How to Make Your Shower Renovation a Success

When a tub to shower conversion is completed to be aesthetically pleasing and space-efficient, this type of renovation doesn’t reduce the value of your home in any way. 

Large and luxurious bathtubs are considered a selling feature for a home, but for many people, a walk-in shower is a more practical option.

Before you start planning your shower renovation, however, you’ll need to plan ahead. In this handy guide, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of a bathtub to shower remodel, as well as what kind of glass enclosure suits the project. 

Consider Your Space When Planning to Change Bathtub to Shower

Space is key in planning your tub to shower conversion project. The problem with bathroom remodeling is that there may not be room for everything you want.

While it may not be possible to have a stand-alone shower and a stand-alone deep tub, it may be possible to create a bathtub-shower combo or completely change to a luxury shower stall.

Each option comes with its advantages and disadvantages and gives a quite different final look, so ultimately, you will need to decide how to make the best use of the space and what you want your tub conversion to look like.

Pros and Cons of Tub to Shower Conversions

Naturally, there are some pros and cons around the matter of converting your tub to a shower.

Pros

  • Shower becomes the focal point of the room – use bold tile and feature shower heads for an eye-catching finish
  • Great way to update your bathroom
  • Suitable for people with mobility issues
  • Plenty of room for movement
  • Good design choices may boost the value of your home

Cons

  • Poorly planned tub to shower conversion may reduce the value of your home
  • Not ideal for families with small children
  • Lose relaxing space

What Type of Shower Renovation Will You Choose?

When it comes to converting your bathtub to a shower, the first decision is whether to have a bathtub-shower combo or rip out your old tub and replace it with a stand-alone shower. 

That isn’t the only choice you have to make though as you’ll have to figure out what style, materials, and colours work best for your space too.

To help you decide we’ve reviewed the pros and cons of each type of tub to shower conversion below:

Bathtub Shower Combos for the Space Conscious

Bathtub-shower combos are usually found in an alcove, meaning that they are installed in a space with walls on three sides. This style of tub tends to be the go-to for apartments, condos or smaller houses since it is a space-conscious design.

Pros of Bathtub-Shower Combos

  • Easy installation
  • Caters to both bath and shower lovers
  • Great for families with children
  • Highly customizable
  • Glass shower enclosures are possible

Cons of Bathtub-Shower Combos

  • High threshold is unsuitable for mobility-challenged people
  • Higher traffic requires more cleaning

Stand-Alone Showers for Best Accessibility

Stand-alone showers are exactly as they sound: they are individual showers that stand as a separate unit from other bathroom fittings, including a bath if there is one.

Technically, stand-alone showers can be any size and they are usually custom designed to fit the bathroom they are being installed in.

In the case where a bathtub is being converted to a shower, the shower size is usually limited to the width and length of the original bathtub, but that doesn’t always have to be the case as these examples show. 

Ultimately, shower remodeling should be done with consideration of the bathroom layout and overall size.

Pros of Stand-Alone Showers

  • Easily accessible for mobility-challenged people
  • Easier to clean
  • A larger shower provides plenty of space
  • Modern style choices and materials can result in a stunning look

Cons of Stand-Alone Showers

  • Risk of a fall. Seats and benches can be incorporated for those who cannot stand unaided or prefer to sit
  • Poor design choices may reduce your home value
  • Potential lack of privacy

Shower Remodeling with Glass Shower Doors 

No tub to shower conversion article would be complete without looking at the option of glass enclosures. While you can certainly opt to use a shower curtain to enclose your shower space, glass doors are much classier and easier to clean. Additionally, glass offers you a wide variety of styles and finishes. 

Here are just three of the styles of glass shower doors you can choose from:

  • Framed. The glass in a framed shower door is a bit thinner, so the enclosure sports a metal frame for support.
  • Frameless. Frameless doors have thicker glass, so they don’t require a metal frame for support. This creates a sleek, modern look that makes your bathroom seem larger.
  • Semi-frameless. This type of enclosure has framing on both sides, but not around the door panel.

If you thought you were spoiled for choice with the available styles of glass enclosure, you just might be impressed by the sheer volume of glass finishes you can select from. Since there are many more than can be added here, we’ll take a quick look at the three most popular glass finishes:

  • Clear glass. Naturally, this is the most popular since clear glass goes with any décor and colour scheme.
  • Frosted glass. Frosted glass adds an element of privacy, without blocking any light from coming into the shower stall. Frosted glass is available in many assorted colours and designs, to suit your taste.
  • Rain glass. Like a frosted glass finish, rain glass offers additional privacy without blocking the light. This type of glass features a pleasing drop-like pattern, which is the perfect accent to more natural décor.
  • Ultra clear (low-iron). Compared to regular clear glass, low-iron glass is completely transparent. It is made by lowering the amount of iron in the molten formula, providing better light transparency.
  • EasyClean glass. EasyClean Glass treatment is a clear, ultra-thin protective coating that adheres perfectly to the glass surface. Its’ nonstick properties reduce the buildup of soaps, shampoo chemicals and salts on the glass.

Let Budget Glass Help Change Your Bathtub to a Shower

Tub to shower conversions are a big decision, but they can pay off if they are designed and installed well. 

Finished off with a quality glass enclosure, your shower can become a truly functional work of art. 

At Budget Glass we can help you create the perfect glass enclosure for your tub to shower conversion. 

Get started by trying our new shower and tub visual enquiry tool today. This tool makes it easy to view and choose the options for glass shower doors and enclosures and helps us give you a fast and accurate quote.