Hello all,
I am getting ready to rebuild my master bath shower, and I am making it 59″ wide to accomodate the shower doors I bought, and I am wondering what is good depth? I am thinking of making the depth 36″ to the shower door centerline. Is this considered a good depth or should I try to make it deeper? I don’t want to go too deep because of reducing walkway space from the whirlpool tub across the shower, but I don’t want to wish I just made it a couple inches deeper once all done.
Also, when shower sizes are measured, is it usually to the shower door centerline or is it to the inside of the curb?
Thanks much,
Anthony
Replies
36" is a nice depth.
My shower is 36 x 48. When I'm somewhere else, and have to shower in a tub, or smaller shower, I feel cramped anymore. That extra 4-6" of width over a tub makes a huge difference.
Yeah, 36x48 is what ours is, and it's a good size.
If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
It all depends on how many people will be partying in there.
Yours would be too big for my tastes.
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
98941.1
DW and I DID make ours big enough for the dog - where else ya' gonna wash a Golden in the winter?
42 x 66", two shower heads and controls, plus a third telephone set (low) for the dog - and now for the kids.
Forrest
Was it a stretch to come up with the $50k?http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=98941.1
Rented out the kids for medical experiments.
Forrest
I was thinking it woulda' cost you a kidney or something. We didn't think, we should have rented ours out instead of selling them! We coulda' made more in the long term. Impressed with how you planned ahead!
So was this one about you and dw?
http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&msg=98941.1jt8
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it." --Upton Sinclair
Actually, it was DW who caused the trouble, finding me in the shower with a 25-yr old woman. Dog had nothing to do with it.
Forrest - gettin' old
WHAT?! You, DW and a 25yo woman taking showers together?! Dang, you are offically now my hero.
jt8
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it." --Upton Sinclair
Well, let's see .... my shower is just under 36x36", and I find it a bit cramped. That my entry path is also obstructed doesn't help.
Oh, I have room to shower. Yet, a careless turn will result in my bumping into the wall, or knocking the shampoo off the shelf .... and I'm lacking that space I want, when I want to step out of the spray for a moment. Or, I wish there were room for a small bench, to set my foot upon.
For me, the perfect shower would probably be about the size of a shipping pallet - 40x48". (I've used 60" long showers, and they felt 'too' long, with lots of dead space). You would enter on the 'long' side, the spray would be at one end, and a bench at the other. Shelves would be set into the wall - no projections into the shower - at about the 5 ft. level. Entry would be curbless. Finally, there would be a heat lamp that shone on the floor, just outside the shower, or (better yet) a radiant slab.
You say entry would be curbless. Can you have a curbless entry in a shower only 4 feet long? Don't you need to have a minimum drop to the drain of at least an inch oer something and if the slope is only 1/4 inch per foot you can't get there from here.
??
Sorry for the delay in responding ... I'm on vacation, and the computer is shared.
I have used curbless showers that were quite small. I think the term 'curbless' is a little bit misleading.
As I see it, in a 'curbless' shower, the entire floor of the room is the 'pan.' The entire floor slopes toward the shower .... or, at least, the entire floor as far as any shower spray will ever go. This - to my eye- is an area extending about 5 ft. from the shower head, in all directions. Nor need the slope be much; many I have seen have no noticeable slope (unless you put a straightedge across it).
This is but a variation of the floors in packinghouses, etc ... where the entire floor needs to be washed down regularly, yet still needs to be reasonably flat for the movement of pallets, carts, etc.
Testing
Testing
Well, I honeymooned on a small island with small bugalows and small showers, probably not much over 24 x 24 certainly not 30 x 30. It was very cozy in there, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I'm SAY'N. So if you are ten years in to most marriages 60 x 36 will be fine.
House we just sold had a shower that I put in that was 36x60, and we loved the size. Controls and shower heads on each side.
abutcher,
60x60, makes putting tile in pretty easy plus if you buy one of those oversized rain shower heads the water can still remain off the tiles..
* note if you do use one of those oversized rain shower heads add a second shower on the side to allow a heavy spray pattern. Set the head at her shoulder level and that way they can take a shower without getting their hair wet..
Rather than setting a single shower head on the wall, use a hand held that mounts to a sliding bar. You can get bars of various lengths, 24", 36" maybe even 48". We put in a 36". This lets you set it low if you don't want to get the hair wet, or set it at shoulder height if you want a shower message, or take it off and use it hand held on the dog.One of the best shower decisions I made.
Bryan Sayer,
I have one of those hand helds on my bathtub. Using it is the reason I didn't put it in my shower.. but you know, the world is filled with differant people and we all like differant things..
Me, like Opera and clasical music.. you might like pop or country etc.. Sure doesn't make me right and you wrong.. (except from my perspective <grin>)
Well a bathtub and a shower are two very different things! And note that a specifically said the type that slides up and down on a bar. This lets it be all things to all people.And you're right - I hate opera!
4 1/2' inside with two sliding bars. Shelves for the leg things, and hair things... along with a little ivey... any smaller and we'd be singing opera<G> Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,
Winterlude by the telephone wire,
Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,
Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.
The moonlight reflects from the window
Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.
Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,
Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.
Thanks everyone for you input! I'm gonna go with the 36x 60 then, and a corner seat/shelf. I have the delta shower with the 2 built in jets located where the handle is to install, and I'll put in a diverter valve for a standard shower head, a hand shower and a rain shower head.
Anthony
36 x 42 works pretty well, if the length of space is limited.
Here is what is going into every shower I build from now on. A "toe tester."
About 6 inches off the floor on the showerhead wall, it is a junior version of the spout that is in a bathtub, with a pullstem top that shuts it off and routs the water mix to the showerhead (or heads).
When you reach inside and turn on the water and set the mix, your discharge is coming from the down-low spout. You can get in right away, without having water from the showerhead flowing. Use your toe to test for mix warmth, and only pull the button when she's warm.
The discharge from the toe tester is also used at dog bath time.
"Toe tester" is a nice feature - I put them in now cuz, he!! the tub/shower sets clients seem to pick come with 'em, and they're easy to fill buckets with.
Forrest
If you have the room i'd go 48" deep. The one thing I hate about me current house is constantly banging into the shower curtain. I'd prefer a little room in there.
This would allow you to comfortably put in a corner seat and still have comfortable room.
Friends, just a lite note here ....
I really hate having to wear a sweater when I shower. With some of the palatial showers described here so far, there is no way that the shower spray will warm up the enclosure. The result will be drafty showers and cold floors. That's another reason I consider 60" too big - in any direction. 48x50' would be the max I'd want to go.
Absolutely! Can't agree with you more. In our case, given that we keep upstairs 54-58º, the shampoo turns to jelly, and you have to constantly rock back and forth to alternate shoulders under the spray. Having both or three heads spraying helps.
It's also worse 'cuz we have a 'walk-in" shower with no door or curtain.
We do light a fire, though.
Forrest
Absolutely! Can't agree with you more. In our case, given that we keep upstairs 54-58º, the shampoo turns to jelly, and you have to constantly rock back and forth to alternate shoulders under the spray. Having both or three heads spraying helps.
Not to interfere with your fire making, but if the BA isn't too cavernous, you could get one of those electric oil-filled radiator heaters and put it on a timer. That is my $30 fix for a cold bathroom. I've got it set to come on an hour or so prior to the first visitor, so it is usually in the low-to-mid 70's while the rest of the house is 65ish that time in the morning.jt8
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it." --Upton Sinclair
Forrest,
How does it work out with the "doorless" shower. I am planning out the design of a new shower and my wife likes the idea of leaving out the door or curtain. it is a 48x48" pan and the shower head will spray diagonally across the shower from one corner to the other (mostly across the doorway to the back right corner.) The pan is sunk into the floor so it will be curbless.I am sure there will be a noticeable amount of water ricocheting off my body onto the bathroom floor but I cant imagine it will be any worse to clean up than it is to squeegee the glass door dry in the previous shower we built.If anyone sees any problems with this concept I would love to hear them while the shower is still in the conceptual stage.Thanks
Karl
I like the idea too but I also like a cozy warm shower. That's why I was suggesting a smaller shower as other have mentioned. I really like the idea of no glass door to keep clean though! Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Blue,
a small shower does not ensure a warm shower. Not unless you are willing to waste a lot of hot water to warm it up..
In floor radiant heat seems to be the best solution I've found for the cold shower syndrome spoken about. The floor and walls are at 70 degrees. Comfortable to start with. Then with the added heat from the shower head it's a pleasant experiance..
Forced air home's showers have always been cold unless you waste a lot of water
I have never had the pleasure of living in a house heated by radiant heat. I'm sure your observations are correct.And yes, I do waste a lot of hot water to shower but it's really not a waste. It all gets recycled. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Two things - I think modern low-flow shower heads have a small "droplet size" with little inertia, that doesn't bounce far. Also, I usually mount the shower head 6-8" higher than normal to get a more vertical spray.
(Also, eat lots of junk food for more sub-cutaneous fat, and a more "cushion-y" surface to keep the water from bouncing.)
Go for it - any splatter is easy to clean up, kicking the bath mat around.
Forrest
On another forum someone had a problem with a cold shower, mainly the tile.I suggested that they look at cove heaters, but I had no idea if they where approved for use around a shower.He reported that he found onces that where..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
We have a big walk-in shower, with no door and two shower heads. Picture a 4x6 box against the middle of a wall, with all corners clipped at 45 degrees. One end has a 24" doorway and the two corners against the inside wall have the shower heads, so the water is aimed toward the middle. The two other walls are about 48" high. Very little splash gets out.
We have a big walk-in shower, with no door and two shower heads. Picture a 4x6 box against the middle of a wall, with all corners clipped at 45 degrees. One end has a 24" doorway and the two corners against the inside wall have the shower heads, so the water is aimed toward the middle. The two other walls are about 48" high. Very little splash gets out.
I found a photo:
View Image
Looks like fun! Nice work SMslaw! Is there a heat source or is there radiant heat as frenchy suggested? Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Is there a heat source or is there radiant heat as frenchy suggested?
Only body heat, which is usually sufficient :-)
Whose head's that peeking above the wall over on the left?
Cleaning woman?
Forrest
Glad I'm not the only one who saw that and wondered...
A man, convinced against his will... Is of his own opinion, still. ~Anne McCaffrey
I'm trying to learn to be as observant as Sphere - lofty goal, I know.
Forrest
Whose head's that peeking above the wall over on the left?
I'm afraid it's just the top of the shower control. We put them both just inside the door opening (not visible, but on the left side) so we can reach in to turn either or both shower on without getting wet.
reach in to turn either or both shower on without getting wet.
isn't it the point of shower to get wet???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
reach in to turn either or both shower on without getting wet.
isn't it the point of shower to get wet???
Sometimes.
renostienke,
How cold do you keep your house? I have in floor radiant heat that keep the floors a nice toasty 70 degrees if the floors in the shower are 70 degrees the marble walls are similar and if I'm using the rain shower the temp from that is 110 degrees. I do add a little cooler water if I use the body shower because 110 is too warm but my shower isn't drafty or cold.
I did use to have one of those smaller sized showers and you always seem to be bumping up against a cold wall or wet curtain etc. with them so I do understand the cold shower syndrome. I suspect cold showers in forced air homes would be the norm. No matter what the size..
Actually not a bad question / issue. My thermostat, depending upon the time of day, is set at either 72 or 68 degrees. The thermostat is mounted 60" off the floor. Heat is provided by a wall furnace in the same room, with a fan to assist in air circulation.
Within 6 ft of the thermostat, set at knee level, and with the bottom mounted 6" off the floor, is my indoor pond. This unheated pond remains steady at 65 degrees.
The floor is slab on grade. Floor covering in the bath is a layer of vinyl tile. There is a bath rug.
The bath is set in a corner of the house, and the shower has two outside walls. Walls are 2x4 with old fiberglass insulation. Bath tends to be cold; there is an electric radiant 'toaster' heater mounted in the wall, controlled by a switch. No fan. So .... without taking actual measurements, I expect the floor temp is near 58 degrees. Believe it or not, I have lived in other places. The smallest shower was ... well, and this is no exaggeration ... the shower was located in a bathroom whose entire measure was something like 4'x5'. There were no partitions to the shower, no curtain ... taking a shower also washed down the toilet and the sink - they were within the spray of the shower. Oh, and the water heater was in there too! The largest measured something like 20x50 FEET, and was completely without heat, lighting (there were windows up high), or insulation, with a cement floor. There were no duckboards. Winter temps were usually near 40 degrees. One place had hot water radiant heat in the floor. Wonderful stuff, that! Another place had the heat lamp as I described - set to warm the floor just outside of the tub/shower .... and that was almost as good. Now, for some more actual measurements. A hot tub starts feeling too hot (to me) at about 103. Shower water that I like, measured as it comes out the head, is quite a bit warmer - probably close to 115. Naturally, it's not that hot after it mixes with the air on it's way to you, and you have plenty of cooler air to cool you down. A typical 8 minute shower manages to raise my bathroom temp from 65 to 85/90 degrees. My bath - including shower - measures maybe 5x6'. Maybe. Opening the door to exit - boy, that 72 degree air feels cold! I think that now you can better understand what inspires my opinions on this subject ....
renostienke
Forced air blows air around causing chills and drafts. The coldest part is at the floor the warmest is at the ceiling..
In floor radiant heat the floor is the warmest part but since warm air rises it tends to provide even tempurature all over.
When I set the temp for a shower I set it so that it doesn't need any cold water added to provide me with the perfect shower temp.. Full hot is as warm as I can stand.. The water from one of those giant oversized rain shower heads will chill down slightly as it mixes with air and falls very softly like real rain. That's why the side shower has to have some cold water added.
So I suppose that you aren't a fan of folk singing either than?
3.5X6 is a great size. Plenty of room for 2 with room to spare. Don't forget the teak bench or corner seat for a place to put a foot on for her while shaving. A mirror for you also helps if you shave in the shower. Heads and body sprays on 2 walls keeps everyone wet and warm. All have volume controls so that you can run it like you want.
Don't forget the balance loops in multi head applications or it won't work properly. 3/4 lines and valves if you have the available supply.
A door that opens either way is helpful if you can fit it. When dry it opens out in order to turn on the water prior to entry. When it's wet it opens in to keep the water off the floor and rug.
Grohe had a great web site with a section of designing a custom shower. I've done several using it and the end result is dead on.
In hindsight I wish I heard of curbless showers. Maybe my next house. For most of us we start the day in the shower. Why start your day on a compromise?
I've built a number of custom showers and I think my favorite size is 4' X6' O/S dimension with the door to one side of the long side and the head in the enclosed area....no shower door needed.
I've also installed electric heat mat in the showers and on tiled benches....works great, but you have to install a 24V transformer for the mat supply to meet code.
I do a lot of vacation home stuff with logs and stone and timber. I like to set a few nice river stones in strategic places for foot rests and toe washing. Customers love it!
The other issue on a larger shower is to mount the controls just inside the doorway so you don't have to get doused with cold water....an alternative to Gene's method.
Just make sure you put some hand holds in. Women like to have something to hold onto. At least that has been my experiance. ;-)
Just Get a couple of women and have them give you a hug and have your wife mark out on the floor where all your feet are and add another 10 ins to the marks on floor and measure it front to back and left to right and thats the size you want , then tell your wife to always have cute friends so the shower will work right and thats it. I thought these things were obvious to carpenters.
But remember if you want a little more room get another friend to help. You will be very happy you took the time to plan it all out before just jumping in alone to tackle the job.
Carpentry and remodeling
Vic Vardamis
Bangor Me
The perfect size for a shower is one that will fit two comfortably.
Don't laugh. Think about it.
Dave
considering Jack and Jill bathroom...
Is what got me on this site. But the entertainment keeps me here. Thanx for the chuckles. Will seek help later. I must be the only one not interested in showering with a "friend".