Showers are a small haven in your home. It’s far more from just where you take a shower, it’s a place to relax and unwind. But every bathroom is different, so when you are installing a shower, whether it’s to completely renovate or only as a simple revamp, it’s crucial to choose well according to the space, the plumbing, and your taste.
Making a good choice will ultimately give your showers a sense of luxurious relaxation, rather than a simple body washing and cleaning.
Before moving to the fun part of buying or building your shower unit, first make sure you know everything about the plumbing, the heating system and the available space in your bathroom, since they may play a role in eliminating some types of shower, and it may determine the placement and the size. Of course, if your budget allows it, you can upgrade the plumbing or the heating system, to give yourself more options, but in any case, these are your first concerns.
Custom Showers
For a unique shower and a beautiful contemporary bathroom, the best option is a custom-built walk-in shower unit. When you decide to instal a custom shower, the only limits when it comes to shape and design are the available space, your imagination and your contractor’s skills. This means that your shower can be unique, and designed to meet your personal preferences and needs. Additionally, option for sizes are limitless, since it can be built in any size.
Custom-built showers are the eco-friendlier and more long-lasting option. They also add to the value of your property if you are looking to sell or rent. The downside is that they are built on site, which makes them more expensive, more time consuming and their installation will make a bigger mess.
Types of Shower Doors
The overall look, as well as the functionality of the shower are also influenced by the door type. One of the first thing you notice when you look at a shower are the doors, so it’s really important that the doors you choose go well with the rest of your bathroom. Shower doors can be categorised according to shapes, frames, glass, function, style etc.
Transparent or opaque
The glass used for the doors can be clear, semi-opaque or opaque. The options for non-see-through glasses are vast: tinted, frosted, patterned, rain etc. The transparency and the aspect of your glass depends entirely on your needs and taste. Choose what best suits your bathroom’s style, as well as what you believe will make taking a shower a relaxing experience for you.
Frameless or framed
The door frames or lack of them will also play a part in your bathroom style.
Shower doors with frames that run all the way around the glass forming a border, can give your bathroom a beautiful look. The biggest advantage of the framed doors is that the frame comes in many different finishes, making it quite easy to match it with your bathroom’s style.
The frames can give the doors an aesthetical appeal, but can also appear a little bulky. But, the main concern for this type of doors is that they can gather water on the edge formed by the track on the bottom, meaning it requires regular maintenance, to prevent growth of mould and mildew.
Frameless glass doors will make a unique looking walk-in shower a luxurious addition to your contemporary bathroom. The lack of metal frames gives it a minimalistic appearance, opening up the space and making it visually more spacious.
Frameless doors can be customised, providing even more flexibility for the installation, which is one of the most important factors for their popularity. Another advantage of a frameless door is that it’s easier to clean, than framed doors.
Being free of the limitation of mass-production, though a huge advantage for the uniqueness of your shower, makes them also the more expensive option. Any error in the measurements will mean paying more for a new order. The lack of frame means that the glass has to be thicker to stay in place.
Function
Choosing the way your shower doors open is also very important, most of all for convenience. There are three main types of doors in terms of the way in which shower doors can operate: hinged doors, sliding doors, folding doors, and fixed doors.
Shower Heads and Tapware
The ability of your shower to be a relaxing refuge for you depends a lot on the visual aspect of your shower, but even more, it depends on the way the water drips over your body. Shower heads and tapware play a part in both. There are many different types and styles of tapware and shower heads that can bring even more glamour to your bathroom.
Aside from their practicality, they can also contribute to the contemporary unique look of your bathroom. With the beautiful designs nowadays, shower heads and tapware are a thing to show off.
Shower heads can be put into these basic categories: handheld shower heads, fixed shower heads, rainfall shower heads, and combinations.
If you are lucky enough to have enough space in your shower, a fixed rainfall or an overhead shower head combined with a handheld shower head is the most luxurious option out there. But when the space doesn’t allow it, there are many other beautiful and highly functional you can choose from.
The Easiest and Budget-Friendliest Option
If your budget is limited, your best option are prefabricated shower units. They come in a big price range, and there are options in regards of size, features, design and door glass types. They come in few shapes, such as square, rectangular, neo-angled or round.
The benefits of a prefabricated showers are that they are easier and faster to instal, the installation doesn’t make a lot of mess, and they are pretty easy to clean. They can be in one piece, three or four pieces. One-piece showers are easier to instal, since they are fully assembled off-site. They are also easier to clean, and less prone to water leakage. On the other hand, if you are remodelling a house, it may prove impossible to bring a one-piece shower in.
The downside of prefabricated showers is that you can’t customise them, and they will look plain in comparison to custom showers.
