Pros and Cons of Converting Your Tub to a Walk-in Shower
Remodeling the bathtub into a walk-in shower is a popular bathroom remodeling trend today. However, bathtubs are still in homes, but people utilize them less. Bathtubs have become uncommon for a variety of reasons.
We don’t have enough time to enjoy using a tub because of our busy lifestyles. And with painful backs, knees, and arthritis as we age, using a tub becomes a little more complicated. Maybe your kids are past the age where you need a bath to wash them. You may also be weary of the same old look and believe a walk-in shower would be more convenient.
As with other home improvement projects, there are factors to consider when remodeling a bathroom. To assist you in making a decision, let’s explore the pros and cons of converting a bathtub to a shower.
Pros
1. Boosts Your Home’s Value
If you anticipate selling your home, converting the tub to a walk-in shower could increase its value. Many homeowners like walk in showers, so putting a shower in place of the outdated tub in bathroom is a common bathroom renovation choice.
While some home improvement projects may fail to recoup your investment when you sell, this one usually returns more than your investment.
2. Showers Take Up Less Space Than Tubs
Tubs frequently go unused but take up significant space. However, walk in showers make far better use of available space. If there is plenty of extra space, a bathtub is ideal. However, if your bathroom is not large, it may not fit your small bathroom layout.
Replacing the bathtub with a shower makes much sense to maximize your available space. The bathroom will have more room for you to move around, and you may utilize it to improve the bathroom’s functionality for your family.
3. A Walk-In-Shower Gives the Perception of More Space
Even the smallest bathroom can appear and feel much larger when the shower has glass doors and clear walls.
Depending on your choice, your shower may actually occupy more space than your bathtub, particularly if you select a more luxurious option. However, even with this option, the shower-glass door and transparent wall will make your space appear larger.
4. Improves Your Home’s Safety
The bathroom is often the riskiest area of the home. The CDC estimates that in the USA alone, approximately 20 million adults over the age of 18 suffer injuries in bathrooms yearly.
Slipping and falling is a common bathroom accident, and it is relatively easy and more common to have a slip accident in a bathtub than in a shower.
To enter and exit the tub, you must climb up and over its side, which might be difficult for certain people, particularly those with limited mobility. Replacing your bathtub for a shower could increase your home’s safety.
5. Saves Money on Water Bills
It takes quite an amount of water to fill a bathtub. As much as you can fill it a little less, you will need a relatively full tub to wash it effectively.
A shower, on the other hand, does not require this much water. So, you can save a ton of money each year if you shower rather than a bath. The typical American takes an 8-minute shower, which uses less water than a bath and saves the environment and utility bills.
People with large families may save even more money by reducing water usage.
6. Provides Easier Access
A walk-in shower provides easier access, especially if you’re older and starting to have trouble or feel uncomfortable climbing into and out of the bath.
Moreover, you will have much more area to walk around and maneuver in a shower.
Modifying a shower is also considerably simpler, so those with limited mobility can use it. You can build a walk-in shower with no doors, then add grab rails or a seat, making your bathroom accessible and ideal for older people or anyone with physical limitations.
Cons
1) When You Sell, Your House Can Be Less Desirable
The lack of a tub could lower your selling value. A family is more likely to buy your property if it is a “family” home.
Families with young children might decide not to purchase your home because they need a bath to bathe their children and want to avoid incurring the additional cost of installing one.
If another bathtub is available, this could not apply to you. However, if you don’t have a bath elsewhere in the home and plan to sell, think twice before eliminating your bath.
2) Children Enjoy Baths
This isn’t a significant issue if there is another bathtub in a separate bathroom in your home. However, consider whether your kids need a bath if only one bathroom exists. Children enjoy baths, and bathing a young child is much simpler for parents than washing them in the shower. If your children are little, you will likely need to maintain a bathtub until they are older.
3) Shower Installation Costs Are High
Since this project will undoubtedly cost money, you must be confident it is a good fit for you.
It can be costly to convert a tub into a walk-in shower, particularly if extensive structural and plumbing work is required. Costs also vary depending on the complexity and scope of the job.
A luxurious shower may require more space than a bathtub. It could be necessary to completely alter the room’s arrangement to make it functional or appealing. This is crucial to take into consideration when on a tight budget.
One of your best options can be a shower with sliding glass doors if your bathroom is small and cannot accommodate swing doors or you are on a budget. Due to the overlap between the doors and the tracks, sliding doors are difficult to clean and maintain.
4) No Soaking Tub Is Available
If you replace your tub entirely with a shower and no other bath is available, you won’t have the choice of taking a long soak.
Carefully consider whether you believe you will miss the choice of a soothing soak in the tub, even with the benefits that come with a shower. A better compromise could be to install a showerhead above the tub, which would allow you to primarily utilize the shower while still having access to the tub for soaking.
5) Splashing Water
A walk-in shower occasionally causes water to splash outside the bathroom area, becoming a slip hazard. You might need to install a shower curtain or door to stop this.
Conclusion
Consider the duration you intend to stay in your house before selling when comparing the benefits and risks of converting your tub into a walk-in shower. Your choice should reflect your lifestyle if you intend to live in your home longer. You need to be happy and enjoy staying in your home.
If you have more than one bathtub, it makes sense to turn one of them into a walk-in shower to boost functionality and increase the value of your property.
Changing a tub shower into a walk-in shower ultimately comes down to your needs, tastes, and financial situation. Before choosing, it’s essential to consider the advantages and disadvantages carefully. Contact us to explore more regarding the solutions to these questions.
