Are Curbless Shower A Good Idea? (and Possible Problems)
Curbless showers are a lavish home improvement that many people can acquire within their homes. But with every luxury come a few drawbacks. Showering is something that we all have to do, but enjoying it is often the goal. Fortunately, there are great alternatives to the traditional bathing style, which enhances experience and comfort.
The advantages of a curbless shower include accessibility, value, and attractivity. Curbless showers are ideal for people with limited mobility such as the elderly and handicapped. They are also easy to maintain and clean and tend to raise a home’s market value. The disadvantages include lack of privaxy and cost to install.
Curbless showers create an aroma of comfort and style all in one. They promote a more spacious space in the bathroom while maintaining good looks through precise placement and appearance.
In this article, we will discuss what curbless showers are, their advantages and disadvantages along with cost considerations. Afterward, we will share our final thoughts and takeaways on curbless showers as a whole.
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What Are Curbless Showers?
Curbless showers reside in a single corner or isle. The curbless showers provide a ‘curbless’ transition from the bathroom floor, to the showering platform. There is no hurdle or obstacle to reach over since the floor is entirely flush with the shower tray.
Ordinary showers have a ‘curb’ or reservoir (such as a bathtub or even a regular walk-in shower) where the water holds securely. The unit is apart from everything else. In contrast, when it comes to curbless showers, this is not the case. Water tends to overflow when they accumulate water.
Curbless showers join the comfort station as a whole since it lacks the curb – this is the central concept of a ‘curbless shower.’ This concept often promotes the enlargement of the overall surface area in the room.
Advantages Of Curbless Showers
To understand whether a curbless shower is a good idea, you’ll need to start with learning the advantages of curbless showers.
Attraction
Curbless showers provide an environment of elegance and fashion, all while enhancing the richness of comfort and convenience.
As mentioned earlier, they are especially crucial if you are trying to raise your home’s market value. Or you want to implement modifications to your living space for your family to enjoy.
Accessibility
While it is stylish, it is also convenient for the elderly or people who have mobility issues. Some individuals have problems balancing themselves when raising their extremities. This is very common in senior citizens who utilize wheelchairs, walkers, or canes.
Curbless showers allow for much more open access to the showering platform without creating safety hazards or causing accidents.
Upkeep
Curbless showers are much easier to maintain and clean. With the maneuverable space available, the surface area remains open and free of any obstructions.
This is especially useful when getting to those hard-to-reach areas in the bathroom – whether it is small crevasses or tight corners. Curbless showers also aid in cleaning because, in most cases, they do not even have a door.
Disadvantages of Curbless Showers
Just as everything has advantages, they have disadvantages too. Here are some of the disadvantages of curbless showers.
Compatibility
Not all bathrooms can accommodate this setup. However, there are a variety of different configurations to choose from when it comes to curbless showers. Curbless showers are highly plausible to execute with the right amount of preparation and investment.
An example of a compatibility risk factor with curbless showers is that those installed on a concrete slab is typically more expensive than on a base with wood joists. This prevents many homeowners to refrain from the option of curbless showers altogether.
Many factors come into play with the installation process that is not solely dependent on the curbless shower itself, but rather by the surrounding structures and their tolerances.
Privacy
A personal disadvantage would have to be the lack of privacy. Unlike traditional showers and tubs with curtains or fog-patched doors, a curbless shower remains exposed and part of the bathroom as a whole.
With that comes minimal quality time spent sharing in the pamper room with loved ones, since most people prefer privacy when utilizing a shower.
How Much Do Curbless Showers Cost?
If you’ve decided you think a curbless shower is a good idea, here some some of the cost factors surrounding curbless showers.
High Cost/Subtle Reward
Curbless showers are a significant investment if one plans to take it up. The installation costs for installing a curbless shower professionally ranges from $2,500 to $5,000. It is typically a lot more expensive than pursuing a more ordinary shower setup.
Installation & Maintenance Process
The reason for the higher price is not due to its elegance, but rather maintenance. Curbless showers require particular and precise measurements along with alignment to prevent water from spilling over, leaking, or draining incorrectly.
Examples of precise precautions upon installation that need to take place include, but are not limited to:
- Linear slopes
- Rabbit-hole sealing
- Waterproof casing
Furthermore, curbless bathrooms do not have a ‘dry’ or ‘wet’ area since the curbless shower is implemented in the bathroom as a whole with a flush base. With that said, additional waterproofing and minor modifications must be done to the entire bathroom if one chooses to convert.
This, of course, comes with extra costs, which typically range from $500-$700. Depending on how much modification there has to take place, the price may or may not exceed these values.
Risk Factors For Curbless Showers
Curbless showers involve more liability with a potential threat to property damage if installed incorrectly – this includes flooding and water damage.
Consider Your Intended Use
Are you seeking a more elegant approach to showering, which you and your entire family will find appealing? Or is it that you want to improve the attraction within your home for your guests or potential future buyers? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then it is worth looking into and giving it a try.
However, from a technical standpoint, a lot goes into constructing a curbless shower set up. If you are planning on tackling the project yourself, keep in mind that there is quite the learning curve. Getting this set up to work correctly without proper experience in home improvement requires intensive product knowledge.
Also, the additional costs involved in building a curbless shower setup professionally is something that many people can live without.
Are Curbless Showers Worth It?
The short answer is yes. If you are reading this information on curbless showers, you are either considering it or seeking a general change within your bathroom as a whole. Investing in the interest of comfort living is something that all homeowners should consider when they want to improve their home life.
The long answer involves whether or not it is something that you genuinely find necessary. Are you living with people who need assistance getting in and out of your current tub or shower?
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What Did We Learn?
After analyzing what curbless showers are, advantages, disadvantages, and cost considerations, many factors come into play. To summarize, curbless showers are indeed a luxury and a convenience. They are worth a homeowner’s while, if executing a plan to construct and maintain this set up successfully.
Curbless showers are not for everyone, but they create attraction and a sense of harmony in the bathroom. By conjoining the entire area as a whole, you can create a better and more spacious environment to rest and recharge.
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