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Converting bathroom into shower room?

(62 Posts)
wilygran Thu 23-Feb-17 10:43:30

Anyone who has done this got any good advice or warnings about pitfalls? Many thanks. Can't clamber in & out of bath much longer!

whitewave Thu 23-Feb-17 10:46:03

That's what we have planned within the next couple of years or so. Watching mum as she's got older I think it is a sensible thing to do.

Jayanna9040 Thu 23-Feb-17 10:48:35

I've got a bathroom and an en suite. Use the bathroom to hang up my washing. It's useful for that.

ninathenana Thu 23-Feb-17 11:00:53

We had our bathroom done about 4-5 yrs ago with electric shower over the bath as H does like a soak now and then and we don't have room for both.
I so wish I had persuaded H to have just the shower as I am now finding it increasingly difficult to get into the bath. I would say get your shower fitted professionally. My friend's competent DIYer SiL did hers and it leaked and he couldn't sort it. She had to call someone in to re fit the tray.
I say do it smile

tanith Thu 23-Feb-17 11:14:08

We did ours 4yrs ago as I have a hip replaced and another on the way. We took out the bath and bought one just like the link below which fitted in the space the bath came out and our builder was able to leave the shower that was already over our bath in place and tile down the walls where the bath stood.
It works so well and its big and roomy no squeezing into a cubicle and you just step onto the tray and walk in. The extra glass panel stops any splashes and moves back and forth for easy entry. We have never had a leak problem and it still looks like new.

www.aquadart.co.uk/prod/wetroom/flipper-panel

Charleygirl Thu 23-Feb-17 11:32:33

I also could no longer get in and out of a bath so I had it removed and a shower fitted. Make sure that it is a double shower so that if necessary you can fit a stool in it. I found it invaluable after my knee replacement.

I have bi- fold doors which I hate- I would prefer sliding doors. The inside of the shower,corners etc. with bi-fold doors is difficult to clean properly unless one is naked!

janetta46 Thu 23-Feb-17 12:36:40

At the risk of sounding filthy, I haven't had a bath for about 15 years! I much prefer a shower every morning, and we don't even have a bath in our current home, not even to keep the coal in. Wilygran, if you are having the whole bathroom done, a wet-room or shower with a very low step in would be best. Uncle G at 97 has just had his shower replaced with a very low one as he was having trouble getting over the step.

rosesarered Thu 23-Feb-17 12:39:29

Yes, we did this just last Summer.Had the bathroom gutted, bath taken out, a double shower cubicle( the curved type, so no sharp corners to fall over) fitted with a rainfall type shower in it, moved the sink to under the window, so more light with fitted cupboards under and around it, and new toilet fitted with a push button flush and in a neater style.Bathroom looks much bigger as a result.Use either a reputable plumber who can show you pics of bathrooms he has already done, and do the design and choosing of the materials yourself ( we did this) or choose a bathroom design place to do it all for you.

mcem Thu 23-Feb-17 12:57:51

I'm considering replacing the corner bath with a quadrant shower cubicle which has a similar 'footprint'.
What puts me off is the hassle of choosing!
Tiles, flooring, new loo and basin unit.
I want it done but CBA!!
Anyone have a number for the bathroom fairy??

Frannygranny Thu 23-Feb-17 12:59:32

We put a new bathroom in last August after "suffering" an out of date avocado suite for too many years. We also got rid of the bath with a large walk in shower. We don't have a door on the shower just a large glass panel. When we were deciding what we wanted we realised we weren't getting any younger and chose a shallow shower tray with a non slip coating and grab rails. We also had a digital control fitted at the bottom end so no more standing under the shower waiting for the water to heat, just a wee wait until the light stops flashing and it's ready to walk in to. My advice is to go for the best you can afford and plan it for the future. Enjoy!

goldengirl Thu 23-Feb-17 16:16:30

We're fortunate enough to have a bath and a separate shower which I think is the best of both worlds especially if the house is to be sold in the future. I have a shower most days but am now well enough again to have the odd bath [complete with handrails] which is lovely. I really appreciate the choice

Izabella Thu 23-Feb-17 16:27:21

If you no longer want a bath consider a wet room. The advantags are that in the future you can have room for a carer To manoeuvre you and a chair to sit on or a wheeled shower chair to get in there. No awful screens or shower curtains getting in the way and you can have a ceiling shower exactly where you want it to save having to be close to a wall. Wet rooms cover far more alternatives and are more versatile.

grove1234 Fri 24-Feb-17 09:29:40

i put a conservatory on and used the small outhouse attached to make a wc /wetroom bath up stairs excellent a friend did similar bigger posher

busybee6969 Fri 24-Feb-17 09:30:18

hi had our old bathroom made in to a wetroom,shower on one level slight slope.you cant tell to drain water, best thing we ever did, makes a very small bathroom lots bigger without the bath,

Nvella Fri 24-Feb-17 09:33:34

I have kept a bath which I do t use partly because I was advised having no bath would make my ho e difficult to sell in the future but also to bath the grandchildren in when they stay. What do grandparents without baths at all do about this?

SillyNanny321 Fri 24-Feb-17 09:34:57

Hi all, I was very lucky a few years ago to get a grant due to disability. Got my bathroom converted to a wet room. So much easier to manage except one of my cats likes to be nosy wanting to see whats going on & ends up soaked.
Having the Wet Room is so much easier if you can afford it or like me have a disability that lets you get a grant to help with the cost!

AlexG Fri 24-Feb-17 09:39:59

When I bought this house it had the most peculiar L-shaped bathroom so I got round the bath v shower problem by having the room split into two. We now have a shower room and a bathroom with bath. And the bath has to be dusted periodically as it never gets used. The washbasin, loo and bidet in there get use but not the bath. Go for a shower room and you'll never look back.

Iloveitaly Fri 24-Feb-17 09:40:54

We had our bathroom converted to a double shower a couple of years ago, it was the best thing we ever did. I have just had hip replacement and have been able to shower I could never have to into a bath.

Esspee Fri 24-Feb-17 09:49:28

Rented a cottage with a wet room, hated it probably because the bathroom needed to be much larger. Always good to try something before major work. Looked great when dry. Once wet you traipsed damp footprints onto the bedroom carpet when you went in to use the lavatory.

Skweek1 Fri 24-Feb-17 09:49:56

Our council converted our bathroom into a wet room for DH and I really desperately miss the lovely luxurious baths I used to enjoy. Think long and hard before burning your bridges!

rosesarered Fri 24-Feb-17 09:52:53

I really don't like wetrooms ( either a love or loathe thing) I just hate everything getting wet.Had this in a hotel the other year and had to put up with it.

winifred01 Fri 24-Feb-17 10:00:17

Had our bath removed and a big shower put in,grab rail and sliding doors. Brilliant, love it!

Theoddbird Fri 24-Feb-17 10:01:24

Oh how I would love a bath...sighs. Do think hard...think how a long soak occasionally would ease an aching back for a start.

Bbnan Fri 24-Feb-17 10:35:49

Put in a wet room 5 years ago....removed bath as it was never used....cost a few bob but well worth it ...had seat installed as well ....my sister uses a plastic sun chair in hers!!!!!!

grannycakes Fri 24-Feb-17 10:45:05

We had a tiny bathroom with sloping ceilings with a shower over the bath. When we had it refitted we decided we only used the bath about three times a year and it would be more sensible to have a good sized shower. So far we're loving it and don't miss the bath at all Room seems much bigger. However there were numerous problems fitting (old house!!) and I was very lucky to have shower facilities in work. Put in a downstairs loo at the same time in the utility room and that was a lifesaver