What to install in the bathroom - a bathtub or a shower? Of course, it would be nice to have both, but the dimensions of our washrooms rarely allow such a luxury. And if you decide to choose a shower cabin, then we will tell you how best to do it.
Advantages of shower cabins
Let's start with the advantages of this choice.
Shower cabins save space. This is especially true for small bathrooms. By installing a compact shower stall there, you can find a place for a washing machine and other plumbing fixtures.
Shower cabins save water consumption. To fill a bathtub, 200-250 liters are required; to wash in the shower, 100 liters is enough. Many people install water meters, the savings are quite noticeable.
Another saving for shower cabins is time. Taking a shower in a shower stall takes less time than taking a shower in a bathtub due to simpler controls.
Convenient, especially for the elderly. Getting into a bathtub with a side height of 60 centimeters is quite a difficult task if joint flexibility decreases with age. The shower cabin does not create any obstacles.
Safety - Slippery smooth surfaces of the bathtub, also lubricated with soap, can become a source of serious injury. In the shower stall, the trays are equipped with an anti-slip coating, and high sides are often completely absent.
Comfort - if you wish, you can equip your shower stall with a lot of options that increase the pleasure of taking procedures. Here you will find a tropical shower, hydromassage, aromatherapy, and a sauna. We'll talk a little more about this below.
How to prepare for buying a shower cabin
Let's start with measurements. Assess the size of your bathroom, the location of communications, and mark the place where you will place the shower. Do you need a prefabricated model or a ready-made one? A prefabricated shower stall is assembled on site piece by piece to suit your needs and requires time and effort to find the right parts that fit the style and cost. But you will get exactly the option that suits you best.
A ready-made one will save you from the hassle of finding components; these are ready-made capsules with a full set of functions that just need to be installed. And although their choice is quite diverse, it is easier to implement design ideas by assembling the shower stall in parts.
Types of showers
You have measured everything, decided on the location and have a rough idea of which shower stall to choose.
And they are:
open;
closed;
combined.
1. Open shower stalls do not have a 'roof'. Essentially, this is an area separated from the rest of the room by partitions or doors in which you can take a shower. The shower head with hose is built into the wall. This type of shower enclosure is often assembled on site in parts.
An open design doesn't even always require a pallet. It is enough to make a floor in this place that is not afraid of moisture - it can be stone, concrete or tiles and provide it with a drain hole.
This option has its advantages:
Cost savings - the construction of such a cabin will cost much less than a ready-made capsule. The absence of a 'roof', and sometimes even a pallet, reduces material costs.
Easy to make - you can build one yourself.
You can create a shower cabin of any configuration and 'play' with the geometry of the bathroom.
Still, the most serious advantage of this option is cost savings. And then the disadvantages begin:
If, when renovating an apartment or house, you assembled the shower cabin yourself, assigning it a permanent place, then this is forever. It's like a built-in wardrobe - you can't move it.
There may be problems accessing the water pipe to clean and repair it.
If you bought a ready-made open shower, keep in mind that many options (ozonation, tropical shower) will not be available.
Since steam will freely escape through the top of the cabin, the humidity in the bathroom will inevitably increase.
2. Closed shower cabins are ready-made capsules with a 'ceiling' and a tray. There is much less fuss with this one, you just need to bring it and install it.
Here are its advantages:
Quick and simple installation that does not require special skills.
The cabin, closed on all sides, does not create high humidity in the bathroom.
A range of additional options are available to enhance your comfort.
The closed cabin has good sound insulation and when taking a shower you do not make any unnecessary noise.