Home : Blogs : David L. Britt, MBA : Kansas City New Homes Blog

Building a New Home: Doorless Showers

European Concepts in New Home Designs

I have to be honest, when my wife and I were looking at new homes, I started noticing a trend of open showers, multiple shower heads and doorless showers. I have to admit, I like a warm shower and the thought of a doorless shower just didn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. However, my wife insisted that we look at these European type showers. So I decided to do some research to see if I could disprove this doorless shower.

Well, I have to admit the doorless shower can accommodate what I want and what my wife is looking for in a shower for a new home. Given this new found knowledge, I thought I would provide you with some details to consider if you are thinking about building a new home and are looking at the European showers as an alternative.

Doorless showers provide no door to clean, no mildew and no water stains. They eliminate the heavy hardware needed for those heavy glass doors. You can even have a shower with no lip or curb at the bottom, so you can get in without stepping high off the floor or provide a handicapped or elderly person convenient access.

In Europe, where many showers have no doors at all, bathrooms are completely tiled to accommodate water spray. While spray can be kept to a minimum with a larger shower area, a doorless shower does not require a gigantic space. The shower area need only be large enough to shelter the water so it doesn't spray to the rest of the bathroom.

In the installation process of a doorless shower, you will want to keep a clean line in your shower. How the shower glass is installed will make a difference. So keep the thick, frameless glass that sits inside the long pieces of extruded metal called U-channels along the bottom and on the wall recessed into the floor and wall tile so no metal is showing. The better the metal is hidden, the more modern and uninterrupted the look will be.

Besides the doorless shower of the European style showers, here's a complete list of the most popular additional bathroom features for new homes and how they rated among buyers:

· Radiant heated floors: 62%
· Multihead showers: 62%
· Accessibility/universal design: 48%
· Doorless showers: 47%
· Linen closet/storage: 36%
· Hand showers: 36%
· Multiple vanities: 26%
· Dressing/cosmetic areas: 23%
• Towel warming drawers/racks: 22%

Source of statistics from Realtor Magazine Online

So, what do you think, is this something for you? Do you already have a doorless shower, if so, care to share your experience?

David L. Britt, MBA
Olathe, Kansas
David L. Britt Real Estate
Heritage Real Estate
The Heritage Real Estate Team
Olathe Neighbors

Guiding You HOME!

Posted by David L. Britt, MBA on 06/20/2007 11:17 PM

Comments (33)

showers, buyers, new home, building a new home, olathe, kansas, david l britt

This post has been included in Kansas Information Johnson County, KS Information
Post is included in group: Home Builders of America

33 Comments on Building a New Home: Doorless Showers

JUN

2007

I have been in these in Greece and Italy. The one in Greece was weird because it ended up getting water on a hardwood floor. The are not for me. Seems to much like PE class in the 1960's.

I stayed with a friend in New Zealand who had a shower in the corner of the bathroom, with no doors, and not even any glass. The entire bathroom was tiled and it didn't really matter where the water went as there was a floor drain. I also have a friend in Japan with a similar, although smaller, arrangement. I disliked both. I, like you, like a warm shower. At home in the winter I turn on a little heater in the bathroom first, then let the hot water run way too long (it wastes water, but warms up the shower) then I get in. The New Zealand and Japanese showers were cold and I couldn't wait to get out of them. I didn't waste any water though!

David, another masterful commentary on another new construction niche. Thanks for giving so much of your advice on showers. We have a walk-in but we did not do steam, next time!

I am glad I read this article. I am in the middle of renovating my master bath and am not quite sure what I want to do with the master shower. You have given me more info to research, thanks!

Hi David,

I was in a much smaller versions in Europe. I like the look and the fact that there is less cleaning and no mildew but I do like a warm shower in the wintertime.

Steven, PE class, boy I hope not!! :-) You did make me laugh, although my memories had more to do with the smell than the water on the floor! Thanks for bring back some memories!!

Joanne, I don't think I would like those either. I believe it can be done and with good taste in tile and glass. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Steve, thank you for your kind comments. Steam is a least warm!!

Jennifer, glad I help motivate you! Thanks for reading it!

JUN

2007

Leslie, so far, I'm not getting any warm and fuzzy's on doorless showers overseas. I hope we have learn how to make this work in America! My visits overseas were in Switzerland and France. They had small showers, conservative on water, but no doorless ones that I remember. Thanks for sharing!

My aunt on Kauai's bathroom was completely tiled on the floor with many drains. There was the shower as well as two Furo's (japanese deep bathtubs you step up and then slide in.) and just a big open bathroom with plenty of windows for ventilation.

I hadn't considered or thought about a doorless shower before, but after reading this, it does sound kind of cool.

We have lots of doorless showers here in the Lakes Region of NH. They are really very nice.

Sally, Do you have pictures of this one! Sounds like something you could spend a great deal of time in! Thanks for sharing!

Kristine, they are in about 60% of all the new homes in the $250k plus price range in my area! It's quite interested to see and experience!

Tim and Pam, how big of an area are they? Any comments from buyers as to what they like best about them? Thanks for posting!

JUL

2007

Howdy David

Congrats

You have done a very good and helpful post here.

I have not seen one of these doorless showers yet.

Dale, they are very popular in the Johnson County area. Take a look at one if you can find one in your area, you might be surprised by it! Thanks for commenting!

JUL

2007

I love the idea of not having a shower door to clean, they are a pain in the butt. I also like the look of a doorless shower. When I redo my bathroom I am going to use this concept.

JUL

2007

Linda, great, since you live in a warm state, you won't have to deal with some of the other issues we would here in Kansas. Thanks for commenting!

JAN

2008

i AM THINKING OF REPLACING MY STALL WITH A DOORLESS SHOWER. mY DEMENSIOS ARE 36 X48. wILL i GET A LOT OF WATER ON THE FLOOR. i ALSO CURRENTLY HAVE A 6 INCH STEP WHICH i WOULD LIKE TO GET RID OF. iF HAVING A STEP OR LIP A SAFTY CODE ? i NEVER SAW ANY IN eUROPE ?

tHANK YOU FOR ANY COMMENTS AND ADVICE THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ME.RCUTRO3346@AOL.COM

JAN

2008

Not for me, but aw interesting post on this shower construction method.

FEB

2008

Dave - great post but not for me...humble or embarrassed? I don't know, pick one! I enjoy my privacy!!! This concept feels too much like showering after gym class in the open showers. Ugh...I don't want to relive those days!!!

think I would like to have the door...... seem like water would go everywhere...

MAR

2008

David - We recently stayed at a hotel in Lake Charles that had a doorless shower. We thought it was nice but both nights after we showered we had to clean up the floor...flooded. Maybe us Texans don't know how to use a doorless shower. When we left we suggested the management go up and try it out. He did and sent us an email saying they would have it repaired and gave us two free nights next trip to Lake Charles.

After that experience I think we want a door.

MAR

2008

i love the idea of a doorless shower. what is the smallest area one can go in? i've seen a picture of one with a curved glass tile entrance but no dimensions? steph, meigs,ga

SEP

My brother designed a European shower in the South Georgia home he built 9 years ago. They love it! We are now thinking of removing the garden tub and single stall shower that runs the 10 ft. length of our bathroom into one shower unit. Where the existing shower is we will remove the open-top wall between the tub and shower now, reposition the pipes that are already there to allow for the open door that curves around into the shower area. The shower stall area will be the entrance, tiled and a slight drop in the floor base to keep water from running out since there are already drains in the floor of both. The hand controls are installed for operating the shower before you get in. A path way at the back of the now existing wall will lead around into the shower (doorless but not as open as described earlier.) Built-in seating at the far end plus handheld shower features plus a granite tile perhaps... Right now it is designed on a graph paper pad. Now to find the right person to do the job!!?? I have not heard complaints of losing a warm shower feel, and you do lose that heavy swinging door that always seems to want to sag and stick. and at our retirement age, the safety of a complete walk in unit, with enough space to also sit is very appealing to us. I'm betting the pricetag is smaller than a Premier walk-in tub (I at least hope so). Say, anyone want a job to use as a showpiece??? Come practice on these Senior Citizens!!

OCT

Mary,

I know exactly what you mean about feeling like your in the group showers in the girls locker room in middle school/high school, it does feel like that to me.

I like the doorless shower, some are curved just right and there is no water escaping anywhere. Besides, if you are not a fan of enclosed places IT"S GREAT!!!!!! JMO

NOV

David, I am doing some research as we have to renovate our master suite and I am considering a doorless shower. I googled "doorless shower" and your post came up on page 1! Gotta love AR! LOL

Anyway, we live in a townhouse and the space the the shower is in is about 3' by 4'. I am still not sure that this would work with such a limited space but I guess it is worth checking out. I have to periodically take the sliding doors off the tracks and scrub everything down. What a nightmare and a waste of precious hours! I would give anything not to have to do that ever again! LOL

Thanks for your informative post.

MAR

I am considering replacing the small tub/shower combination on our guest bathroom with a walkin doorless shower.

We haven't used the tub part of this combination in over 20 years. Will it reduce the value of our home?

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?