A ceiling mounted rain shower head installed without a handheld is my #1 biggest pet peeve, so common in AirBNB’s. So great on you for pointing this huge mistake so your viewers can plan a better shower.
I'm so fortunate I chose a great contractor for my bathroom remodel! I would have made several of these mistakes if he just went with my initial wishes, but he was willing to explain why several of my ideas were bad and to propose workable solutions. I ended up with an open shower that I love and is gorgeous, but is also perfectly functional. The shower niche and built-in bench of among my favorite features now, and I didn't think I wanted to spend more to have either. My bathroom is still ridiculously small, but I wasn't in a financial position to move walls or anything like that - he took a tiny dysfunctional bathroom and made it a hidden little gem.
That’s awesome! and,…..finding a great contractor is like finding a needle in a haystack these days! Kudos to him for an exceptional job by the sounds of it!!!!!😊
We worked with an interior designer who went through all of these points for our kitchen and bathroom renovations. Although it's extra money upfront, you usually get all of it back by getting the designer's discount on sinks, tiles, appliances, etc., which usually exceeds the design fee. You also have a project manager who is looking out for your best interest in regard to connecting you with reliable contractors and making sure everything runs normally. It would have been impossible for us to juggle all of it. They have uncomfortable arguments for you.
I am not a fan of shower niches as they always collect water, to get the water to run off adequately requires an unacceptable slope on the cill section. With open showers I always spec a slot drain across the threshold that captures all the water. Having just a gulley requires reliable tiling that is often missing. Also, a simple slot drain with a single slope is much safer than a contoured shower base to drain to a gulley, wherever it is.
These are great tips! Need to add choosing tile for the bathroom and shower floor with the proper DCOF, or dynamic coefficient of friction, this will ensure that the floor isn’t a slipping hazard when wet, or with wet feet. Too many people will assume the polished wall tile can be used on the floor. That is a huge mistake.
I agree. I had a friend whose builder persuaded her to do wall tiles in the floor. I knew too that she overused talcum powder whilst in the bathroom. I warned her she would end up breaking her legs and not be found till days later. I actually stopped having her in my life because she refused to heed my warning and became an even nastier individual towardsme. My foresight was correct. She lay naked, with broken legs on the bathroom floor for 4 days before anyone missed her presence. She had to endure surgeries to repair her legs. Yes definitely a I told you so, chuckle moment when I heard this news on the grapevine.
In our shower room the wall and the floor tiles are the same with a R9 rating for slip resistance when wet. Also, a matt wall tile doesn't show condensation like polished or glazed tiles.
Finally someone mentioned handheld showers - you wouldn't believe how many times I was in a hotel on a vacation and they only had a rain shower! Handheld for the win! Also, hygiene is much easier.
@@sherirottweilersforever7772 100! I can live without a handheld for actual shower reasons but I can't live without a handheld for cleaning-the-shower reasons :)
Yes it was helpful. I will now change the knob for the water to not be exactly in line with the shower head. Also I had planned a cut out, but now I will consider a ledge as well. Thanks.
Something I think gets missed a lot but is very important for ladies, is some sort of ledge to put your foot on while you shave your leg. It's usually built in if it's a tub/shower combo, but a lot of these open designs lack it entirely. I see this a lot and every time I do, I just know that a man designed it.
The tile store made a miscalculation on the number of distinctive tiles needed for a friend's bathroom. She had laid most of the tiles before she realized the error and didn't want to destroy the tiles she had already installed. The store was very apologetic and kept ordering matching tiles, but it took six months until a new batch came in looking close enough to finish the job.
A couple additions to this: 1) don't get a shower-tub combo unless it's absolutely necessary, and if you do get one make sure it doesn't have a bunch of unnecessary rounded edges as a component of the design, as this just makes cleaning more difficult and you have less locations to put things down. 2) Consider how to make at least one bathroom in your house mostly accessible for a wheel chair, such as a roll-in shower and toilet near a corner - this can be useful for aging in place or if there's an injury - you don't want to spend $20,000 on a sudden remodel if someone gets injured when you could instead spend just a few hundred to low thousands up front during a remodel. This includes making doorways/showers a little bit wider, nice stability/grab handlebars in the shower and near the toilet that match your design aesthetic, and a low vanity/sink accessible for person sitting down. 3) A really luxurious shower should come with a bench, as sometimes it's easier to clean/shave yourself while sitting down. 4) Similarly, a place to put a mirror (either a hanging or standing mirror) in the shower can be really helpful for cleaning/shaving. 5) Always plan to have extra toilet paper near the toilet, such as a cupboard within arms reach of the toilet while sitting down, don't put your toilet in a closet without a niche or cupboard. 6) Plan to have extra towels near the sink, tub, and shower - because you never know when your spouse might be doing laundry and grabbed the towel you normally use. 7) A laundry basket or a laundry shoot in the bathroom can be easily incorporated in if you plan it. 8) Similarly, plan where your trash cans will go and don't be afraid to have one for each vanity plus one in a toilet closet.
If accessibility for aging in place is your goal, then a toilet closet should be avoided. I am not saying this as a decorator. I worked as a nurse for many years. If your helper can’t get in there with you and move around, they can’t help you. These toilet closets are getting quite popular with young folks lately but I don’t think they will age well. I, for one, want a toilet that accommodates a washlet (like a Toto) and space around it. I don’t mind someone walking me in and getting me seated. But, I prefer the power washer for clean up over a human hand that is not attached to my arm.
Yes. On a new build, you should definitely at least make the openings wider, and it would probably look better. Things like grab bars could easily be added later, and you would have a better idea of exactly where you need them. I "think" the width needs to at least 40", do you know? You could also be sure that you have enough room to turn a wheel chair around. A designated place to put a low shelf and mirror inside the shower, you could even plumb for a low spigot and just cap it off until needed. Good points.
One other thing worth working into the design if possible: a towel rack that's over a radiator or HVAC vent. It avoids the expense of an internally heated towel rack but can work just as well. It's hard to overstate the benefits of having towels that stay bone-dry and warm.
as a chippy who has renovated over 100 bathrooms in the last 18 years, I wholehearedly agree with this video. Very practical, very spot on. Lighting, and ventaliation wasnt touched upon, but his points were very accurate.
Remember that you will not always be young and agile! When I had my retirement home built, I had grab bars installed in the shower and on either side of the entrance. I also had a horizontal bar placed next to the toilet that serves as a towel bar. Because grab bars need to be securely fastened to a stud, they're most easily installed during construction.
Patrices will be required for fixing of all handrails, shelving, brassware and ceramicware, it can therefore be useful to line a timber stud wall with 20mm (3/4") ply to allow fixing at any point. This coupled with a cementitious tile backer board creates a rock solid base for fixing that also won't stress the tiles.
This video came along at the absolutely perfect time for me. Almost every single suggestion either answered my questions or stopped me from making a mistake!!!! THANK YOU!!!!
Don't run exhausts into your attic. Either they go into a mechanical ventilation system if it's engineered to handle the moisture, or else they're ducted to outdoors.
I love niches for corraling toiletries in a tub or shower area, and certainly wish I had them in my bath. Since product packaging is usually garish and tacky, I purchased white pump bottles in two sizes for shampoo, cream rinse, face & body washes, etc. and dispensed everything into those. Even in my old fiberglass shower stall they look neat & clean, and add a bit of a modern touch. All have simple waterproof labels as well. Terrific video as usual, Reynard!
So right, we have 42 inch cabinets with bowl sinks on top. In that bathroom, we have to use a step stool to use the sink. Wish the contractors would have thought of that.
This man is RIGHT about everything! When I finally do my bathrooms I WILL have a long shower ledge and a door with no metal trim. Door-less showers are insane. Why would anyone want to turn their entire bathroom into Sea World?! You'd be constantly wiping water spots off of everything.
With regards to a shower niche or built-in shower shelf, there is one other option and that is the corner shelf. I decided I didn't what to break up the design of the tiling in my shower (using 12x24" tiles) with a niche or tiled shelf, so I have opted to go with something like Schluter integrated corner and/or wall shelf. These are metal shelves that either have tabs that cement into the grout lines (corner shelf) or have flanges that site behind the tile as you are tiling the wall. They are very clean and modern looking.
A great video on bathroom design’s practicalities. I am actually also quite interested in elderly friendly bathroom designs. YT is lacking good design ideas on this topic. Would appreciate if you could also explore such designs and made a video on this. I am highly interested in incorporating solid concrete shower bench designs seamlessly into one of my bathroom (inspired by a design I had came across when travelling in Australia). Very keen as I have aging parents who recently had a fall and had difficulty accessing the bathroom. Would welcome any helpful recommendations links/looking forward to any of your prospective videos (hopefully) on elderly friendly designs around the house too. Thank you
Solid concrete is extremely unforgiving in case of a fall. I'm still researching this myself, but I think the optimal material for a shower seat is recycled plastic planking. It has the water and mildew resistance you need, and also a bit of give if you land against it. If you don't want plastic, then your options are either timber or steel - well painted timber will last a while before it starts to rot and won't cost a lot to replace, and galvanised steel will last longer than you do although it doesn't have the give of timber or plastic. The Australian government has several documents about Liveable Housing and Disability Accessible Housing, most of which are free to download, and there's also AS 1428.1 which they'll charge you to access the current version but if you search you'll find the superseded version available to view online. Stuff like the circulation space required for a person in a wheelchair to access plumbing fittings, benches, light switches, and door handles, as well as enough room to get out of a wheelchair and onto the toilet, where to reinforce the walls so you can add grab rails later (or where to put grab rails if you design them in from the start), colour contrast so vision impaired people can navigate the house - there's a huge amount of information out there.
I have washed my 11-pound dog in the deep laundry sink, the shower-bath combo with a handheld sprayer, and the large master bathroom shower with a handheld sprayer; we both prefer the master shower!
Thank you for all the great suggestions. I did not think much about the mixer location and your video made me want to reconsider. Also I liked the tips about the vanity height very much. It was something I wasn't unsure about my decision, and you gave me more confidence toward choosing a non-standard vanity height.
Great advice, absolutely agree with the shower ledge. Do you know how waterproofing is done with the shower ledge? Is there a slight slope built in? Thanks
thank you! we're about to start remodeling our awful main bathroom (the previous owner clearly didn't get this advice), and some of these tips are pretty useful.
When I did my small bathroom I put in two shower niches, one at bathtub level and one at shower level. I didn’t do a full demo but just tile for the shower/ tub surround because of replaced plumbing, wainscoting around the room and the floor. It is essentially a wet room and since the shower is in the tub, I opted for no surround or even a rod for shower curtains. Makes the room look much bigger. I kept a lot of the original features so everything looks original to the house. To me the biggest regret is to remove a tub to make a big shower. Sure, that may make sense when you are 30 or 40 but at some point you may want or need to have a long soak in a hot bath and you no longer have a tub.
when you're 30 you want open shower, when you're 50 you want soaking tub, when you're 70 you can't get to tub and go back to open shower you can even wheel in. It's the cycle. have two bathrooms is the only solution.
I put in 2 eye-level niches in the bathtub-shower combo and in the large master shower. In addition, the master shower has another niche lower, by the built-in bench. They are filled - 1 has shampoos and conditioners, 2 has body wash and nail wash and brush, and 3 has dog products and medicated products. Works for us!
I can attest to not having a flat paint in the washroom. DO NOT cheap out on paint in the washroom because it also peels/chips very easily. We lived in our last apartment for only 3 years. By the end, so many areas of that washroom were peeling due to the flat paint the landlord chose.
The lever mixers, featured here, are very useful in other ways: they combine the temperature and water pressure, and you can easily shut off the water while showering. The latter is useful if you want to save water and energy while showering.
I can attest to the open shower issue. My contractor created insufficient slope and used inadequate supports for the raised floor to create the slope. This caused water to pool, the grout to crack, and rotted out the floor in less than 3 years. Fortunately, they fixed the issues. And I added a glass door that nearly touches the floor and keeps most of the water in the shower pan. It also keeps it warmer. A quick sqeejie after showering is all it takes to keep the water from pooling around the floor by the door.
What is your opinion on a pocket door for a small bathroom? Being able to lock the door isn't a big deal since I live alone. I'm more worried about the door's longevity, especially in a humid environment.
Behr Marquee and Behr Dynasty Are the only two paints I will ever use again. They both kick butt over the Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore paints you suggested.
thanks Reynard! I've been looking for relevant ANSI reqs to lodge a defect on my bathroom ledge that is sloping inwards - much appreciated and love your advice as always!
Excellent advice. One should always be suspicious of the latest fad, whatever it may be. Just because the neighbors are installing an open shower or a pedestal sink or one of those sinks that looks like a bowl sitting on a table (WTF??), it doesn't mean you need to. My bathroom is 65 years old and the only additions it's gotten have been a very conservatively styled vanity and a shower door. The mid-century tile patterns that looked dated when I moved in are even coming back into style in some circles. Why replace something when it's still working?
Tell me about it, I always love it when designers state things are the latest trend. The more appropriate term is fad. Just looks what happens when you buy a new to you place and you walk around and say everything looks so dated or straight out of whatever decade. I prefer to focus on timeless designs that are functional and will always look good.
Lived in a house for about a year where the shower mixer was placed behind a fixed glass wall/partition. I either had to drop the handheld into the shower and hope it wouldn't make everything wet or hold the handheld until the water was warm because I couldn't put the handheld on top of the mixer, nor shove it to the side. Meaning that if I switched on the shower I might as well step right in, clothes and shoes and all and take a cold shower. I also like to wash my hair with the handheld and lean my head only upside down into the shower so I can wash my hair with cold water. To reach that mixer, I had to step into the shower and switch it on or off, defeating the purpose because I would get wet anyway. This mixer and partician placement combo still irks me 😂😂
For me the worst flaw in my bathroom set was the insufficient number and less-than-optimal size of railings and handles. There were only two by the main bath - and now I'm tied to standing in the same exact spot. Sitting down is not an option at all. It just happens with age.
I just bought an apartment and it's the NICEST place I've ever lived (even though it's probably pretty basic by rich people standards). The first thing I'm going to do is FULLY TILE the bathroom like right now it has tiles all around the shower area but the rest of the walls are just painted white and i know if I get like big deep brown tiles with maybe a bit of marbling like orange in a sort of opal colour palette and fill the walls with them it'll look stunning! Then I think i just need a string of leds and like a little microcontroller to hook up a proximity sensor so I can drape them behind them mirror and program a little thing to wake up the lights for 10 minutes whenever it detects motion past it and it'll be the best bathroom ever :D
Wall tiling should be onto a tile backer board and not plaster or plasterboard and unless the floor is concrete you need to allow for a debonding membrane for the floor tiling.
With our master bath remodel....I did the design and sourcing and my husband did the work. With design, I really thought about how, we as a couple used our bath. From the many hours of HGTV, I knew what I did and didn't like and what would help in a resale situation. It's crazy but with time and effort (and RUclips videos) we ended up with the bathroom of our dreams for 5 grand. (My husband a wood worker is handy) Plus I'm glad to say we avoided all these pitfalls. ( we have a open door shower with a pony wall/half glass. Attic bath so it's warm up there always and plenty of ventilation)
Great advice and well presented. Question: is it better to have shower glass walls extend to the ceiling (8-9ft) or just high enough to contain the shower water? Glass door would be normal height 6 -6.5ft). Increasing chance of mold build up in a more closed in shower is my concern, plus added cleaning.
I splurged and got custom cabinetry done for my kitchen and my bathroom. But one thing I forgot to ask for was a taller countertop in the bathroom. Oh well. It’s not worth the time money and effort to change it out so I’ll live with the standard height but I wish it would’ve been taller.
Hey! What’s the best efficient way to place the controls on a new large shower so you don’t get wet turning on the water and freezing until water warms up?
big big yes on buying at least 20% more tiles than you need. insurance might pay for damages but it's so much more easier when you can just replace broken tiles or tiles you need to take out to repair a leak instead of redoing the whole floor. 1 day fix vs 1 week big invading worksite in your kitchen.
even better, if you can, instead of putting wires and tubes into the floor, make a technical canal. this way, you can always add or replace wires and pipes when needed without breaking the tiles. this is especially for people who have a cellar under the whole house.
I don't know why builders don't just use universal access wet room designs in all their builds. Honestly just seems like commonsense and value adding to the property to do so.
Any opinions on using porcelain tile on a walk-in shower curb? The contractor we've been planning our bathroom with is fighting us on this, insisting that a solid slab is the only way to go, saying leakage could be an issue with regular rmtile and grout lines....I simply do not understand this - considering the *entire shower floor* is tiles and grout lines, and that's where the water is hitting, wouldn't THAT area be a bigger leakage concern than a little 4" wide sloped curb???
@@IamKittySweets from my experience visiting ppl who have them, they usually have a pretty narrow and therefore sharp edge so resting your hands on it is very uncomfortable, also they often are not bowly enough and have a big flat bottom which makes it harder to flush whatever is in the sink, also you 100% WILL spill water outside of it so the space around it will get wet and trying to clean it is kinda hard because you need to squeeze between the bowl and the surface or the wall and the bowl That's only my experience from using it a few times, I'm pretty sure ppl who own them would have some more things to say. Anyway while they look cool, gotta give them that, I'd avoid them like a plague, just give me a regular ass sink that actually works
Shower mixer- I just use the sink for a few minutes until the water warms up. 😂 This is good for remembering to regularly wash my eyeglasses. The sink uses less water, I can just put it on a trickle, and the pipes are warm by the time I’m ready to get in the shower.
How does using the sink use less water? Unless you have a recirculating hot water line, the cold water in the pipe needs to be evacuated to make room for hot water. That volume doesn't change.
@@thursdaythought7201 The bathroom is on the top floor, the water heater on the bottom. So it takes care of the cold water between the water heater and the bathroom. There’s still a bit of water that’s cold in the shower specific pipe, but it’s not a terrible shock, nor does it take over 5 minutes to heat up. I can’t put the shower on a trickle, so if I turned the shower on, it would use significantly more water during the heating up stage than the sink, with the sink faucet being turned on enough to wash my glasses, turned to hot which empties the cold water in the pipes and makes sure the water heater is tripped so I don’t run out of hot water during the shower.
@@kellybraun7048 I mean you do you, but that’s complete nonsense. Having a higher flow rate faucet (the shower) would empty the cold water faster than a sink faucet. Idk what you think you’re gaining.
@@thursdaythought7201 I’m not talking faster, I’m talking not wasting water. I need to wash my glasses and do a few other things at the bathroom sink before a shower anyway and I don’t mind cold water for those things. And I’ve timed it- it takes the same amount of time for the water to heat up with the sink as with the shower if the hot water hasn’t been used yet that day. Same time with a trickle of water at the sink as full blast at the sink, and the same as having the shower on. Edit: Oh, I see where you got the faster idea from my comment. It takes about 5 min to get hot water to the bathroom. If I get hot water in the sink first, it’s about a second of cold water in the shower, then it’s the perfect temperature. Otherwise, I’m running a shower for five minutes and unable to use it because I can’t stand that much cold water, lol. Edit 2: And I don’t know about anyone else’s water heater, but ours doesn’t constantly heat water- it makes sure it’s the right temp when we ask for hot water, then it stops heating water when we stop asking for it. So it has to warm the water in the tank before it sends it to the opposite end of the house.
@@kellybraun7048 Ok so you're just using the cold water instead of letting it go down the drain, so nothing intrinsically to do with sink vs shower. You water heater doesn't keep the water constantly hot? Is it a tankless? It shouldn't take time for it to heat up. All water heaters should provide instant hot water when requested.
Grout anywhere requires extra maintenance, though a lot depends on your water supply. My water comes from a well that has iron and manganese, so I opted for a one-piece fiberglass shower stall. It's quite easy to clean. And after dealing with a glass door that never looked clean I changed to a synthetic cloth shower curtain. It can be washed, and when it starts looking tatty I can replace it inexpensively.
Very helpful video👍🏼👍🏼💯💯 But you forgot the most important and necessary product of the bath/shower. This is the foundation and back-bone of a bath/shower is The Red Membrane that you are supposed to put on before you install the tiles.
like your doorless shower critique. i was thinking about getting it but now seeing your mistake pictures, i might not. cheaper contractors and material may not yield results as inspiration photos, and most homeowners may not want to spend so much on renovating a bathroom.
💜💜 I would like to suggest an addition as No 12 :-) Not enough electrical sockets around the sink, at least two per user and preferably inside drawers or cabinets.
Great tips! I feel like the doorless showers could be a video in itself, I can't figure out where the water will end up because it bounces on walls and floor too xD. thanks !
All the tiles for a job must come from the same batch, even though they may be the same tile, tiles from different batches will be noticeably different when fixed. Also, retain a number of tiles for replacement if any tile is damaged. The ground/backing for tiles is important as plasterboard/plaster will move differentially with the tiles causing micro cracks in the grout, in addition use a waterproof membrane behind the tiles in wet areas. For bathroom ventilation it is now a good idea to incorporate heat recovery so as not to waste the heat. A single room heat recovery fan unit may be about 4x the cost of a simple fan but when considered as part of the overall cost its minimal. Don't throw the heat away with the ventilation, its expensive. Also, I always spec that the ventilation is controlled by a PIR sensor that senses movement and bodies, this means that the ventilation automatically switches on when the bathroom is in use. Using the lighting as a switch for the ventilation is not reliable as often the bathroom can be adequately illuminated by daylight so that the ventilation is not switched on.
Should the shower head be centred between the shelf wall and the shower screen (or wall) - or should it be centred on the full height wall and the shower screen?
The builder of the unit I live in built the bathroom counter extra high and added a 10" tall vessel sink on top, with the back 1" away from the wall mirror. It's ridiculous to use, and to clean.
Reynard, these niches would be so much better to have some kind of a fence half way up. My shower stuff looks bad and mismatched, and the niche seems to put these items on display. A type of fence would not completely hide this junk, but it would be a little less noticeable. Thanks.
The only problem with a fence in the niche is that it's just another surface to clean - but I totally agree that shower items are unsightly and the niche shouldn't be in the focal point.
@@fidel-3470 Well if you have your rags and cleaner to clean the rest of the shower, it is not that big of a deal. Since I wrote that, I have a little different idea. So it is done as-is, but being sure to have a good slope on the shelf, put like an opaque band of acrylic band about a half inch from the bottom of the niche, So you still see the very tops of the bottles but not see all the junk. It could be a snap off thing, so it is easy to clean. OR make it able to be tiled or covered with the same material as the rest. You are right, the niche is the first thing the eye goes to, so you need to really "Style" shelf. That is not real life. I suspect most people have lots of junk there as well. Junk is stuff you need at your fingertips, razor, toothpaste, etc.
I'd personally just corral the smaller items in a mug, pot or toothbrush holder (hole on the base so it drains). Bigger bottles like soap and shampoo I just get matching bottles and buy refills instead of new pumps every time, or just leave as is if it doesn't bother you :D. Can also move the niche away from direct sightline like you mentioned.
@@reynardlowell All good ideas, front stage and center is not as good as one of the lower corners. I live where is is always very humid, so leaving things out to dray is important here.
Does anyone have experience replacing a regular tub with a walk-in? The tub in our next house is so small, to the point of being unusable. i'd like to take it out and put in a walk-in, but i'm scared to death of any potential surprises. We could always just use it as a shower, since it's only 14 inches high, so all is not lost if we don't change it. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you.
I must confess, I commited the first mistake 🤭. I bought juuuust enough tiles, because why spending unnecessary money. It was not enough, just few more needed, had to run to the store to get them. And if course they already didn't have the same colour😖.
Our choice not to build niches was for “difficulty” of cleaning , for practical purposes a smart self made it a effortless wipe with squeegee , no buildup of mould either.
Although one rarely sees them, build in a seat in the shower. That makes it much easier to wash one's feet or for women to shave their legs. It does not add a lot of cost.
A ceiling mounted rain shower head installed without a handheld is my #1 biggest pet peeve, so common in AirBNB’s. So great on you for pointing this huge mistake so your viewers can plan a better shower.
I'm so fortunate I chose a great contractor for my bathroom remodel! I would have made several of these mistakes if he just went with my initial wishes, but he was willing to explain why several of my ideas were bad and to propose workable solutions. I ended up with an open shower that I love and is gorgeous, but is also perfectly functional. The shower niche and built-in bench of among my favorite features now, and I didn't think I wanted to spend more to have either. My bathroom is still ridiculously small, but I wasn't in a financial position to move walls or anything like that - he took a tiny dysfunctional bathroom and made it a hidden little gem.
who did u use and where does he work?
@@zenastronomy Sioux City
That’s awesome! and,…..finding a great contractor is like finding a needle in a haystack these days! Kudos to him for an exceptional job by the sounds of it!!!!!😊
We worked with an interior designer who went through all of these points for our kitchen and bathroom renovations. Although it's extra money upfront, you usually get all of it back by getting the designer's discount on sinks, tiles, appliances, etc., which usually exceeds the design fee. You also have a project manager who is looking out for your best interest in regard to connecting you with reliable contractors and making sure everything runs normally. It would have been impossible for us to juggle all of it. They have uncomfortable arguments for you.
I am not a fan of shower niches as they always collect water, to get the water to run off adequately requires an unacceptable slope on the cill section.
With open showers I always spec a slot drain across the threshold that captures all the water. Having just a gulley requires reliable tiling that is often missing. Also, a simple slot drain with a single slope is much safer than a contoured shower base to drain to a gulley, wherever it is.
These are great tips! Need to add choosing tile for the bathroom and shower floor with the proper DCOF, or dynamic coefficient of friction, this will ensure that the floor isn’t a slipping hazard when wet, or with wet feet. Too many people will assume the polished wall tile can be used on the floor. That is a huge mistake.
I agree. I had a friend whose builder persuaded her to do wall tiles in the floor. I knew too that she overused talcum powder whilst in the bathroom. I warned her she would end up breaking her legs and not be found till days later. I actually stopped having her in my life because she refused to heed my warning and became an even nastier individual towardsme. My foresight was correct. She lay naked, with broken legs on the bathroom floor for 4 days before anyone missed her presence. She had to endure surgeries to repair her legs. Yes definitely a I told you so, chuckle moment when I heard this news on the grapevine.
In our shower room the wall and the floor tiles are the same with a R9 rating for slip resistance when wet. Also, a matt wall tile doesn't show condensation like polished or glazed tiles.
Finally someone mentioned handheld showers - you wouldn't believe how many times I was in a hotel on a vacation and they only had a rain shower! Handheld for the win! Also, hygiene is much easier.
So much easier to clean the shower too.
I love a good rain shower but despise one without a handheld.
Women need handheld to wash their fancy parts...
@@sherirottweilersforever7772 100! I can live without a handheld for actual shower reasons but I can't live without a handheld for cleaning-the-shower reasons :)
Yes it was helpful.
I will now change the knob for the water to not be exactly in line with the shower head.
Also I had planned a cut out, but now I will consider a ledge as well. Thanks.
Something I think gets missed a lot but is very important for ladies, is some sort of ledge to put your foot on while you shave your leg. It's usually built in if it's a tub/shower combo, but a lot of these open designs lack it entirely. I see this a lot and every time I do, I just know that a man designed it.
So true. Plus when there's no handshower. Good luck cleaning certain body parts without it.
We don't put them in rentals because some 300 pounder will just break it causing massive water/tile damage
I have a nice teak bench in my shower for this. It's also great when one is sick
@@ProudCanadian-vv6bk Free standing or wall hanging?
@@earthangel2524 free standing
The tile store made a miscalculation on the number of distinctive tiles needed for a friend's bathroom. She had laid most of the tiles before she realized the error and didn't want to destroy the tiles she had already installed. The store was very apologetic and kept ordering matching tiles, but it took six months until a new batch came in looking close enough to finish the job.
Saw this just in time! We already remodeled our bigger bathroom, now it's time for the smaller one downstairs.
A couple additions to this: 1) don't get a shower-tub combo unless it's absolutely necessary, and if you do get one make sure it doesn't have a bunch of unnecessary rounded edges as a component of the design, as this just makes cleaning more difficult and you have less locations to put things down. 2) Consider how to make at least one bathroom in your house mostly accessible for a wheel chair, such as a roll-in shower and toilet near a corner - this can be useful for aging in place or if there's an injury - you don't want to spend $20,000 on a sudden remodel if someone gets injured when you could instead spend just a few hundred to low thousands up front during a remodel. This includes making doorways/showers a little bit wider, nice stability/grab handlebars in the shower and near the toilet that match your design aesthetic, and a low vanity/sink accessible for person sitting down. 3) A really luxurious shower should come with a bench, as sometimes it's easier to clean/shave yourself while sitting down. 4) Similarly, a place to put a mirror (either a hanging or standing mirror) in the shower can be really helpful for cleaning/shaving. 5) Always plan to have extra toilet paper near the toilet, such as a cupboard within arms reach of the toilet while sitting down, don't put your toilet in a closet without a niche or cupboard. 6) Plan to have extra towels near the sink, tub, and shower - because you never know when your spouse might be doing laundry and grabbed the towel you normally use. 7) A laundry basket or a laundry shoot in the bathroom can be easily incorporated in if you plan it. 8) Similarly, plan where your trash cans will go and don't be afraid to have one for each vanity plus one in a toilet closet.
If accessibility for aging in place is your goal, then a toilet closet should be avoided. I am not saying this as a decorator. I worked as a nurse for many years. If your helper can’t get in there with you and move around, they can’t help you. These toilet closets are getting quite popular with young folks lately but I don’t think they will age well.
I, for one, want a toilet that accommodates a washlet (like a Toto) and space around it. I don’t mind someone walking me in and getting me seated. But, I prefer the power washer for clean up over a human hand that is not attached to my arm.
number 2, agree 100%👍
Yes. On a new build, you should definitely at least make the openings wider, and it would probably look better. Things like grab bars could easily be added later, and you would have a better idea of exactly where you need them.
I "think" the width needs to at least 40", do you know? You could also be sure that you have enough room to turn a wheel chair around. A designated place to put a low shelf and mirror inside the shower, you could even plumb for a low spigot and just cap it off until needed. Good points.
You have more than one bathroom?
One other thing worth working into the design if possible: a towel rack that's over a radiator or HVAC vent. It avoids the expense of an internally heated towel rack but can work just as well. It's hard to overstate the benefits of having towels that stay bone-dry and warm.
as a chippy who has renovated over 100 bathrooms in the last 18 years, I wholehearedly agree with this video. Very practical, very spot on. Lighting, and ventaliation wasnt touched upon, but his points were very accurate.
Back to wall freestanding tub. Will have to remember that
Remember that you will not always be young and agile! When I had my retirement home built, I had grab bars installed in the shower and on either side of the entrance. I also had a horizontal bar placed next to the toilet that serves as a towel bar. Because grab bars need to be securely fastened to a stud, they're most easily installed during construction.
This is excellent advice. I've long advocated that grab bars should be part of the building code.
Patrices will be required for fixing of all handrails, shelving, brassware and ceramicware, it can therefore be useful to line a timber stud wall with 20mm (3/4") ply to allow fixing at any point. This coupled with a cementitious tile backer board creates a rock solid base for fixing that also won't stress the tiles.
This video came along at the absolutely perfect time for me. Almost every single suggestion either answered my questions or stopped me from making a mistake!!!! THANK YOU!!!!
Be careful where the bathroom exhaust fan ends. An open, blunt end blowing into your attic can cause moisture problems.
Don't run exhausts into your attic. Either they go into a mechanical ventilation system if it's engineered to handle the moisture, or else they're ducted to outdoors.
@@tealkerberus748 Seriously, Energy Recovery Ventilators for the win.
Any ventilation must go to fresh air, pumping warm smelly, humid air into the attic space is downright negligent practice.
I love niches for corraling toiletries in a tub or shower area, and certainly wish I had them in my bath. Since product packaging is usually garish and tacky, I purchased white pump bottles in two sizes for shampoo, cream rinse, face & body washes, etc. and dispensed everything into those. Even in my old fiberglass shower stall they look neat & clean, and add a bit of a modern touch. All have simple waterproof labels as well. Terrific video as usual, Reynard!
So right, we have 42 inch cabinets with bowl sinks on top. In that bathroom, we have to use a step stool to use the sink. Wish the contractors would have thought of that.
Yes. I wish i would have included a hand held shower head, along with my rain head one.
Very useful tip about the dye lot for variations in tile colours, thank you Reynard.
This man is RIGHT about everything! When I finally do my bathrooms I WILL have a long shower ledge and a door with no metal trim. Door-less showers are insane. Why would anyone want to turn their entire bathroom into Sea World?! You'd be constantly wiping water spots off of everything.
Please never delete your channel, we are buying a house in a few years. Love from South Africa
With regards to a shower niche or built-in shower shelf, there is one other option and that is the corner shelf. I decided I didn't what to break up the design of the tiling in my shower (using 12x24" tiles) with a niche or tiled shelf, so I have opted to go with something like Schluter integrated corner and/or wall shelf. These are metal shelves that either have tabs that cement into the grout lines (corner shelf) or have flanges that site behind the tile as you are tiling the wall. They are very clean and modern looking.
A great video on bathroom design’s practicalities. I am actually also quite interested in elderly friendly bathroom designs. YT is lacking good design ideas on this topic. Would appreciate if you could also explore such designs and made a video on this. I am highly interested in incorporating solid concrete shower bench designs seamlessly into one of my bathroom (inspired by a design I had came across when travelling in Australia). Very keen as I have aging parents who recently had a fall and had difficulty accessing the bathroom. Would welcome any helpful recommendations links/looking forward to any of your prospective videos (hopefully) on elderly friendly designs around the house too. Thank you
Solid concrete is extremely unforgiving in case of a fall. I'm still researching this myself, but I think the optimal material for a shower seat is recycled plastic planking. It has the water and mildew resistance you need, and also a bit of give if you land against it. If you don't want plastic, then your options are either timber or steel - well painted timber will last a while before it starts to rot and won't cost a lot to replace, and galvanised steel will last longer than you do although it doesn't have the give of timber or plastic.
The Australian government has several documents about Liveable Housing and Disability Accessible Housing, most of which are free to download, and there's also AS 1428.1 which they'll charge you to access the current version but if you search you'll find the superseded version available to view online. Stuff like the circulation space required for a person in a wheelchair to access plumbing fittings, benches, light switches, and door handles, as well as enough room to get out of a wheelchair and onto the toilet, where to reinforce the walls so you can add grab rails later (or where to put grab rails if you design them in from the start), colour contrast so vision impaired people can navigate the house - there's a huge amount of information out there.
Handheld shower head is also clutch for washing dogs!
I wouldn't want to use a bathroom shared with dogs. My son has two dogs and they get hosed off outside.
@@rightmeduck So you dont own dogs? Thanks for chiming in.
I have washed my 11-pound dog in the deep laundry sink, the shower-bath combo with a handheld sprayer, and the large master bathroom shower with a handheld sprayer; we both prefer the master shower!
I build high end custom homes and what he says is all true. Extra bonus points for properly pronouncing "niche" as "neesh". It's a French word.
And how do you pronounce Prague and Van Gogh... English speakers have a tendency to Anglicize words... Bombay/Mumbai. Peking//Beijing... (spell ???)
French speaker frenchify English words too.😂
Ya I hate when people say nich
@@emiliebova Sometimes it's because they can't pronounce certain sounds like in many other languages. Niche rhymes with sheesh, so no excuse there.
Thank you for all the great suggestions. I did not think much about the mixer location and your video made me want to reconsider. Also I liked the tips about the vanity height very much. It was something I wasn't unsure about my decision, and you gave me more confidence toward choosing a non-standard vanity height.
Great advice, absolutely agree with the shower ledge. Do you know how waterproofing is done with the shower ledge? Is there a slight slope built in? Thanks
Is it a mistake to replace my current tubs with walk in showers? I was wondering if this would kill the resale value of my home?
Excellent advice. Very thorough and nicely delivered. Thank you.
Please publish a book about this! Willingly to purchase ❤
Reynard's videos are always so helpful and easy to watch.
thank you! we're about to start remodeling our awful main bathroom (the previous owner clearly didn't get this advice), and some of these tips are pretty useful.
When I did my small bathroom I put in two shower niches, one at bathtub level and one at shower level. I didn’t do a full demo but just tile for the shower/ tub surround because of replaced plumbing, wainscoting around the room and the floor. It is essentially a wet room and since the shower is in the tub, I opted for no surround or even a rod for shower curtains. Makes the room look much bigger. I kept a lot of the original features so everything looks original to the house.
To me the biggest regret is to remove a tub to make a big shower. Sure, that may make sense when you are 30 or 40 but at some point you may want or need to have a long soak in a hot bath and you no longer have a tub.
when you're 30 you want open shower, when you're 50 you want soaking tub, when you're 70 you can't get to tub and go back to open shower you can even wheel in. It's the cycle. have two bathrooms is the only solution.
THANK YOU for that info
I put in 2 eye-level niches in the bathtub-shower combo and in the large master shower. In addition, the master shower has another niche lower, by the built-in bench. They are filled - 1 has shampoos and conditioners, 2 has body wash and nail wash and brush, and 3 has dog products and medicated products. Works for us!
Another great video, Reynard!
thanks, Reynard. All of that is sound advice.
5:38 Totally agree.
I'll add skip storage and counter. Tiny counter mean you won't be able to do a fair amount of things.
THANK YOU for this video, i am so happy to find it, exactly what the doctor ordered!!!!!
Great video & advice. Thank you. Do you have any plans to make a similar one for low maintenance / easy to clean tips for bathrooms?
I have one on low maintenance bathroom here - ruclips.net/video/bje3AgwMzMc/видео.html
I can attest to not having a flat paint in the washroom. DO NOT cheap out on paint in the washroom because it also peels/chips very easily.
We lived in our last apartment for only 3 years. By the end, so many areas of that washroom were peeling due to the flat paint the landlord chose.
The lever mixers, featured here, are very useful in other ways: they combine the temperature and water pressure, and you can easily shut off the water while showering. The latter is useful if you want to save water and energy while showering.
Very soothing voice. Thanks for the tips!.
I can attest to the open shower issue. My contractor created insufficient slope and used inadequate supports for the raised floor to create the slope. This caused water to pool, the grout to crack, and rotted out the floor in less than 3 years. Fortunately, they fixed the issues. And I added a glass door that nearly touches the floor and keeps most of the water in the shower pan. It also keeps it warmer. A quick sqeejie after showering is all it takes to keep the water from pooling around the floor by the door.
I love my open shower. On days when I can't walk unaided, I can just wheel on in. I will not be making that more difficult for myself any time soon.
I think the Pinterest App will give you so many elderly friendly bathrooms ideas.
What is your opinion on a pocket door for a small bathroom? Being able to lock the door isn't a big deal since I live alone. I'm more worried about the door's longevity, especially in a humid environment.
Thank you so much for this video! I just subscribed as I find your tips and advice invaluable.
Behr Marquee and Behr Dynasty Are the only two paints I will ever use again. They both kick butt over the Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore paints you suggested.
thanks Reynard! I've been looking for relevant ANSI reqs to lodge a defect on my bathroom ledge that is sloping inwards - much appreciated and love your advice as always!
Excellent advice. One should always be suspicious of the latest fad, whatever it may be. Just because the neighbors are installing an open shower or a pedestal sink or one of those sinks that looks like a bowl sitting on a table (WTF??), it doesn't mean you need to. My bathroom is 65 years old and the only additions it's gotten have been a very conservatively styled vanity and a shower door. The mid-century tile patterns that looked dated when I moved in are even coming back into style in some circles. Why replace something when it's still working?
Tell me about it, I always love it when designers state things are the latest trend. The more appropriate term is fad. Just looks what happens when you buy a new to you place and you walk around and say everything looks so dated or straight out of whatever decade. I prefer to focus on timeless designs that are functional and will always look good.
Lived in a house for about a year where the shower mixer was placed behind a fixed glass wall/partition. I either had to drop the handheld into the shower and hope it wouldn't make everything wet or hold the handheld until the water was warm because I couldn't put the handheld on top of the mixer, nor shove it to the side. Meaning that if I switched on the shower I might as well step right in, clothes and shoes and all and take a cold shower. I also like to wash my hair with the handheld and lean my head only upside down into the shower so I can wash my hair with cold water. To reach that mixer, I had to step into the shower and switch it on or off, defeating the purpose because I would get wet anyway.
This mixer and partician placement combo still irks me 😂😂
For me the worst flaw in my bathroom set was the insufficient number and less-than-optimal size of railings and handles. There were only two by the main bath - and now I'm tied to standing in the same exact spot. Sitting down is not an option at all. It just happens with age.
I just bought an apartment and it's the NICEST place I've ever lived (even though it's probably pretty basic by rich people standards). The first thing I'm going to do is FULLY TILE the bathroom like right now it has tiles all around the shower area but the rest of the walls are just painted white and i know if I get like big deep brown tiles with maybe a bit of marbling like orange in a sort of opal colour palette and fill the walls with them it'll look stunning! Then I think i just need a string of leds and like a little microcontroller to hook up a proximity sensor so I can drape them behind them mirror and program a little thing to wake up the lights for 10 minutes whenever it detects motion past it and it'll be the best bathroom ever :D
Wall tiling should be onto a tile backer board and not plaster or plasterboard and unless the floor is concrete you need to allow for a debonding membrane for the floor tiling.
Thank you for sharing
Excellent. Thank you so much for sharing ❤
Excellent pointers, thanks ☺️
With our master bath remodel....I did the design and sourcing and my husband did the work. With design, I really thought about how, we as a couple used our bath. From the many hours of HGTV, I knew what I did and didn't like and what would help in a resale situation. It's crazy but with time and effort (and RUclips videos) we ended up with the bathroom of our dreams for 5 grand. (My husband a wood worker is handy) Plus I'm glad to say we avoided all these pitfalls. ( we have a open door shower with a pony wall/half glass. Attic bath so it's warm up there always and plenty of ventilation)
These tips were good, thank you!
Great advice and well presented. Question: is it better to have shower glass walls extend to the ceiling (8-9ft) or just high enough to contain the shower water? Glass door would be normal height 6 -6.5ft). Increasing chance of mold build up in a more closed in shower is my concern, plus added cleaning.
Excellent Advise!
Thank you!
I splurged and got custom cabinetry done for my kitchen and my bathroom. But one thing I forgot to ask for was a taller countertop in the bathroom. Oh well. It’s not worth the time money and effort to change it out so I’ll live with the standard height but I wish it would’ve been taller.
Hey! What’s the best efficient way to place the controls on a new large shower so you don’t get wet turning on the water and freezing until water warms up?
He said it in the video. Offset.
Love your contents. Just what I have been looking for
big big yes on buying at least 20% more tiles than you need. insurance might pay for damages but it's so much more easier when you can just replace broken tiles or tiles you need to take out to repair a leak instead of redoing the whole floor. 1 day fix vs 1 week big invading worksite in your kitchen.
even better, if you can, instead of putting wires and tubes into the floor, make a technical canal. this way, you can always add or replace wires and pipes when needed without breaking the tiles. this is especially for people who have a cellar under the whole house.
I don't know why builders don't just use universal access wet room designs in all their builds. Honestly just seems like commonsense and value adding to the property to do so.
*I approve this message 👏🏻*
Any opinions on using porcelain tile on a walk-in shower curb? The contractor we've been planning our bathroom with is fighting us on this, insisting that a solid slab is the only way to go, saying leakage could be an issue with regular rmtile and grout lines....I simply do not understand this - considering the *entire shower floor* is tiles and grout lines, and that's where the water is hitting, wouldn't THAT area be a bigger leakage concern than a little 4" wide sloped curb???
Please do not install bowl sinks ? They are the worst sinks you can have.
why
@@IamKittySweets from my experience visiting ppl who have them, they usually have a pretty narrow and therefore sharp edge so resting your hands on it is very uncomfortable, also they often are not bowly enough and have a big flat bottom which makes it harder to flush whatever is in the sink, also you 100% WILL spill water outside of it so the space around it will get wet and trying to clean it is kinda hard because you need to squeeze between the bowl and the surface or the wall and the bowl
That's only my experience from using it a few times, I'm pretty sure ppl who own them would have some more things to say. Anyway while they look cool, gotta give them that, I'd avoid them like a plague, just give me a regular ass sink that actually works
Who cares what's IN. Important is what I like.
Top man Reynard, great video!
🎉🎉🎉🎉that’s wonderful explanation👏👏👏👏
Shower mixer- I just use the sink for a few minutes until the water warms up. 😂 This is good for remembering to regularly wash my eyeglasses. The sink uses less water, I can just put it on a trickle, and the pipes are warm by the time I’m ready to get in the shower.
How does using the sink use less water? Unless you have a recirculating hot water line, the cold water in the pipe needs to be evacuated to make room for hot water. That volume doesn't change.
@@thursdaythought7201 The bathroom is on the top floor, the water heater on the bottom. So it takes care of the cold water between the water heater and the bathroom. There’s still a bit of water that’s cold in the shower specific pipe, but it’s not a terrible shock, nor does it take over 5 minutes to heat up. I can’t put the shower on a trickle, so if I turned the shower on, it would use significantly more water during the heating up stage than the sink, with the sink faucet being turned on enough to wash my glasses, turned to hot which empties the cold water in the pipes and makes sure the water heater is tripped so I don’t run out of hot water during the shower.
@@kellybraun7048 I mean you do you, but that’s complete nonsense. Having a higher flow rate faucet (the shower) would empty the cold water faster than a sink faucet. Idk what you think you’re gaining.
@@thursdaythought7201 I’m not talking faster, I’m talking not wasting water. I need to wash my glasses and do a few other things at the bathroom sink before a shower anyway and I don’t mind cold water for those things. And I’ve timed it- it takes the same amount of time for the water to heat up with the sink as with the shower if the hot water hasn’t been used yet that day. Same time with a trickle of water at the sink as full blast at the sink, and the same as having the shower on.
Edit: Oh, I see where you got the faster idea from my comment. It takes about 5 min to get hot water to the bathroom. If I get hot water in the sink first, it’s about a second of cold water in the shower, then it’s the perfect temperature. Otherwise, I’m running a shower for five minutes and unable to use it because I can’t stand that much cold water, lol.
Edit 2: And I don’t know about anyone else’s water heater, but ours doesn’t constantly heat water- it makes sure it’s the right temp when we ask for hot water, then it stops heating water when we stop asking for it. So it has to warm the water in the tank before it sends it to the opposite end of the house.
@@kellybraun7048 Ok so you're just using the cold water instead of letting it go down the drain, so nothing intrinsically to do with sink vs shower.
You water heater doesn't keep the water constantly hot? Is it a tankless? It shouldn't take time for it to heat up. All water heaters should provide instant hot water when requested.
Good video. You show the things simple
Large areas of grout are my pet peeve.
Grout anywhere requires extra maintenance, though a lot depends on your water supply. My water comes from a well that has iron and manganese, so I opted for a one-piece fiberglass shower stall. It's quite easy to clean. And after dealing with a glass door that never looked clean I changed to a synthetic cloth shower curtain. It can be washed, and when it starts looking tatty I can replace it inexpensively.
Me too. Get a good tile setter who considers the layout properly.
We're going to go for Concretta plaster for walls, ceiling and floor. No grout, no tiles, no slipping, all waterproof.
Thanks!!!
Your videos are so damn underrated, it's insane
Great advice, thank you ;-)
Great advice!
Very helpful video👍🏼👍🏼💯💯 But you forgot the most important and necessary product of the bath/shower. This is the foundation and back-bone of a bath/shower is The Red Membrane that you are supposed to put on before you install the tiles.
At 5’6” i am not a short woman. I find bathroom vanities much too high. I now have a 31” high vanity and I love it.
thanks for sharing
You’re the best Man ❤
like your doorless shower critique. i was thinking about getting it but now seeing your mistake pictures, i might not. cheaper contractors and material may not yield results as inspiration photos, and most homeowners may not want to spend so much on renovating a bathroom.
💜💜 I would like to suggest an addition as No 12 :-) Not enough electrical sockets around the sink, at least two per user and preferably inside drawers or cabinets.
Great tips. Any brand suggestions for an exhaust fan?
The standard in the industry is Panasonic. If you don't like the plastic grill, add a custom one.
Great tips! I feel like the doorless showers could be a video in itself, I can't figure out where the water will end up because it bounces on walls and floor too xD. thanks !
Your videos are very helpful
Awesome thanks ☺️
I know some who regretted installing concealed shower system. They experienced water leakage and it costs a bomb to fix it.
All the tiles for a job must come from the same batch, even though they may be the same tile, tiles from different batches will be noticeably different when fixed. Also, retain a number of tiles for replacement if any tile is damaged. The ground/backing for tiles is important as plasterboard/plaster will move differentially with the tiles causing micro cracks in the grout, in addition use a waterproof membrane behind the tiles in wet areas.
For bathroom ventilation it is now a good idea to incorporate heat recovery so as not to waste the heat. A single room heat recovery fan unit may be about 4x the cost of a simple fan but when considered as part of the overall cost its minimal. Don't throw the heat away with the ventilation, its expensive. Also, I always spec that the ventilation is controlled by a PIR sensor that senses movement and bodies, this means that the ventilation automatically switches on when the bathroom is in use. Using the lighting as a switch for the ventilation is not reliable as often the bathroom can be adequately illuminated by daylight so that the ventilation is not switched on.
Should the shower head be centred between the shelf wall and the shower screen (or wall) - or should it be centred on the full height wall and the shower screen?
A trend that is in and popular on Saturday maybe out and unpopular on Sunday.
The builder of the unit I live in built the bathroom counter extra high and added a 10" tall vessel sink on top, with the back 1" away from the wall mirror. It's ridiculous to use, and to clean.
We love a soaker tub for arthritis relief but are getting much older. Does anyone have experience with those tubs with doors that open?
You have to get in and then the water goes in. That's the only drawback I can see.
Ya sit there cold until it fills up
Reynard, these niches would be so much better to have some kind of a fence half way up. My shower stuff looks bad and mismatched, and the niche seems to put these items on display. A type of fence would not completely hide this junk, but it would be a little less noticeable. Thanks.
The only problem with a fence in the niche is that it's just another surface to clean - but I totally agree that shower items are unsightly and the niche shouldn't be in the focal point.
@@fidel-3470 Well if you have your rags and cleaner to clean the rest of the shower, it is not that big of a deal. Since I wrote that, I have a little different idea.
So it is done as-is, but being sure to have a good slope on the shelf, put like an opaque band of acrylic band about a half inch from the bottom of the niche, So you still see the very tops of the bottles but not see all the junk. It could be a snap off thing, so it is easy to clean.
OR make it able to be tiled or covered with the same material as the rest.
You are right, the niche is the first thing the eye goes to, so you need to really "Style" shelf. That is not real life. I suspect most people have lots of junk there as well. Junk is stuff you need at your fingertips, razor, toothpaste, etc.
@@fidel-3470 Having these niches dead center look good - with nothing in them. You could also change the location to lower left or lower right.
I'd personally just corral the smaller items in a mug, pot or toothbrush holder (hole on the base so it drains). Bigger bottles like soap and shampoo I just get matching bottles and buy refills instead of new pumps every time, or just leave as is if it doesn't bother you :D.
Can also move the niche away from direct sightline like you mentioned.
@@reynardlowell All good ideas, front stage and center is not as good as one of the lower corners. I live where is is always very humid, so leaving things out to dray is important here.
A shower curtain can be more accommodating than a sliding glass door and does not require a high threshold.
Amazing 🤩
Does anyone have experience replacing a regular tub with a walk-in? The tub in our next house is so small, to the point of being unusable. i'd like to take it out and put in a walk-in, but i'm scared to death of any potential surprises. We could always just use it as a shower, since it's only 14 inches high, so all is not lost if we don't change it. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you.
I must confess, I commited the first mistake 🤭. I bought juuuust enough tiles, because why spending unnecessary money. It was not enough, just few more needed, had to run to the store to get them. And if course they already didn't have the same colour😖.
Our choice not to build niches was for “difficulty” of cleaning , for practical purposes a smart self made it a effortless wipe with squeegee , no buildup of mould either.
Although one rarely sees them, build in a seat in the shower. That makes it much easier to wash one's feet or for women to shave their legs. It does not add a lot of cost.
Should i paint a small half bath all wht or one wall different color.
What about non slip floor, is a real hazard. But non slip tiles will trap mold and bacteria.