Tips for remodeling your shower

Shower Remodel

Shower enclosures have come a long way in the past couple years. So have bathroom fixtures and tile. If you want all these elements to work together, some planning is required.

If you’re going to remodel your bathroom you should consider the design and configuration before you begin construction. Planning ahead will assure that your bathroom is both functional and beautiful.

Glass shops measure, furnish and install the materials to custom fit your application. Before you visit a glass shop you should do a little homework so you can get a good cost estimate and take advantage of all the options that are available.

Design elements to consider are:

Will the shower door open, slide or swing? Check the clearance to make sure there is enough room for a swinging door.

If you are considering a European-style frameless enclosure, make sure that there are double studs behind the tile where the glass will meet the tile. This will ensure proper strength of the glass clamping mechanisms.

Will the water flow directly onto the glass or is the area large enough to have only splash back hit the glass? This may influence the type of hardware and vinyl that is used.

Where will your towel racks go? Do you need to include one on the shower?

Now that you have considered the design, you can look at your space and determine which options will work for you. To get the details that you will need for your new enclosure, follow these steps:

1. Measure the space where the enclosure will go and sketch it on graph paper, a view from above works best.
2. Note the height of the tile and the height of the shower head.
3. Take some photos of the space.
4. Take this information to your local glass shop to get design advice and a ballpark estimate.

Final measurements will be made by the glass shop once the tile is installed. It usually takes about 7 to 10 days to get materials.

Enjoy your new shower!