shower.
- A more expensive option vs. a standard tub or shower.
- Replacing the only bathtub in the home with a shower (doorless or not) can reduce property value.
Design Considerations
To ensure that your doorless shower is not only beautiful but functional, keep these design tips in mind.
- Make sure your space can accommodate a doorless shower. Most walk-in showers measure at least four feet wide by five feet deep.
- For the best use of space, position the shower in a corner of the room.
- Leave at least six feet of space near the entrance of the shower to allow for a “splash zone.”
- Although the floor will gently slope toward a drain, consider installing another drain to further reduce the risk of water flowing out of the shower area.
- Consider a rainfall showerhead to prevent the spray of water from bouncing off the walls and out onto the bathroom floor.
- Lights and fixtures within spray distance of the showerhead should be rated as waterproof.
- Choose non-slip flooring like unglazed travertine, limestone, or slate.
- Since doorless showers permit more steam to escape than closed-in showers, make sure your ventilation fan is up to the task of removing excess humidity.
Just what you needed, right? One more option to consider. Well, with Pann Home Services on your home remodeling team, you needn’t think alone. With experience, professional licensing, and start-to-finish capabilities, we can help sort through your assorted options while considering the desired finished product. Contact us today for a free in-home consultation and proposal.
