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Playing up the shower in your bath/shower remodel? What if you could bring a new level of sophistication to your showering space and treat yourself to a performance shower experience – all in that space you have?
While bathrooms are the most used rooms in our houses, it’s a norm for most people to ignore these spaces. For many, the shower itself is a disgusting room that we can’t wait to be done using.
But what if we told you that you could upgrade your shower so it inspires you to kickstart your day?
Well, don’t throw out this option because, while you may have to do a little finagling in your floor plan to make it fit, you will definitely benefit from having an updated shower room.
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How To Upgrade Your Shower In The Next Remodel
We’ve listed a variety of options below to help you plan your shower remodel.
With these tips, you can upgrade your shower so you can wash away in such a relaxing space. Scroll below to see what’s possible.
1. Install A Shower Base
If you’d like to turn your shower into an elegant showering space, it’s important to start with a proper shower base.
A shower base is the foundation of your shower. Its function is to channel water from the shower to the shower drain. While it also enhances the aesthetics of your shower, it also eases the maintenance and cleaning of your space.
A shower base acts as a watertight floor inside the shower, often premade and ready to install.
It can be installed on the subfloor so you can choose to go with a base over stone or tiles, although, you do not need to put it in a sloped mortar bed and tiles.
For such a base (over stone or tile), consider its size, shape, and material as well as the height of the threshold where you enter and exit and where the drain is placed.
A shower base can also be a tiled shower floor built from wet cement, sand mix, or another type of mortar. However, these are more challenging to install and remove than other types.
The most common types of materials for shower bases include:
1. Tile Shower Bases – this is a costly shower base solution yet popular, however, you want to consider the texture of the surface to ensure it’s not a slipping hazard since you’ll be standing on wet tile.
Tile-ready bases are easy to start with, although you may install tile over concrete as long as you use waterproof material to set the tiles, and again, coat them since neither tile nor grout may be waterproof.
However, In such a high-use area as a shower, such is more likely to stain and requires a lot of maintenance. If possible, tiling without grout may offer a better solution.
2. Molded Stone Shower Bases – yet a high-end and elegant solution, they’re usually made of a natural stone, other organic materials, and sometimes synthetic plastic.
Such bases are shaped and decorated, often glazed and hardened by heat. They are scratch-resistant and resistant to mold and mildew., but hard impacts will cause chipping and their smooth surface makes them rather slippery.
They also don’t require grout, which can become a cleaning issue.
3. Acrylic shower bases – yet a medium-priced solution that is easy to clean and maintain, and not as likely to crack as tile, a poorly designed and poorly installed one bends and squeaks when you step on it.
4. Fiberglass shower bases – these are the cheapest yet durable with a low chance of breakage and cracks.
However, because fiberglass is sensitive to extreme heat, cleaning them with highly acidic cleaning solutions can cause it to corrode. Plus, it can also be a breeding ground for bacteria.
Shower bases can be installed in different ways:
- Raised: this installation is quick and easy as the base is placed directly onto the floor surface, creating a step of at least 50 mm.
Such a base requires an in-built vertical evacuation where space for a vertical drain is available under the base.
- Recessed: this installation allows for a sloped mortar bed or a prefabricated shower tray to be flush with the rest of the shower floor.
Therefore, the access is walk-in style with no step. This is an ideal option for new construction or a complete bathroom renovation since it’s more intensive and requires the installation of a vertical recessed siphon.
- Ready-to-tile: this shower base is designed to be covered in tiles whilst revealing the shower drain grill and has an integrated slope for shower evacuation.
Just ensure you go for a proper material for the base, unlike a plastic shower base which will not properly support the bed of mortar necessary for tile adhesion.
As soon as you apply pressure to the shower base, the mortar will likely crack and your tiles will be prone to cracking or coming loose entirely.
Additionally, you want to choose a shower base for an easy-to-clean floor that coordinates well with tile or marble walls or choose a shower stall for a seamless look.
Note…
A shower base differs from a shower pan in that the latter is a solid, single-piece shower insert that is set on top of the shower floor, making it the actual floor of the shower you step on.
A shower pan is often fitted with fiberglass or tile walls and performs the same function of channeling water into the drain. It is also securely sealed to prevent water leaks underneath the structure.
2. Add A Shower Enclosure
To make a conscious statement, choose a shower stall & enclosure that will also help you make your bathroom look bigger, especially if spacious and see-through.
The first thing that you should figure out is whether you want a standard shower enclosure or a steam shower in order to weed out the ton of available options.
Next, examine your bathroom’s layout carefully and think about where you could install your new shower stall. You want to also measure this space so it fits.
Depending on the layout of your bathroom, you could have:
- An alcove installation that relies on three walls of your bathroom,
- A corner installation that relies on two existing walls and can help you make the most of your bathroom’s corners, or,
- A freestanding option if fitting the stall on one bathroom wall. This is common for large bathrooms.
Knowing the type of installation that’s right for your bathroom will also determine the shape of the shower enclosure you go with.
Will it be a square stall that’s ideal for smaller bathrooms, a rounded model, a rectangular stall, a curved ( D-shaped, neo-angle, quadrant), or a tub enclosure?
Next, consider the right type of frame for your shower enclosure:
- A framed enclosure includes framing around each panel as well as the door opening so it can perfectly complement the finishing on other fixtures in your bathroom.
- A semi-frameless enclosure has framing around the entire structure, but not around the door panel.
- A frameless shower enclosure does not need metal framing for supports in order to function. Therefore, seamless and have a clean and modern appearance that’s more open and airy.
Depending on your available budget, preference, and the overall look of your bathroom, you also need to choose between a standard fully-enclosed shower stall or a walk-in shower.
A walk-in shower is simply an open shower area that does not include a shower tray, or glass panels/enclosure and has no(has a low) curb, making it possible to easily walk in.
Walk-in showers create the illusion of space, make the bathroom more accessible for people with less mobility (i.e the elderly and young children), are easy to maintain with no door handles or hinges to scrub, and give your bathroom that designer look.
To make your shower more functional, also provide extra accessories like a shower seat, towel bar, and a shower ceiling if your bathroom walls are prone to mold or not covered in waterproof tiles.
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NOTE: Shower enclosures are made from toughened safety glass, available in a range of thicknesses, and this has an influence on the price.
The 4mm glass is at the lower end preferable for cheaper shower enclosures, mid-range enclosures use 6mm glass, and the 8mm glass is used for high-end cubicles. Also, consider the hinges, rollers, and wheels as an indication of quality.
Tip…
Make your stall maintenance an easy task by choosing a shower enclosure that features easy-to-clean glass to make cleaning a breeze.
For such glass, a special coating is applied to a single side of the glass during manufacture to help to prevent the build-up of dirt, grime, oil, limescale, stains, and streaks. Therefore, your shower enclosure will look like new for longer.
3. Install A Shower Door
Keep your shower looking clean and contemporary by adding a shower door.
When picking a shower door for your shower enclosure, look at the space where the door should go i.e. if this is a tub shower door or just a shower door then pick a door type that’s suitable.
Also, consider its installation i.e. whether sliding or pivot/swinging. While sliding doors are great if looking for a shower door to cover a bathtub or if you’ve got a wider shower stall or a smaller/cramped bathroom for more room.
Swinging or pivot shower doors, on the other hand, are great for larger bathrooms or those that require a corner shower.
Next, choose the door texture, whether frosted, patterned styles, or clear glass for a clean and open appeal.
For the perfect door look for your bathroom, select either a framed or frameless shower door but it’s clear that the sophisticated frameless shower door is becoming widely popular.
NOTE: Take a look around your bathroom and decide whether you want your shower door’s hardware and track to match the finishes already on display or purchase new finishes, depending on your budget.
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All doors feature CleanCoat®, a glass surface treatment that makes it easier to remove hard water spots by creating a protective barrier that repels water and prevents dirt and water minerals from collecting.
4. Replace Your Showerhead
A simple showerhead replacement can completely change your showering experience.
Try spicing up your shower with a multifunction showerhead, or drenching yourself with big, luxurious water droplets beneath an air-induction showerhead.
Also, upgrade to a high-flow pressure-balancing valve, and you can enjoy up to 13 gallons of water per minute.
5. Add a Handshower & Body Sprays
Introducing a hand shower is an easy way to upgrade your shower, simply with a hand shower kit that includes hand showers, diverters, slide bars, and brackets.
Therefore, update your water experience by supplementing an overhead shower, with a hand shower and several (up to 4) unique body sprays. This definitely allows you to add versatile functionality to the shower.
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6. Update Your Shower Trim
The shower trim refers to the visible and decorative parts of your shower or tub shower faucet set including the showerhead, tub spout, controls, and handles.
You can refresh the look of your shower simply by replacing the trim. A sleek modern faucet set can make an old bathroom look elegant.
Complete the look of your shower and add exceptional organization and safety with our full line of shower accessories.: fittings, baskets, grab bars, shower rods, shower locker, and drains. Enjoy your showering experience!
Looking to upgrade your shower? These steps will help elevate your bathroom aesthetic and make getting ready for the day an enjoyable task.
