In the last few decades we have completely embraced the shower here in the UK, with the percentage of homes with a shower increasing from 20% in the early 1970s to 85% or more today.
Showers don’t take up as much room as a bath and save water too, but installing a shower doesn’t have to mean a small shower tray stuck in the corner of the bathroom.
For a really luxurious and contemporary look, think about installing a walk in shower in your bathroom.
How is a walk-in shower different from a normal shower?
For a start, a walk-in shower is much bigger than a standard shower, and is usually twice as big.
The shower tray is rectangular rather than square.
Some of the more expensive models may have a variety of different shower heads and nozzles to use.
Large walk-in showers often have glass doors, and some designs do away with the shower tray altogether.
This can make your bathroom look larger and more streamlined.
As the shower enclosure and tray is bigger, they can be more expensive than normal showers, although the price for the actual shower unit remains the same.
Benefits of walk-in showers
If your bathroom is large enough to accommodate one, a walk-in shower will instantly update it and give it a more luxurious feel.
There are also some practical considerations though.
Many elderly people and those with mobility issues find using a standard shower cubicle difficult as there is just not enough room to move around.
A walk-in shower is so much larger, and there is even space for a shower seat if required.
It is also possible to design a walk-in shower without a shower tray at all, and this means no trip hazard either.
Finally, a luxury walk-in shower will add to the value of your home when you come to sell it.
Shopping for walk-in showers
If you are sourcing your shower yourself rather than asking your plumber to supply it, then the most important thing to do is to measure the space you have available.
These units can be large, so make sure that the one you are looking at is going to fit in your bathroom.
If you have to start moving the toilet or sink to fit it in, this is going to bump up the price considerably.
Most large DIY stores and bathroom specialist firms sell a wide range of showers for you to choose from.
Costs for installing walk-in showers
Walk-in showers are more expensive to install than other types of shower, just because they are larger and putting one in often means more tiling or plastering work as well as the plumbing.
A rough estimate for installing a walk-in shower is around £400, but the price will be dependent on the layout of your bathroom and a number of other factors.
It’s therefore very important that you effectively compare quotes when installing a walk in shower in your bathroom by approaching at least three local firms for written quotes to make sure you are getting great value for money.
