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Building a Home Plumbing Bathrooms

Shower faucet/control locations and going doorless??

last month

last modified: last month

Hi designers! We’re building a new home and the main bath shower turned out larger than we anticipated. I’m worried that if the shower head is on the closet end, I’ll be shaving my legs on the other end with no water spray. It will have a detachable hand shower. Should we put the shower head above the seat or toilet wall and the controls on the closet side? Also considering going doorless with an arched opening but worried about spray and being drafty.

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Comments (5)

just_janni
last month
A picture is worth all the words here....
Debbie Fuller
Original Author
last month
Finally was able to upload the pic!
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probably a little late to post this for the OP but wanted to say (as I've said numerous times), we love our shower without a door. The shower is 5X5 with a fixed shower on one side, handheld shower next to an Envision seat on the other and a rain shower in the middle. we have a linear/trench drain. Both shower heads are 16 inches from the wall. They can be pointed if want but we usually just leave them the way they are. There is a lot I could say but I will post this picture (which I have posted before). We wanted a setup that would work with a wheel chair if we needed it. I have put a small mat in front of the sink. There is a small amount of water that sprays onto the matt but not very much. Doesn't make it soggy or anything like that. Helps with my balance which mine is not good. I love the bars. Since we have the Moen digital spa, we didn't need a lot of trim for valves. We weren't sure about not having a door so we had contractor build it so we could add door later if we wanted. That's not going to happen. I think the doorless shower is probably what I like best about the whole room and I REALLY love the room. Rest of pictures of the room are at: www.houstonbookclubs.org/hbath
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Although both baths pictured are attractive, there is no way either of them REALLY passes code, even if they passed "inspection" from a city bureaucrat. They certainly wouldn't pass in any place I've ever designed accessible baths for, and that's in some of the least regulated communities around. There's simply not enough slope. If the drain ever becomes stopped up, it's a disaster waiting to happen, especially with the floor vent right there to easily carry the water down through the ductwork. Not to mention that even though they are "curbless" they are NOT ADA sized. If someone ever needs a wheelchair, neither bath will work for that situation. Designing for that possibility, but still having the bath work for everyone else too is what universal design is all about. It's a lot more than just going curbless.
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Before this slides too far down the list unanswered, we would love to get help with this shower even if you can respond to only one or two of our questions. Thank you.
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Sounds like you are off to a good start. To your original question, about shower head and bench placement. I'm no help with the bench, never had room for one. For the first time ever we do have 2 shower heads in the same shower. We have lived here 3 years, and it was such a novel concept to me, that I only tried running both at the same time a couple months ago. Delicious. That is the only way to describe it. So our shower is more like 3 x 4, with one large hand held shower head up higher on one wall (more my husbands height) and on the adjacent wall, the 2nd shower head is placed lower (say 6-8"), for someone my height. When I run them both, I get water from overhead and from the side, and it is so wonderful. I actually feel ridiculously extravagant (New England ancestry) and still only use both once a month or so as a special treat, or when I'm freezing. You could also replace that higher, hand held, with one of those combo shower bars that have a rain shower, and a sliding up/down adjustable height hand held shower head, like the Kohler Moxie wall bar shower. Just make sure pressure to one head won't take away pressure from the others--and I think you will be very happy. Good luck with your dream home!
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just_janni
last month
I'd go doorless with your layout and do as you described - showerhead on toilet wall, controls as you walk in.

Most of the warm moist / warm air rises, so you shouild be ok without a door. And you have a great space for a towel or robe outside to the right.
Debbie Fuller thanked just_janni
chispa
last month
What is the threshold into the shower? If no threshold the water will come out.

Is the bench fixed and already built? In my previous house I had built-in benches and they felt cold and hard. We built last year and I went with teak benches. A lot more flexibility and you can find them with a curved seat. We used this one from Deco-teak and have one in every shower.

I have a handheld on an adjustable bar near the bench and a wall mounted shower head at the other end.
Sue 430
last month
Our new shower is the same size as yours, with the door in the same place. we have a showerhead in the middle of the long wall opposite the door with the controls below, on the opposite wall, to the right of the door, we have body sprays and the controls for them and the overhead rainshower. We can easily reach the controls from outside the shower. i wouldnt recommend going doorless, i think you might find it too cool. Also, ours is curbless and the water does not go out, even with the door open. we have 2 hooks for towels on the short wall opposite the bench, its really nice to have the towels inside the shower. they dont get wet unless we’re using the steamer

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