Things to know about walk-in showers

Bathroom renovations are stressful as you are committing to something that you will have to live with for many years to come. If you aren’t a bath person and won’t be looking at claw-footed tubs anytime soon, there still are various shower fixtures and types that you should be aware of. A very popular trend in apartments is to have a walk-in shower, which will let you get ready quickly during the weekdays and will allow you to luxuriate on the weekends.

Here are a few important things to know about walk-in showers before you get to shopping.

What are the advantages of a walk-in shower and why should you get one?
One of the main problems faced by homeowners while getting the bathrooms renovated is space. Bathrooms relatively have a smaller space as compared to other parts of the house. Therefore, it can be extremely tricky to renovate them the way you want to. Thankfully, if you are getting a walk-in shower for your bathroom, space will be one less thing that you will have to worry about. These showers do not need any doors or curtains to block the spilling of water, allowing you to save a substantial amount of space. There are many prefab units available in the market that will provide you with shallow curbs to prevent excess water from spilling on the floor of the bathroom. In addition to these, there are several customized walk-in showers available that have no curbs and just slope onto the floor, which ensures greater accessibility and benefit for those with mobility-related problems and joint injuries.

What are the disadvantages of having walk-in showers?
When you get a walk-in shower installed in your bathroom and replace all your tubs, you are slightly jeopardizing the home’s resale value. For a good resale value, you should have at least one bathroom in the house that has a full-size tub. You must know that when a bathroom has a shower, but a tub is missing, it is considered to be a three-quarter bath. This can play a huge role when your real estate agent is fixing a price point on your house. Also, some of the most common problems with having walk-in showers that you must consider are:

• If you have small children in the house, bathing them under a walk-in shower might not be very comfortable or convenient.
• From a privacy standpoint, traditional showers with a curtain or a door are preferred more.

How much investment is required to get a walk-in shower installed?
The most inexpensive walk-in shower is a prefab kit. This type can cost anywhere between $800 to $2,500, depending on the size and quality you choose. You can save some money if you install the shower pan yourself. However, if you need professional help for the installations, it can cost you anywhere between $750 to $2,500, based on the plumbing requirements and the design of your bathroom.

If you are getting a custom walk-in shower, you will have to get professional help. This is a more expensive version and you don’t want to waste all your money while experimenting with the installations. The pan of the shower is constructed manually using concrete. It is then covered by a membrane, which is waterproof and at last, it is covered by a tile. If you are getting directional nozzles, some additional plumbing will also be required. Based on the final layout, materials you choose, and the level of professional help that you require, the cost of a custom walk-in shower can go up to anywhere between $6,500 to $15,000 or even higher than that in some cases.

Common misconceptions about walk-in showers
One of the most common misconceptions about walk-in showers is that most people think of it as a stand-alone shower that does not have a tub underneath it. But, that’s just a part of it and there is a lot more to walk-in showers. These do not come with any doors or curtains. This means that if there is a huge shower in a bathroom that does not have a bathtub underneath it, but is covered by doors and curtains, it is not a walk-in shower. There are some options that can be covered by half walls or half glass panes. However, the basic idea behind a walk-in shower is to have a completely, or at least partially, open space where you can walk-in to take a shower.

What are the tips to maintain walk-in showers?
Getting walk-in showers installed in the bathroom is just one part of it. The next step is to make sure that you take good care of the setup so that your shower keeps looking and smelling nice. So, here’s how you can make sure of that.

Before you take a shower, make sure that you have turned on the bathroom exhaust fan. This will help in removing all the excess humidity from the bathroom. Make use of an open-bottom holder to keep your toiletries such as bathing gels, shampoos, and conditioners, and avoid leaving them on the floor or shelves of the bathroom. Doing so can lead to a sticky and slimy residue on the surfaces. This can make your bathroom smell and look bad.

Once you are done with your shower, make sure that you use a shower spray. This lets you remove any soap residue in the bathroom. Spray it on the walls and floors of the bathroom to prevent any hard water or soap residue from remaining in the area. At least once a week, spray a bathroom cleaner on the tiles. After that, use a hard nylon bristles brush, scrub the tiles properly, and then rinse with water.