Walk-in showers are a modern option, and Houzz author Louise O’Bryan explains their appeal. If you’re unfamiliar with this shower design, a walk-in shower is an enclosure with an open entrance – no swinging or sliding door panel. Often a walk-in shower enclosure is created by installing a single piece of fixed glass known as a shower screen. In other bathrooms, more glass panels may be used, but the entryway is always left totally open.
Space efficiency is the first walk-in shower benefit that O’Bryan highlights. If you don’t have room for swinging glass doors or are worried about how much space a shower enclosure will take up, a walk-in shower is an excellent alternative. Since you often only need a single piece of fixed glass to create a walk-in shower, this design is perfect for small bathrooms without much space for a shower. When you use frameless glass, a shower screen is practically invisible, just what you need when you’re concerned that adding a full shower enclosure will take up too much space. Also, some walk-in shower designs eliminate the shower tray – which limits shower dimension and layout options – in favor of a wet-room tile floor over a preformed shower mat.
Walk-in showers usually have either no curb or a very low curb. Paired with the open entrance, this makes them more accessible than a shower with a tub wall or significant curb. Walk-in showers are appealing for elderly family members, small children, and anyone with mobility concerns. Also, these showers can be installed in large bathrooms to create a roomy double shower. Whatever your reason for choosing a walk-in design, O’Bryan reminds us of the importance of choosing non-slip tiles or a shower tray with minimal curb.
The simplicity of a fixed shower screen is more than just a fantastic design tool. The absence of hinges and handles makes cleaning a breeze. You can enjoy the beauty of a glass shower without the hard-to-clean nooks and crannies found on bypass doors. There are almost no additional components to distract from the elegance of the clear frameless sheet of glass. Finally, if you go with a wet-room style shower, it’s easy to mop the shower floor right along with the rest of the bathroom floor as part of your cleaning routine.
A walk-in shower looks stylish and upscale. You’ll enjoy this bathroom upgrade, but it can also make your bathroom – and therefore, home – more inviting to prospective homebuyers if you decide to put it on the market. This can even be a budget-friendly way to add luxury since a walk-in shower often requires only one piece of stationary glass. To keep the overall price down, opt for a separate shower tray instead of tile above a preformed shower mat.
Since a walk-in shower has no hinges or vinyl seals, you don’t have to worry about parts needing to be replaced with time and use. With proper care, a frameless shower screen will continue to impress and serve its practical purpose as the years go by. The simplicity of the design means fewer elements that can be damaged or broken.
If you’d like to explore walk-in shower options for your bathroom, give ABC Glass & Mirror a call at (703)257-7150. We will set you up with a free in-home consultation so you can peruse walk-in shower and other glass enclosure options in the comfort of your house. Working with ABC you can tailor the enclosure to your bathroom, your practical needs, and your design vision.
