A number of ways and techniques have been tried and applied to have a shower stall that wouldn’t leak. For so many years shower pans of lead and copper were in use without 100% success. Employing a combination of metal, cement and water failed to provide the expected results in a matter of a couple of years. Subsequently, some of the user opted to have an installation comprising of hot mopped asphalt over concrete. That also failed in many of the case. Even the present day installers continue to follow one of the said practices.

Continued efforts to get an efficient system that won’t leak over time, have resulted to the use of different techniques and modified materials for achieving success in this particular field. There are many claimants for having developed a fool proof system that promises to prevent leakage over long periods of use. Nevertheless, we have to wait and see how promising these new methods are. Here are some of the modern practices being adopted for getting the desired shower stall.

Tile Ready Shower Pans

Three companies are known to apply polyurethane, foam and those famous waterproof membranes.  These companies include Tile Redi, Schluter and Wedi build systems. These companies use the said two materials for preparing a base on which tiles are set. The mortar is used only for having a base for the shower pan, included as part of the system.
Of course the system followed by these companies eliminates the requirements of skilled masonry work but the cost of such a shower is much higher than a conventional shower. However the shower goes faster and that certainly is an advantage under certain conditions.

Fiberglass Pans

It may be worthwhile to have a fiberglass or acrylic shower stall if you are on a budget. Certainly you will miss the looks and feel of ceramic shower but remember you are on a budget! Cheaper versions of shower stalls wear out faster and can’t be expected to last as long as tile showers unless of course someone is unlucky to have a prematurely leaking tile tower.

Conventional Masonry Showers

Most ceramic showers continue to employ masonry construction. A masonry shower pan is built the same way.  It needs a solid base or subfloor. A tentative setting of the shower drain is prepared, taking into account that a shower pan has two built in sets of drain holes, a lower set and an upper set. A layer of mortar is then put down at the bottom drain holes. Lest the drain holes get blocked, these are filled with Pea gravel or broken tiles. Finally, a special vinyl sheet is used to cover the mortar layer and glued to the drain base with an appropriate adhesive.

Vinyl membrane is the critical element of the shower base. The shower floor consisting of the tile and grout that one sees is not waterproof. As a result, water seepage is continued and ultimately water flows down the sloped membrane to the bottom drain holes.

The above is taken care of by having a pouring of mortar over the vinyl membrane. This works as a base for the ceramic tile. The base is allowed to get cured before setting the tile that is then grouted on the top with the drain.
The construction of the curb too demands extra care as there are points and around the curb and the corners of the floor from where the membrane is susceptible to crack and thus leak. Walls and the ceiling is built subsequently.

Some of the present day practices will continue to bring changes to the techniques and materials employed for construction of showers. Though construction of shower has been simplified, it appears that in the immediate future, the conventional practices followed for construction of showers will be continued. A conventional masonry shower built with modern engineering practices and materials will go a long way to provide flawless service for many years to come.

The shower pan forms the most significant part of any ceramic tile shower stall. A shower pan directs water to the drain and prevents shower from leaking. That’s why its installation is so crucial and it should remain waterproof and durable.

The shower pan is actually a mortar bed consisting of a flexible shower pan liner that is squeezed in two layers of mortar. The walls of shower stall are framed with 2×4 studding with a facing of some kind of backer board underlay meant for receiving ceramic tile.

This is how the installation of a shower pan follows. A layer of mortar is spread out evenly and properly leveled and shaped to facilitate flow of water in the direction of the drain. On top of this layer of mortar, shower pan membrane cut to required size is laid.
The shower pan membrane liner needs to be hand molded into the shower base.

Note: care should be taken to cut shower pan membrane more than the dimensions of the floor, leaving a few extra inches along the periphery to enable it to run up the shower stall sidewalls and be secured with nails and studs. Further, the shower pan has to be installed preceding the installation of backer board on the shower walls.

Once the shower pan membrane has been secured, the second layer of mortar is spread over the base of the shower, again maintaining the slope of the mortar towards the drain, thus sandwiching the membrane in between the two layers of mortar. Having set up the shower pan mortar bed, you may proceed with the installation of the backer board to the walls and commence with the installation of ceramic tiles. The installation of tiles should be started from the center of the shower pan area and proceed outwards.

Now comes the installation of ceramic tiles on the walls. Use a plumb line and draw straight lines down the length of the walls. Hold the plumb line at the ceiling and centered on a wall. Snap the line to get a vertical line running along the length of the wall.

Go ahead with the installation of tiles in a direction outwards from the line towards the edges of the wall. Follow the same process with all the walls.

Use a wet saw for cutting of tiles to get accurate cuts and minimum wastage of ceramic tiles.

Apply grout only after the ceramic tiles have had 24-48 hours to set up.

And, finally a sealer should be applied on the grout to prevent moisture from seeping through the grout lines.

While deciding the interior lighting arrangements for a home, invariably we first think of the living room, followed by kitchen and the bathroom is left to the last, as if it were not as important part of a home. According priority to the living room area and the kitchen is alright as a good part of the time at home is spent in these two places. But, bathroom is the area that you visit first in the morning and activate your body subsequently followed by its rejuvenation in the evening at the end of a hard day’s work. And what if you have Jacuzzi tubs and large shower stalls! It is important to have relaxed atmosphere in this room for the few minutes that you spend here; you are on your own.

It’s not uncommon to come across bathrooms that are provided with just one source of light in the middle. It certainly needs a better treatment. The lighting arrangement in the bathroom shall consist of providing adequate lighting to its different area. Will it not be a good experience to have a different lighting system in the area where you shave; facing the mirror and the area meant for having a shower or say a bath tub? Within the bathroom, we earmark the areas for performing different activities of bathing, shaving and applying of makeup.

Vanity lighting is desirable in the area where you shave or apply makeup as it is designed and fixed in a position to highlight your face and head. Recessed lighting fixtures are not recommendable in association with vanity lighting as they may create shadows on parts of your face or head and pose problems in executing the activity that you might be performing before the mirror. You can completely avoid the shadows by placing vertical fixtures along the sides of the mirror. Such an arrangement gives an even lighting in the desired area, making it more convenient to attend to your daily grooming. The recommended wattage for vanity lighting fixtures would be a hundred and fifty.

Task lighting is used to illuminate the shower area. An average sized bathroom with a shower stall provided with a glass door may not need any additional lighting fixture. Conversely, a large bathroom with thick shower curtains would necessitate the incorporation of an additional single recessed light for the shower area. You may also consider the provision of an additional recessed light over the tub or toilet while drawing plans for lighting arrangements for the bathroom. Such an arrangement offers even optimum lighting.

A very well designed system of lighting for the bathroom becomes all the more impressive by proper selection of bulbs. For getting the best results of lighting in the shower area one should use bright white bulb. That’s because it gives the most natural skin tones. No doubt those halogen light bulbs give the most natural kind of lighting and are a lot more energy efficient, but they are too expensive, compared to traditional lighting bulbs. Bear in mind that a bathroom has water all over that is a good conductor of electricity.  Take all the necessary precautions to ensure that the two don’t get mixed up. All lighting arrangements should be away from any source of water by at least six feet.

Interior designing and decoration is no more confined to the interiors of your living room or bedroom. It has come to include your bathroom in a big way. So, next time you think on the lines of remodeling your home, include your bathroom too. Consider installation of a shower stall. It adds to the worth of your home and makes life a little more comfortable for you.

Why Shower Stalls?

An increasing number of people are adding a shower stall to their bathroom and bathtub. And, it’s not for nothing. There are good reasons for making this addition. An important feature of the system is that it doesn’t occupy much space, making them desirable for smaller bathrooms too.

Everyone is hard pressed for time these days. A quick shower is more practical to freshen up, than a time consuming bath in a bathtub that takes long for getting prepared. There are no technicalities involved in the installation of such showers and you may do it yourself.

Present-day shower stalls are by and large multi-sided, big enclosures. Aren’t we all a bit too fed up with monotony of the conventional squares or rectangles in the bathing area? Now you have the option of having a shower stall in a pentagonal or hexagonal shape, besides a triangular one. As a matter of fact these showers can be tailored to a specific shape that would fit your choice and the size or shape of your bathroom.

As the idea of shower stalls catches on, designers are getting more and more innovative to include accessories to offer additional facilities. The first that comes to mind is its installation in conjunction with the bathtub of your bathroom. How about having a spa like shower or a luxurious theme based bath? The options are endless. If you have a source of steam you can have a steam shower thru the normal shower head. But, ensure to make it water resistant and totally enclosed. That’s not the end. You could have the benefits of a Jacuzzi bath by incorporating a Jacuzzi kit on the wall of your bathtub.

Showerheads are available in a number of different designs. Besides the standard ‘out of the wall’ model you could explore the possibility of having an overhead design that is fixed into the ceiling and allows you to get soaked by standing directly beneath it. On the other hand a sidebar showerhead has thin rods going along the sides of the shower stalls. Now, such an arrangement could be coupled with an overhead shower head to get a ‘total body’ shower. There are sliding showerheads too. These can be moved along the vertical axis to adjust as per the height of the bather. That enables a child to enjoy the shower as much as an adult simply by lowering its height.

Undoubtedly, a good-looking modern shower stall with etched glass and lovely colors imparts shine and style to your bathroom. However, there are certain measures and precautions that you should take into consideration when redesigning the interiors of your bathroom for including a shower stall in there.

Before venturing into this new exciting addition in your bathroom, you have to be sure of two things. Number one is the availability of enough water and the other one is an effective drainage system. Check if the drainage or water supply system needs any repairs. The installation of a shower stall calls for a piping arrangement for all the hot and cold water supply and drainage system. Attach the bathtub to the enclosure. Ensure to have adequate ventilation in case of a steam shower. A shower door, if opted for, should at least be five feet by eight feet to facilitate flow of water thru the drain. Further, a shower stall with a door would require extra heating arrangements too.

While imparting great looks to your bathroom, a shower stall allows you to enjoy a hurried quick shower to refresh yourself any time.

Many homeowners in the United States have a bathtub in their homes that often doubles up as a shower too. Of course, it is good to have a two-in-one bathroom fixture that is space saving, but if you are looking to having an improved design and décor of your bathroom, you may be led to thinking on the lines of having a new bathtub. Now, all bathtubs may not have that feature of doubling-up as showers also. There comes in the possibility and a good opportunity of installing a new shower stall.

The most important point you need to keep in mind while buying a new shower stall is the space available for its installation. Changing over from one bathtub to another additional one with a standalone shower limits the chances because of the requirements of an additional space. That, in turn limits your options. On the other hand, if you are planning a complete change of scene in the bathroom or planning new bathroom, you have many choices. You may go in for an exclusively designed shower stall for you without getting unduly concerned about the available space.

Having decided to buy a new bathroom shower stall, you should next decide on the size that will suit your place.  Ideally, one would like to visit one shop and buy all the requirements from the same source, but such outlets are rather very limited in number. There are quite a few home improvement stores that offer standalone shower kits.  In the absence of such a store around your place, you may be required to visit a few stores to collect different parts and accessories. The list would necessarily include a shower floor, a shower door and a shower head plus other frills that you might opt for.

Standalone showers are available in a very large variety of designs and colors. Accordingly, there is a wide variation of prices also. Perhaps you could have such a shower and at the same time carry out small modifications in your kitchen too within the specified budget. If you just look around a bit, there are good chances of having your cake and eating it too! You may have a very exclusive design or a very common design, suiting your budget. The price of a normal standalone shower starts from say, two or three hundred dollars and goes up from there, depending on its design and exclusiveness.

As pointed out earlier, most home improvement stores offer these showers. You may like to visit such a store to have a look at the possible choices. Generally these are displayed at the stores. That helps you to get a feel of the product before you really make it a part of your bathroom. Be prepared to get overwhelmed by the diversity of designs and prices! Another option would be to visit online and check the available shapes and sizes. Yes, you can order them online too. Whether you decide to buy it online or from a store, bear in mind that complete kits or packages are very convenient as they save you from the strain of visiting different stores for procurement of different items. Besides, they work out economical.

Having procured a standalone shower to suit your style and budget you may want to get it installed soon. You need not be an experienced hand on that. Most of the standalone shower kits are provided with an instruction manual. That makes the installation much easier and any novice would have the pleasure and satisfaction of having carried out the installation without the assistance of a professional hand. So, go ahead with the installation of a new device in your bathroom that not only enhances its looks but also offers a new experience to the whole family.