6 shower room design mistakes that experts see too often |
A shower space can – and should really – be a sanctuary. But that won’t be the circumstance if yoga moves are required to maneuver into your enclosure, you dwell in worry of slipping on a moist floor, or you stand below your ‘rain shower’, only to be met with a pathetic dribble of drinking water. Regrettably, it truly is all too straightforward to make shower place style problems that direct to the earlier mentioned if you will not heed the guidance of toilet designers and gurus.
So when you are putting those people shower home concepts on paper, it is really prudent to think further than the statement tiles and extravagant brass fittings. A fantastic lavatory format could be the variation concerning shower space good results and failure, whilst not using into account your water tension, or skimping on quality, could also land you in design and style very hot h2o, as our gurus explain…
1. Shower doorway positioning
(Image credit: Upcoming/Dan Duchars)
Ever wrestled to get previous the cubicle doorway into your shower? You are not alone. ‘Shower cubicle configuration is an location that requirements thorough consideration when you are coming up with a rest room. The positioning and opening of the shower doorway can have a big influence on the general toilet area,’ states Paul Bailey, product management chief at rest room maker Grohe (opens in new tab). ‘It’s ideal to guarantee the shower doorway can open freely with out impacting other vital areas of the home this sort of as the self-importance or toilet spot.’
In the US, the Intercontinental Household Making code (opens in new tab) states that any hinged shower doorway need to open up outward into the lavatory, with unobstructed clearance of at minimum 22 inches in width. In other text, the door opening ought to be at least 22 inches large with very little in its way. This is so, ought to everyone slip or slide in the shower, it remains easy to obtain them whilst within the cubicle.
You will, nonetheless, be equipped to choose for a sliding doorway, and can specify regardless of whether the doorway opens on the remaining or correct-hand aspect.
2. Weak flooring choices
(Picture credit rating: Stone & Ceramic Warehouse)
Deciding on the erroneous materials for your bathroom surfaces can be a pricey mistake,’ warns Jo Oliver-Singh, director at The Stone & Ceramic Warehouse (opens in new tab). ‘The one most essential point to consider when picking out a bathroom tile is ‘is the tile healthy for function?’
‘Tiles have various finishes and unique amounts of anti-slip which will all impact their suitability. When looking at tiles for a bathroom floor, we would advise 1 with a a little bit textured surface, and if it is a shower enclosure or wet area even more texture again. This will ensure that they are anti-slip and harmless.’
‘A hugely polished porcelain tile would be unsuitable for a bathroom floor, as they are really slippery when soaked,’ suggests Jo. But that’s not to say you ought to rule out porcelain altogether. ‘Many of our porcelain slabs occur in diverse finishes, this means you could have a polished marble impact tile on bathroom walls and a a lot more textured marble effect tile on the floor, for an anti-slip flooring solution.’
In simple fact, porcelain is a good non-slip lavatory flooring choice if you get the stage of texture ideal. ‘Good top quality porcelain tiles are ideal for use in wet rooms and stroll-in showers,’ claims Jo. ‘Firstly, they are impervious to h2o, earning them an ideal alternative for day to day use. They also will not be ruined by detergents or any of the other substances we commonly expose our shower surfaces to.’
3. Badly positioned shower heads
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Even with the simplest of shower place setups, the position of the shower head can demonstrate problematic. Put at the completely wrong top or angle, it can destroy your shower expertise, not to point out danger soaking parts of the room you have no intention of acquiring soaked.
When positioning an angled showerhead, it can be finest to aim the spray so that it hits either a tiled wall or a preset panel of a shower cubicle. By no means intention it towards the shower door, or you might be most likely to practical experience leaks. This is primarily important if you choose a ‘tower’ model shower with multiple overall body jets.
‘If opting for an uncovered shower design, it is important to don’t forget that the shower hose and rail will restrict the positioning of the shower head, with the top requirements remaining essential,’ claims Paul Bailey, chief of item administration at Grohe. ‘Be guaranteed to verify that the shower head place will let loads of space for all family members associates to shower easily and get pleasure from a full entire body shower spray.’
If you are wanting for a shower that is a fantastic match for a family lavatory, we would advocate a twin-head design that gives a rain shower overhead, then a separate hand shower on a vertical bar that can be altered bigger or decreased for your children.
4. The high quality of fittings
(Impression credit score: Dan Duchars)
‘Showers, like all bathroom fittings, must be as higher quality as you can pay for,’ Emma Joyce, Manufacturer Supervisor at House of Rohl. ‘Cheaper units can create defective valves, plastic handles can turn into brittle and snap off, and shower heads may well corrode or fur up.’
When it arrives to the place to invest in a new rest room, the shower valve is a critical element and value an financial investment. A very good one particular ‘should supply regular h2o temperature and tension and be simply and exactly adjusted,’ according to Emma Joyce. ‘Riobel’s Riowise valves, for case in point, stabilize drinking water stress for continual temperature general performance even in the function of a 50{ec3984a59f336e74413ebe8cd0979a3fa414de3884cb1e2a06779d998b58dc95} fall in force.’
‘Every Riobel shower valve has a single control for movement and temperature, so there is no will need to plumb in a different shut-off or diverter valve, and the layout is stored modern and uncomplicated.’
‘It can be significant to talk to the queries to the retailer on which shower is most reputable when building a new invest in. It is also worth thinking about which manufacturers supply a lifetime guarantee like Riobel does, as it proves they have confidence in the high quality of their merchandise.’
5. Not contemplating your water tension
(Image credit: Leanne Ford Interiors / The Albion Bathtub Co)
Far too many periods, we have heard tales of dissatisfied homeowners who have signed up for a drenching rainshower, only to have it set up and be met with, nicely, drizzle.
‘Water pressure can critically prohibit the water circulation to your shower so that you stop up possessing an inefficient and unsatisfying working experience,’ warns James Lentaigne, creative director at Drummonds, who suggests that just before you even start off selecting a shower, you ‘check your home’s circulation force – a builder or plumber can assist you with this. Then inquire your lavatory professional which shower will conduct best. Fitting a pump will support the water move if your stress is not adequate.’
‘Water programs tumble into 3 major groups Gravity – which normally suffers from minimal pressure, Blend boiler – often superior strain but can deficiency water circulation, or a pressurized process with a storage tank,’ adds Phil Etherden, running director at The Albion Bath Organization. ‘This final alternative can mix good circulation and pressure and is the most well-liked program for superior showering. Locate out what you have and select a shower method to accommodate.’
‘The straightforward rule-of-thumb is lessen pressures require a scaled-down shower head. Go far too big for your pressure and you are going to get a disappointing dribble from the center of the head.’
6. Inadequate waterproofing
(Picture credit score: Upcoming/Colin Poole)
If you are taking into consideration an open up-system, stroll-in shower design – in other phrases, a shower devoid of an enclosed cubicle – it’s critical that the place is waterproofed, or ‘tanked’. This will involve covering both equally the partitions and floors in a water-resistant membrane just before you deal with them in your chosen tiles or composite surfacing.
If you fail to water-proof the space, not only will you observe staining on surfaces, you are very likely to bring about prolonged-phrase structural destruction to the material of the constructing?
Specialists CCL Wetrooms (opens in new tab) endorses that ‘floors need to be waterproofed to at the very least one particular meter past the shower space in all instructions to make sure that h2o spray is fully contained. Splash from a typical shower head can get to up to 1200mm from the middle of the showerhead and an open up system wetroom without having a glass display screen or 50 {ec3984a59f336e74413ebe8cd0979a3fa414de3884cb1e2a06779d998b58dc95}-height wall will do very little to contain the h2o.’
It also advises that ‘walls should be waterproofed using FWM (adaptable wall membrane) to a minimal height of 2200mm on all wall surfaces within just the shower area.’
