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Converting bathroom into shower room?

(63 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!

sarahellenwhitney Fri 24-Feb-17 17:24:29

Fortunately my present home already had a separate shower and bath.
Since I had a hip replacement this shower has saved me as no way can I get into a bath.I miss my bath though and have thought of getting a walk in bath as I love the warmth a bath gives. Am I right about this and does anyone have one?

tanith Fri 24-Feb-17 17:48:10

Riverwalk thanks for that explanation I was thinking of an elderly friend who can no longer use her bath but I don't think she would manage it either her balance isn't good.

Legs55 Fri 24-Feb-17 19:07:06

My previous home had an en-suite with shower, I did find it a bit restrictive but managed. We also had a bathroom which I used to wash my hair & DH used.

When I moved after DH died I insisted that I needed a shower, luckily my new home has a wet room. I had only used one once when we stayed in a Holiday Flat & hated it. I think the reason is I have a mop handy & always dry my floor when I've had a shower, not something I could do in the holiday flat.

It definitely makes life easier having a shower, in my case I've never really liked baths much preferring showers

muddynails Fri 24-Feb-17 19:08:52

just to say make sure it is tanked properly, especially if it is upstairs, just moved into house where it hasn't been and
sitting room ceiling has begun to have water ingress problems,also make sure the water pressure is good or get a pump fitted, good plumber will know all this and more

funstr Fri 24-Feb-17 23:49:29

have a small bathroom with a shower over bath and a bath chair which lowers me into bath, as have severe eczema much easier to use creams etc in bath. chair is very easy to use. means i can have a lovely soak and warm water eases my other aches and pains. the chair is easy to remove for husband to use. would like a walk in shower but we both love bath too much. have used on holidays etc with either stool placed in or fold down seat. great for every day but missed my bath and found it difficult to safely apply all oils etc.

allule Sat 25-Feb-17 00:22:53

I don't know if all councils do this, but we had an advisor to come and discuss what we wanted. We weren't eligible for grants, but they had a list of approved plumbers, and would have organised it all for a fee if we had wanted.
We went for a walk-in shower, with plenty of handrails, and it's ideal. My husband has balance problems, and a seat didn't work, so I put two suction grips on the shower screen, and he leans back on the opposite wall. I wasn't sure about this, but he only uses them for balance, not to pull on. I reattach them on first of each month, and have had them for two or three years now with no problems.
He also has trouble with a push button toilet, and we couldn't have a handle, so we have a sensor flush, battery operated. Impresses the grandchildren no end!

David1968 Sat 25-Feb-17 12:00:59

Four years ago we had our 1970s "avocado" bathroom completely refitted. Had a smaller bath installed alongside a larger "walk-in" shower with a fold-down seat and a grab handle. (We don't use the bath but there was enough room to install one - handy for visiting children.) Two years later, DH, aged only 60, had a septic knee which required surgery. Having the shower was brilliant - he could sit there, with a plastic-bag on his leg, and use the (hand-held) shower. I'd highly recommend having a user-friendly shower cubicle in any home. And we'd always choose the shower if it was a choice between either shower or bath.

KirbyGirl Sat 25-Feb-17 12:39:43

SarahHellen - Don't get a walk in bath! My mother had one and she had to sit in it while it filled up - took ages - and then sit there damply while it emptied. Again, took quite a long time. And the bathroom always seemed to smell, but I think there was not enough fall on the waste pipe for it to empty completely.

I had my bath replaced with shower after six weeks without washing hair or self after a hip operation. Like many gransnetters, it was one of the best things I did, but never liked soaking in bath anyway.

Indigoblue Sat 25-Feb-17 13:07:20

After I retired, I bought a bungalow where the bathroom had been converted (not very well) into a shower room. I'm stuck with it. All I can say is "don't do it, don't do it!" Squeezing into a shower cubicle isn't much fun if you're not skinny!

Hattiehelga Sat 25-Feb-17 16:20:59

Havn't had a bath for years !!! Sounds awful doesn't it. We got rid of the bath and installed a large size shower and have never missed the bath which was more and more difficult to get in and out of. Cannot think of any pitfalls or disadvantages - only the convenience of stepping into a roomy shower and coming out feeling refreshed.

Diggingdoris Sun 26-Feb-17 10:57:46

We had a very small bathroom with separate toilet next door. So (as we had a downstairs loo as well) we decided to knock the wall down and where we blocked up one of the doors we put in a quadrant shower. Perfect! Neither of us can manage getting out of the bath but it's still there if we have to sell.

chris77 Mon 27-Feb-17 13:49:03

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