What started out as a repair job has turned into a shower remodel. We are not ready to gut the entire bathroom so we want to start with just the shower (which also requires moving a toilet). I've read other posts in hopes of answering some of my questions, but since every shower is different, I thought I could get some specific advice for our situation.

I have attached our bathroom layout. The existing shower is in the same spot as shown. It is currently 48" deep (east to west) but only 32" wide (north to south). We want to make it 48" or longer in the north to south direction. The drawing shows 48", but we can go longer, if recommended.

Our plan is to make the walls labeled W1 and W2 half walls with tile on the bottom and glass on top. We would like doorless and are also contemplating curbless.

Here are some initial questions:

1 - Will this layout be asthetically pleasing or should it be modified?

2 - Will this layout work without a door? The entry to the shower is labeled "A".

3 - We would like the option of adding a frameless door in the future if we aren't happy with doorless. What size should the opening "A" be to accommodate the smallest standard size (eg inexpensive) frameless door?

4 - How high should half-walls W1 and W2 be? How high should glass on top of these half-walls be?

5 - How far should the center of the toilet be from the wall labeled W1? As drawn, the distance is 18".

6 - What is a comfortable distance from the showerhead to the southern wall? As drawn, the distance is 18".

6 - Will a curbless shower cost significantly more than a curb shower? From what I've read, it seems like a curbless shower requires the subfloor to be lowered and also requires a channel drain ($450 for a channel drain!?!?).

7 - For a curbless shower, would the floor need to be sloped more than if we had a curb? If so, would this slope be too steep or feel awkward?

Thanks in advance for all the advice -- I'm sure I'll have more questions soon.