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Building a New Home: Doorless Showers

By David L. Britt

Real Estate Agent with Platinum Realty, LLC KS# BR00012805

June 20, 2007 04:17 PM

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!

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Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman

Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI

(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE

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.

Jun 20, 2007 05:55 PM

KRISTINE CROWE

COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE - Dundalk, MD

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

Jun 20, 2007 10:47 PM

Tim Wade

RE/MAX Realty Champions - Wolfeboro, NH

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

Jun 20, 2007 11:40 PM

David L. Britt

Platinum Realty, LLC - Olathe, KS

MBA

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

Jun 21, 2007 04:39 PM

David L. Britt

Platinum Realty, LLC - Olathe, KS

MBA

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!

Jun 21, 2007 04:41 PM

David L. Britt

Platinum Realty, LLC - Olathe, KS

MBA

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!

Jun 21, 2007 04:43 PM

Dale Baker

Baker Energy Audits and Commercial Properties Inspections - Claremont, NH

New Hampshire Relocation Real Estate Information

Howdy David

Congrats

You have done a very good and helpful post here.

I have not seen one of these doorless showers yet.

Jul 08, 2007 08:05 AM

David L. Britt

Platinum Realty, LLC - Olathe, KS

MBA

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 08, 2007 01:24 PM

Linda Reynolds

Bradenton Real Estate - Linda Reynolds - Bradenton, FL

Bradenton Real Estate

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 08, 2007 11:10 PM

David L. Britt

Platinum Realty, LLC - Olathe, KS

MBA

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!

Jul 17, 2007 05:54 PM

1~Judi Barrett

Integrity Real Estate Services 116 SE AVE N, Idabel, OK 74745 - Idabel, OK

BS Ed, Integrity Real Estate Services -IDABEL OK

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

Jan 20, 2008 12:29 PM

Mary McGraw

GLREA - Rockford, MI

2015: Solar Energy Is Still A Simple Machine!

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!!!

Feb 25, 2008 04:54 PM

Roland Woodworth

Blue Cord Realty - Clarksville, TN

Blue Cord Realty

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

Feb 26, 2008 07:57 AM

Carl Winters

Canyon Lake, TX

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 01, 2008 10:40 AM

Anonymous

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

Mar 04, 2008 10:45 AM

#25

Anonymous

Beverly Emahiser

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!!

Sep 17, 2008 12:45 PM

#26

Anonymous

Karen

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.

Oct 14, 2008 06:15 PM

#27

NJ (Nori) Bosley

*TBD* - Madison-on-the-Lake, OH

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

Oct 14, 2008 06:45 PM

Sandy Fenton

Keller Williams NY Realty * Licensed Associate Broker - Mount Kisco, NY

ABR, ASP, CDPE, GRI -Westchester NY - Condos to Luxury Homes

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.

Nov 15, 2008 05:41 AM

Anonymous

JeanLouise Newman

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?

Mar 10, 2009 07:31 AM

#30

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