Avoid convention and go with shower baths
Want to find out an affordable alternative to separate showers and baths? Choosing shower baths may help you keep in line with your renovation budget.
When is a shower-bath best?
Shower baths are generally used in a home's main bathroom, where space is tight but a bath is still desirable for general family use and resale value. Shower-baths free up the bathroom for other uses, such as storage, and help make it appear more spacious.
What are the disadvantages?
The standard shower-bath design means you have to step over the side of the bath to get to the shower. This makes it unsuitable for elderly or disabled people and problematic if you have an injury. Shower-baths can be cramped and make a bathroom appear cluttered.
What types of shower baths are available?
You can choose baths specially designed to take a shower, or you can select an appropriate standard bath and place a showerhead at one end. There are lots of shapes on offer, from standard rectangles to step-down tubs that form the bottom of a standard shower recess.
What should I look out for?
Shower-baths have features including a broad, flat area on which to stand, and a straight back at one end so you get close to the showerhead. You can apply an anti-slip surface, but experts say this isn't necessary and can catch unsightly grit. Ideally, the bath should be at least 750mm wide.
How can I make it look good?
Frameless shower screens that fold back on stainless steel hinges look stylish and sleek. Place the screen at one end only, so you have easy access to the plughole and taps. As with standard showers, include a wall niche for hair products and create handsome surrounds with great-looking tiles.
Choosing a showerhead
Showers on rails are popular because they can be used as a straight showerhead, to hose down bathing children or clean the surrounding shower-bath area. Standard wall or ceiling-mounted showerheads can also be used. Just ensure spray from the shower easily reaches you.
Contact a bathroom renovator in your area today and discover how you can choose from a range of shower baths for your home:
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