Walk-in showers replace unneeded bathtubs

frameless glass door to update the bathroom in a 1950s-era Glendale home. The original gray tiles also were updated with a mix of porcelain, iridescent, handmade, glass tiles, and granite accents that match the countertop." title="An old, pink tub was replaced by a sleek, walk-in shower with a frameless glass door to update the bathroom in a 1950s-era Glendale home. The original gray tiles also were updated with a mix of porcelain, iridescent, handmade, glass tiles, and granite accents that match the countertop." style="border: 0px;" />

Photos courtesy of Blue Hot Design

An old, pink tub was replaced by a sleek, walk-in shower with a frameless glass door to update the bathroom in a 1950s-era Glendale home. The original gray tiles also were updated with a mix of porcelain, iridescent, handmade, glass tiles, and granite accents that match the countertop.

Walk-in showers replace unneeded bathtubs

By Maryann Bouche

Posted: Oct. 4, 2009

Walk-in showers are cleaning up when it comes to bathroom remodels, while tubs are losing their luster in the eyes of some homeowners.

“Walk-in showers that don’t have a door are getting more and more popular. People see them in resorts,” said Julie Herriges of Urban Herriges & Sons in Mukwonago. Herriges is a Milwaukee/NARI-certified kitchen and bath remodeler.

“With the beautiful tile work, these showers become a showpiece,” she said.

Carol and Mike Gay of Waukesha asked Herriges to include a barrier-free shower with dual showerheads, a seat and no door when designing their home’s master bathroom addition.

“We’ve stayed at a bed-and-breakfast that had a walk-in shower and my sister in California has them,” Carol Gay said. “I love using walk-in showers because they are so roomy.”

The Gays chose neutral shades of tile, mainly tumbled travertine, for the shower walls, floor and ceiling. A 24-inch flower medallion, created from different shapes of tile, decoratively accents the shower floor.

A multifunction showerhead was installed on a slide bar near the custom-built corner seat, with a second showerhead on another wall.

“Without a shower door, the placement of the showerheads and the design of the shower itself were very important to ensure that the water would stay inside the shower,” Herriges said.

In addition to determining if there is enough space, Herriges said that hot water-supply and water pressure are considerations when determining if a current bathroom can be remodeled to include a doorless walk-in shower.

She said clients have decided to eliminate the only bathtub in their home. “They replaced the tub so they could have a shower with a seat and a handheld showerhead,” Herriges said. “This design has advantages for some people, especially elderly people.”

Clean and polished

Donna Spakowicz of DG Remodeling in Pewaukee also noted the switch to showers. “Especially in the master bath where there originally was a big, whirlpool tub and a small shower, people remove the tub so there’s room for a large, walk-in shower,” she said. “People find they’re not using the whirlpool that much.”

New technology for showers plays a role in the conversion too. Updated showerheads and body sprays offer a spa-like hydrotherapy experience. Also, showering systems with control panels can be programmed per individual for preferred water temperature and type of spray.

Adding body sprays to the shower is “a little luxury” people often will include when updating the bath, said Marianne Kohlmann of Blue Hot Design in Glendale, a Milwaukee/NARI member. Another way to pamper is to install a heated floor in the shower.

Last winter, she worked with Wells Design to update a bathroom in a 1950s-era Glendale home to include both of these amenities.

An old, pink tub was replaced by a sleek, walk-in shower with a frameless glass door.

Walk-in showers with glass doors are an option when there isn’t room for a doorless shower. But to keep the glass shiny and clear, it does need attention. “I tell my clients to squeegee the glass after every shower so soap scum doesn’t build up,” Kohlmann said.

In the Glendale project, the glass puts the shower’s updated tile work in full view.

The original gray tiles were removed. Iridescent, handmade, glass tiles in white form narrow lines between the wider porcelain tiles, creating a striping effect on the walls. Granite tile accenting the shower also matches the countertop.

Below the new showerhead are Kohler WaterTiles with body sprays that lie flush to the wall. And the room’s limestone floor is heated, even in the shower.

Kohlmann said many clients do replace tubs with showers. “People decide they don’t need as many tubs; usually just one bathtub is enough,” she said.