Bathroom Remodeling: Escaping the Cubicle

Walk-in Shower vs. Wet Room

There are a lot of reasons to want to abandon your traditional shower stall or cubicle, including space, relaxation, and style. Initially, though, many innovations in walk-in showers and wet rooms (rooms in which water from an open shower area is free to run through the rest of the room) were developed to help the daily lives of the elderly and disabled, or to aid in the efficiency of health club and gym shower facilities. Today, however, more and more homeowners are looking to expand their shower areas into open expanses for a spa or sauna like experience at home. So, to achieve this goal, what method works best; the spacious walk-in shower, or the all-in-one "wet room?"

Walk-In Shower

A walk-in shower can be installed from scratch or adapted, sometimes quite easily, from a pre-existing shower stall or shower-bath tub arrangement. As the name suggests, there is no door or curtain necessary in a walk-in shower. Instead, you simply step right into the showering area, which usually includes a free standing side panel and slightly raised base to trap water run-off. The size of your walk-in shower depends on what sort of space you have to work with. Larger walk-ins might include built in seating and multiple shower heads, but of course, the larger the shower, the more expensive the install is likely to be.

Wet Room

A wet room is typically going to be a much bigger undertaking than a walk-in shower addition. That's because you're essentially transforming an entire room into a shower. The floor will have to be raised and appropriately sloped, all surfaces will need to be watertight, sinks and toilets will likely need to be wall-hung, and a suitable ventilation system must be in place. You'll definitely need the help of an expert bathroom remodeling contractor, designer, and plumber to get this done. But if handled correctly, a stylish wet room can become your favorite room in the house, and a great selling point when it's time to move.

And the winner is. . .

A walk-in shower is the practical, preferable option. But for those with space, money, and ambition, if its a wet room you want, why not?