bookladycarrie, I have the same question you had. My shower area is about 4.5 feet by 4.5 feet and I am planning a tile surround with only one shower head. I am wanting to do this remodel without a door or curtain but I am worried about the space being to small for water splatter. I don't mind some splatter as long as I do not have to clean a glass door. Does anybody have any experience or advice?

After staying in a hotel last week with a walk in shower approximately 36" deep with a shower curtain, I strongly advise against a shower curtain. Assuming your bathroom will have an exhaust fan to help ventilate the moisture from the shower, you have to expect the shower curtain to be impacted by the moving air. The warm shower air is drawn up over the curtain into the fan. And of course more air needs to be drawn into the shower, so how does it get in there? That's right, it blows the curtain into the shower allowing the air to go under the curtain. Trying to shave my legs with a wet shower curtain sticking to my legs and arms and behind is very unpleasant. When I redo my master shower I will definitely be going with a glass door and/or fixed panel.

I have the exact same set-up you are describing. I also have super hard water and know that a pretty glass shower door isn't going to stay pretty for long at all. I love the look of the frameless doors, but I also know that my OCD self will be spending hours making sure that door stays spotless. I don't have that kind of time. I went with a curtain. 2 thoughts for you. 1. My exhaust fan is powerful, and yes, it was sucking the curtain actually into the shower. So I didn't have a problem with water dripping out, but how much fun is it to take a shower with a clammy curtain stuck to your legs? I found that a heavy- weighted liner, and also using an outer curtain, solved this problem though. 2. If you are talking about doing the same sized shower as what your bathtub used to be, just know that finding right-sized shower curtains was a royal PITA (at least for me). As someone mentioned, most curtains are 71 or 72 inches long. I needed something that was 74 or 75. You can find stand-up sized stall curtains that are that length, but they're not wide enough. You can also buy curtains that are something like 84 inches long...but that was way too long in my application, so there was some tailoring needed. In the end....I almost wish I'd kept the bathtub. Ha-ha. This post was edited by patriceny on Thu, Apr 18, 13 at 12:05

@Nancy in Mich, thanks for the details. I just found your bathroom reveal post too. I'm glad you're happy with the outcome. I have been reading about the pros and cons of cultured marble; I had checked out swanstone (not available near me - Canada); I'm only seeing solid stone panels showing up on box store sites but will keep looking. The contractor, who does accessible bathrooms tends to use cultured marble from a particular local manufacturer and say it's great. According to that company's website, "It is possible to repair scratches, chips, and minor blemishes. A repair person can re-buff the surface or patch with a special mixed gel-coat compound." They also say " Cultured marble is easy to care for and keep clean. Simply squeegee after each shower to quickly remove water drops from walls and to clean, you can use most non-abrasive cleaners. If hard water deposits accumulate, they can be dissolved with vinegar applied from a spray bottle. Cultured marble that has lost its shine can be restored by using Gel-Gloss or Counter Top Magic once a year. " Of course they'll say their product is awesome, right? ;) I do recall from years ago my parents had a bathroom vanity with cultured marble all in one countertop and sink bought from a box hardware. It didn't last forever and eventually had to be replaced. Hopefully quality is different now. Also, it might be easier on a wall than a basin that is collecting all kinds of liquids and such. Right now the bathroom is too narrow for dad to go in with his walker; thankfully there's a long vanity counter he holds onto, and when going in the tub, there are grab bars and mom is there to guide him. We'll likely go 0-threshold to allow him turning space with his walker. He also has low vision and one eye has no sight so balance is a concern. Thank God he has never fallen in the bathroom. The reno plan will unfortunately mean a small vanity and essentially no storage. I'm going to start a thread to get some ideas because no one who has come out has any ideas. The main reason is that widening to door will take up their linen closet and most of where the current vanity is. I do wonder about the comfort of a tile floor - seems it would be chilly and hard on the soles of one's feet so you'd need slippers all the time. Dad already wears them but not mom. That will be an adjustment. It'll take some more work trying to find something with sufficient texture and slip resistance while being comfortable for standing on. Did you buy your new shower curtain online? It's hard to find heavy weighted ones in the local stores anymore.