Walk-In Showers
A walk-in shower with a low curb or none at all is easier to use, easier to clean, and makes a small bathroom read considerably larger. The floor structure decides how far you can take it.
- NJ HIC Reg. #13VH12107200
- 14+ years in North Jersey
- Kitchens and bathrooms only
A walk-in shower is the default request in bathroom remodeling now, and for good reasons that have nothing to do with fashion. It is easier to step into, it is easier to clean, and in a small room a glass panel instead of a curtain and a shower stall makes the whole space read larger because you can see the far wall.
The entry: curb, low curb or curbless
This single decision drives the structural work, the cost and how the finished room feels.
Standard curb
Four to six inches, built on top of the floor, waterproofed and tiled. It contains water reliably, it costs the least, and it is the simplest to build correctly. The downside is the step, which is the thing people are usually trying to get rid of.
Low curb
Two to three inches. Still a physical barrier that helps contain water, but easy to step over and much less of a trip hazard. For most of our clients this is the right answer: it delivers nearly all of the benefit and it does not require getting under the floor.
Curbless
The shower floor is continuous with the bathroom floor. It is the best version to use and the most demanding to build, because the shower floor still has to slope to a drain while ending flush with the room. That means it has to start lower.
Getting it lower means one of three things: recessing the floor structure, which requires access from below and usually some framing work; building the entire bathroom floor up so the shower is the original level; or, on a concrete slab, a recessed pan formed into or over the slab. Over an open basement, option one is often achievable. Under a finished ceiling it is a bigger conversation.
Drainage
A center drain requires the floor to slope from four directions toward one point. That works with small mosaic tile, which follows the compound slope, and it is why traditional shower floors are mosaic.
A linear drain runs along one edge, so the floor slopes in a single plane. Two things follow. First, you can use large-format tile on the shower floor, which many people prefer visually and which means far less grout to clean. Second, if the linear drain sits at the entry, it intercepts water before it reaches the bathroom floor, which is a large part of how curbless designs stay dry.
Linear drains cost more and need to be set precisely level along their length. Done well they are the better solution for a walk-in shower.
Curbless or low curb? What is under your bathroom floor usually decides it, and that is a quick conversation.
Call (862) 218-7292Size and layout
A walk-in without a door needs enough depth that spray does not carry out into the room. Roughly 60 inches of length with a fixed panel covering about two-thirds of the opening works well. In a shallower space, a door or a hinged return panel does a better job of containing water.
Position the shower head so it sprays away from the opening rather than toward it. That sounds obvious and it is regularly got wrong, usually because the head goes where the old plumbing was rather than where it should be.
A hand shower on a slide bar alongside the fixed head is worth including. It makes cleaning the shower far easier and it is genuinely useful for anybody who cannot stand comfortably for a full shower.
Glass
A single fixed panel is the cleanest look and the easiest to maintain: no hinges, no track, nothing to go out of adjustment. It is what most walk-in showers use.
Frameless glass is thicker, typically half-inch, and supported by minimal hardware. It costs more and looks considerably better. Semi-frameless uses thinner glass with a light frame and is a sensible middle ground.
Whatever the configuration, glass is measured after the tile is finished, because it is cut to the actual opening rather than to a plan. Expect a gap of a week or so between tiling and glass installation, and a temporary curtain in the meantime.
A note on maintenance: a factory-applied protective coating on the glass makes a real difference to how often you have to fight water spots, and it is worth specifying.
Waterproofing a walk-in
Everything on the shower remodeling page applies, with additional emphasis on one point: a curbless or low-curb shower has a larger wet zone than a traditional stall, because water is not contained by a tall barrier and by a door.
That means the waterproof membrane extends further out into the bathroom floor than it would for a curbed shower, and the transition from shower floor to bathroom floor has to be detailed carefully. The tile can be continuous and the waterproofing behind it cannot simply stop at the visual boundary.
Floor tile and slip resistance
A shower floor has to be safe when it is wet and soapy. Look for a textured surface or a tile with a published slip-resistance rating suitable for wet areas. Small-format tile provides grip through the grout lines themselves, which is one of its practical advantages.
Large-format tile on a shower floor is achievable with a linear drain and a single-plane slope, but choose one with real surface texture. A polished porcelain that looks superb on a wall is a hazard underfoot.
Benches and niches
A floating bench cantilevered off the wall keeps the floor clear underneath, which makes cleaning easier and the room feel less crowded. It has to be framed into the wall structure and waterproofed as part of the shower assembly. A fold-down teak seat is the space-efficient alternative in a small shower.
Niches go between studs, with a slightly sloped sill so water drains. Two smaller niches often work better than one large one.
What drives the cost
- Curbless versus low curb, which is the largest single variable because of the structural work.
- Access below the floor. An open basement makes recessing the floor far easier than a finished ceiling or a slab.
- Linear drain versus a standard center drain.
- Glass configuration, with frameless a substantial line item.
- Shower size and total tile coverage.
- Bench, niches and shelves, each adding waterproofing detail.
- Valve and fixtures, particularly with multiple outlets.
Related work
Most walk-in showers we build replace a tub, see tub-to-shower conversion. If mobility is the driver, accessible bathroom remodeling covers the rest. In a tight room, small bathroom remodeling deals with the space constraints.
Walk-in showers across our service area
We install these in South Orange, Millburn, West Orange, Summit and across our full service area. Back to bathroom remodeling.
Essex County
Every town has its own bathroom remodeling page covering the housing there and what it means for a project. See the full service area.
Walk-in shower questions
What is the difference between walk-in and curbless?
Walk-in generally describes a shower you enter without climbing over a tub wall, usually with a fixed glass panel instead of a swinging door. Curbless means the shower floor is continuous with the bathroom floor, with no step at all. Every curbless shower is a walk-in; not every walk-in is curbless. A low-curb walk-in is by far the most common build.
Does a curbless shower flood the bathroom?
Not when it is built correctly. Water is controlled by slope, by the drain being sized and placed properly, and by a large enough wet zone that spray does not reach the dry area. A linear drain at the entry, a slightly recessed shower floor and a well-positioned glass panel handle it. Where those things are done badly, yes, water goes where you do not want it.
Can any bathroom have a curbless shower?
No, and it is worth knowing that before you set your heart on it. The shower floor has to sit lower than the bathroom floor, which means either recessing the framing, usually by sistering or notching joists, which requires access from below, or raising the whole bathroom floor. On a concrete slab there are other approaches. A low curb of two inches gets most of the benefit with a fraction of the structural work.
Do I need a glass door?
Often not. A single fixed panel with an open entry works well when the shower is deep enough that spray does not carry out, and it removes the swing-clearance problem entirely in a small room. It is also much easier to clean. The trade-off is that the room gets cooler and a little more spray escapes.
What is a linear drain for?
It lets the shower floor slope in one direction instead of four, which means you can use large-format tile on the floor rather than being restricted to small mosaics. Placed at the entry, it also catches water before it reaches the bathroom floor, which is what makes many curbless designs work.
Is a walk-in shower good for aging in place?
It is one of the better decisions you can make. Removing the step removes the fall risk. Adding blocking for grab bars while the wall is open costs almost nothing. A hand shower on a slide bar, a bench and a comfortable entry width make the room usable for far longer. See our accessible bathroom page for the rest of it.
Call about a walk-in shower
The first question is what is under the bathroom floor. That decides whether curbless is realistic or whether a low curb is the smarter build.