A Bathtub or a Walk-in Shower: What to Install Inside Your Bathroom
/Here is a new blog post from a guest author contributing to
Lang’s Kitchen & Bath’s website. We hope you find this topic helpful!
The age-old dilemma of whether a bathtub or a walk-in shower is better for the water room still rages on. Some homeowners cannot imagine a bathroom without that rustic feel that a bathtub has, while others swear by the functionality of a shower.
Settling this debate isn’t as important as it is essential you choose the bathroom fixture you are comfortable using the most. The answer is different for each and every homeowner’s personal preferences, space available, as well as some other minor factors.
The issues of space
One of the biggest factors in determining whether you should install a bath or a shower is the size of your bathroom. It might strike you as odd but shower takes up more space in cubic meters. However, they take up vertical space, so they are actually a better solution for a small bathroom.
Bathtubs, on the other side, come in all shapes in sizes, so their size is adjustable. You needn’t buy a stately freestanding bath to enjoy a bubble bath. There are tubs that are “built” inside the bathroom wall, thus saving precious space that can be used for storage, for example.
Who is the end-user?
Apart from the site if your bathroom, you need to consider who is predominantly going to use the bathing fixture. Seniors and folks with limited mobility (after hip surgery, for instance) will definitely benefit more from a walk-in shower. Modern showers come with a non-slip surface, grab bars, and a bench or a seat.
These are built seamlessly, i.e. you don’t have to step over anything to enter the cabin as the floor tiles simply extend to the walls of the enclosure. Of course, the bottom of the door of the shower cabin’s door had to be fitted with a watertight gasket that will prevent water from leaking out.
Maintaining and replacing this rubber or silicone gasket should be performed when material fatigue occurs. In this sense, installing underfloor heating (much like one common in Roman times) is a great advantage for drying up the bathroom floor efficiently.
On the other hand, the glazed, modern look of a walk-in shower is of little help if you have children. Small children can’t bathe entirely on their own, as they need their parents’ assistance. This is far more convenient if you have a large bathtub you can access on all sides. Plus, you can’t play with that cute yellow rubber duck in a shower, as a filled-up tub gives it buoyancy.
Design preferences
We’ve mentioned how showers have a more appealing look because of all the fiberglass that gives them a cool and modern look. The aesthetics aren’t unimportant, as you might wish to sell your property at some point in the future and a shower will definitely appeal more to a younger generation to prospective home buyers.
However, only large showers are impressive in terms of design, while smaller and cheaper variants aren’t that appealing. Luxury and opulence are more frequently associated with the state of the art bathtubs.
If you want your bathroom to resemble a spa or a Turkish bath, then installing a round or a square freestanding bath will add a sense of opulence to the water room. Baths with a contemporary design are made from acrylic with a glossy or matte finish, instantly turning them into a statement piece of any bathroom.
Pure enjoyment
For many people, the bathroom is more than a space with running water inside it. Romans had their baths with entire swimming pools, while the Eastern world had its Hammams. In the West, we have luxuries spa centers in urban areas that perform a hygienic and a social role.
It is no wonder that many people use the lavatory as a refuge from the world. A quick shower doesn’t do the trick for them, as a prolonged bubble bath with scented salts is much more soothing. If you are one such hedonist, then a bathtub is the only reasonable choice for your bathroom.
However, if you’re idea of relaxation does not include soaking in a (hot)tub or you just want a quick shower in the morning before you leave for work, then a walk-in shower is the better choice. A busy life, unfortunately, leaves little time for enjoying personal hygiene habits.
Health benefits of both options
A hot bath has more than a physical effect on people. A bath is an ideal tonic for sore muscles, making it suitable for athletes and treating sports injuries. If you choose a model of a bathtub that comes with air jets and whirlpools, you’ll get to enjoy a spa-like treatment in the comfort of your home.
The sound of running water has been calming our nerves for millennia but running (or better to say, jetting) water has other health benefits: detoxification of the entire body, mood elevation, softening your skin, etc. If you add green tea, then you can add an anti-aging effect or improved hydration if you add gelatin to the “mixture.” Baths salts can relieve pain, relax muscles, and reduce inflammation.
All of these health benefits are true for taking a shower; only to a smaller extent, as you don’t soak your entire body in water. However, water jets from the shower handle do soothe sore muscles, raise oxytocin levels, and open sinuses.
These are all ideal for relieving stress, which had become a chronic pandemic of modern life. In fact, some physicians recommend cold showers as a way to relieve depression and anxiety.
How much maintenance is involved?
Whether you choose a luxurious tub or a modern-looking walk-shower, you are going to have to maintain them both at regular intervals. The bathtub, for instance, is all dirty after a bath, full of dead skin follicles, grime, and hair.
When disused for several days, a layer of fine dust accumulated on the bottom of the tub, so you need to scrub it weekly (preferably) and wash it with water after every bath. Also, if you notice enamel chipping off, you should call a plumber immediately, as these chips are highly toxic and you don’t want them swimming in your bathwater.
A shower is also not maintenance-free. The biggest issue with a shower cabin is the walls that constantly get splashed with dirty water, leaving ugly-looking stains after each shower. Removing all the muck, calcium residue (the hardness of the water plays a major role here), and lime involves a lot of scrubbing if you wish the glass to appear spotless.
The final price
Finally, you should take into account the pricing of a bath and a shower enclosure. Generally speaking, a shower is more affordable than a bathtub but the final price depends on the site, the material, and the model of the bathroom fixture.
When it comes to numbers, a shower will set you back from 800 to some 950 dollars, while a bathtub cost anywhere from 1,200 to 2,000 dollars. The wider price range of tubs is due to the variety of options manufacturers offer.
Of course, shower enclosures can be upgraded as well. From rain shower heads to multi-functional jets, a walk-in shower can easily become a high-end feature of your bathroom, bringing in extra dollars if you ever decide to sell your property.
When considering the pricing of both options, keep in mind that the installation will cost several hundreds of dollars, depending on the water connections and the state of your residential plumbing. Apart from physically fitting inside your water room, the fitting and taps in the walls should match the ones on the model you select.
As you have noticed from the examples above, it all comes down to your personal preferences and the physical restraints of your bathroom. Select wisely, as the choice will be with you for decades!
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Bio: Patrick Adams is a freelance writer and rock-blues fan. When he is not writing about home improvement, he loves to play chess, watch basketball, and play his guitar. More than anything, he loves to spend his time in his garage, repairing appliances and creating stuff from wood.
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Image sources:
https://unsplash.com/photos/g51F6-WYzyU
https://unsplash.com/photos/6TY_WrJTwSI
https://www.pexels.com/photo/architectural-photography-of-toilet-1571462/
