A shower is the preferred option for bathing in Europe and the Americas. It may be possible to not have a bath in a house, but not having a shower is not normal. Here is a brief look at look at the different surfaces available for shower linings.
There is a wide range of off the shelf models of shower systems available at your local plumbing merchant. These all mostly come with an acrylic cladding and a base. They feel plastic as that is pretty much what they are made of. The colour ranges of these shower systems is not wide and tend to be white or a shade of white. Some come with built in shelves but these protrude into the shower space reducing the bathing area.
Off the Shelf is an Easy Option
The big advantage of these is the ease of installation. These products are waterproof, have installation instructions, generally have warranties, and are easier to get building permits for, as the specification sheets are readily available.
Talk to your plumbing merchant about what requirements are needed for installation. Some products will be sold to a home handy man but the fine print may say all warrantees are void if not installed by an approved installer.
The disadvantages of these products are the restrictions in shape, size, and the colours available.
Custom Showers
If the shower space is not a normal square shape, or more color is desired, consider a custom shower space. With this option it is important to get the water proofing right. Talk to the tiler, plumber and local authority for advice on what is best water proofing system, and what is approved.
A custom shower allows for a non traditional shape to be used as the shower. Existing curves or strange corners and alcoves can be turned into useful bathing spaces. A custom space allows for ledges and alcoves to be added also. Once constructed there is now a choice of shower wall claddings.
Custom Cladding
There is nothing more classic than tiles. Combining these with glass doors is a beautiful modern look that still has a traditional feel. Get a good tiler, and then spend some time with them to get the layout correct. Embossed patterned tiles and grout lines need to be sealed, so allow another day to the project to get this completed before the shower is used.
- Glass is a modern slick option. As it is a wet area it will need to be safety. Try to keep the shower space simple as ledges and alcoves are tricky to install and very expensive. Remember holes need to be cut to allow for shower heads and taps and these will need to be made before the glass is safety treated. Today’s technology allows for the glass to have a painted back so you can have any color you want. This has been taken a step further with the ability now to have photographs and images printed directly onto the glass. Why settle for a flat blue colour when it is possible to have a panoramic view of the ocean? Make sure the glass is protective coated, and have a regular cleaning program to keep soap scum damage to a minimum.
- Corian. This is more common on kitchen benchtops than in the bathroom but makes for a wonderful bathing experience. The soft, warm feel of corian is lovely and sensual. It can be moulded and sculpted into any shape, and comes in a wide range of colours. Not a product for a budget bather, but the result is fantastic.
- Wet wall board. Wall board products like seratone are an inexpensive option and again come in a range of colours including metallic’s. Not the best looking but effective and a low cost option to get some colour into the shower.
The shower over the bath
Everybody has used one before and it is doubtful anyone enjoyed the experience. This has been the solution of choice to get a bath and shower in the same room when space is limited. Wall linings here can be anything already described but tend to be more of the wet wall product as the whole reason for the shower over the bath is to reduce costs.
Remember the key issues when selecting any cladding or fitting is their suitability. It may be the waterproofing, permits, style or functionality but every aspect needs to be considered and in conjunction with the entire project.
Debra DeLorenzo - Debra DeLorenzo is a fully qualified bathroom and kitchen designer (CKD/CBDNZ) and has been in the design industry since 1996. She has won ...
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