Shower Choices For Remodeling a Small Bathroom

Many homeowners think shower choices for-- Water supply: As you add on special features in
remodeling a small bathroom are very limited andany shower, you need to think about the amount
that they cannot have the features they want inof water they require. You might want to
a shower that will fit the available space. There isconsider either a larger water heater or an
great news for these homeowners. You canadditional water heater dedicated to supplying
actually have everything you want in a showeryour shower. A booster pump might also be
and still make it fit a small bathroom - maybenecessary to move enough water to the shower
even with room to spare. With some carefulfast enough.
planning, a little imagination, and some attention to-- Eco-friendly considerations: Are you concerned
decorating detail, your remodeled small bathroomabout using a little water as possible? If so, you
can include a shower that incorporates everythingwill want to look into a low-flow showerhead. If
you want.you want some of the special jets but you also
Chances are that the small bathroom you arewant to conserve water, you might need to look
planning to remodel has a bathtub/showerinto a low-flow body spray option. If you are
combination at one end of the room. Thisvery serious about using little water and power,
bathroom is probably about five feet wide andyou might want to install a separate
the tub/shower combination is installed againstsolar-powered water heater that will draw
three walls. Or, you might have an oldrainwater from a dedicated rainwater collection
free-standing tub at one end of the bathroom. Ifdevice.
your home was built at just the right time, youSome homeowners hear the word pre-fabricated
might have a square tub/shower that fits into ashower and end the conversation. If you are one
corner of the bathroom. You might think yourof these homeowners, you need to know that
choices are restricted to a newer model of whatpre-fabricated showers have come a long way in
you had.recent years. Some of these pre-fabricated
These kinds of apparent limitations are frustratingmodels are very inexpensive and very basic. This
to many homeowners who are seeing largemight be exactly what you want. But you also
luxurious, full-featured tubs and showers in modelneed to know that some pre-fabricated showers
homes, remodeling books and magazines, andhave all of the luxury features of custom
even in the home improvement stores. But theseshowers. Many of these higher-end pre-fabricated
are not the only options available. What you see inshowers can match many decorative styles and
the stores might be extremely popular. They alsoenhance the appearance of a small bathroom. If
might be very expensive or very inexpensive. Butyou want to consider these pre-fabricated models
they do not represent all of your shower choicesin either fiberglass or acrylic, you can base your
for remodeling a small bathroom.design on a height of 73 inches, depth of 36
The lowest-cost most common shower installationinches, and widths of 32, 36 or 48 inches. In fact,
in a small bathroom is a tub/shower combination.there are affordable prefabricated showers that
If you have used these, you know they can beinclude all of these features in a size that is
hard to clean and both inconvenient and less safeperfect for a small bathroom.
to use. Some have the old-fashioned doors thatYou can enhance the appearance of the shower
leak and collect mold, not to mention makingand make the small bathroom look larger by
them even more inconvenient. Shower curtainsconsidering such options as plate glass shower
and their drawbacks are another conversationdoors, glass enclosures, glass block enclosures or
entirely.colored glass surrounds. Luxury features available
The first decision about a shower whenfor your small bathroom shower include multiple
remodeling a small bathroom is whether you wantshowerheads, body sprays, multiple massaging
a custom designed and installed shower or ajets, steam capabilities, chromotherapy options,
pre-fabricated shower. Here are the major thingsin-shower TVs, DVD players, radios and CD
to consider in making this choice:players.
-- Cost: custom design and custom installationThere are also a number of installation options
usually translates to higher cost.ranging from a step-over lip about four inches
-- Materials: if you want custom stone, metal orhigh, to a one-inch or two-inch lip to hold water in,
tile work in your shower, you need to look atto a completely flat entry that simply dips slightly
custom design and installation. If you areat the drain. There is also some variety in the
considering fiberglass or acrylics, you might betypes of seats, grab bars, etc. that can be
able to save time, cost and work by considering aincluded for accessibility or safety.
pre-fabricated model.In short, shower choices for remodeling a small
-- One-day Installations: There are severalbathroom are surprisingly large. In most cases, a
companies that advertise heavily on television andhomeowner can find a high-quality pre-fabricated
will install a shower or tub liner in a day. Most ofshower that offers all desired features at a lower
these companies use high-quality acrylics, whichcost than a custom designed and installed shower.
can be molded into any shape and size. They canBut if you are planning a thing of particular beauty
also be finished in ways that mimic ceramic tile,and luxury, the custom design might be perfect in
stone, or other materials in a wide variety ofyour small bathroom.
colors.