Last update: 04-04-2022 Home & Garden

Curbless Shower - Check Popular Bathroom Trend of 2022

With the popularity of modern minimalistic designs and availability of small apartments, everyone aims to spare as much space as possible. It might be quite a difficult task, especially if the space is really limited. It is one of the most common problems with bathrooms. Fortunately, interior designers are constantly introducing new trends and solutions. The most popular current trend is a curbless shower in the bathroom. The idea of a wet room allows you to utilize the bathroom space to the maximum. What’s more, the aesthetics of this solution are beyond one’s imagination. Check the ideas and learn what a curbless shower looks like. The effects will surprise you!

A curbless shower - how does it work?

A curbless shower is exactly what the name suggests. The base on which shower doors or shower curtains usually rest, is removed.

What’s left in the bathroom is only a shower stall and shower head. Thanks to this, the room gains a new, lightweight look. Because of the lack of a big white base, the only barrier is a glass wall - usually completely transparent. Every other element that is in the bathroom becomes more accentuated.

Obviously, if one desires to implement such a concept at their place, certain preparations are needed. Therefore, one should make a plan to figure out how to make a curbless shower in their bathroom. What should you keep in mind?

• Width of the floor (ceiling) - it dictates the type of drain that needs to be installed. It is easier if the bathroom is designed during the stage of constructing the building.
• Floor shape - it needs to be appropriate so that water can flow down freely.
• Expenses - a curbless shower requires the right structure of the whole room. The cost of adjusting it varies depending on individual factors.

A curbless shower is without any doubt a very attractive solution. For this reason, many homeowners opt for it. It is good to learn all the details of constructing such a unit in one’s bathroom.

A curbless shower - modern minimalism

A barrier-free shower is the most subtle part of a bathroom. The only thing that might catch one’s eye is the shower head. The interior gets its space back.

A wet room design is the easiest to make if it’s planned beforehand - best during the stage of constructing the whole building. A curbless shower poses a great opportunity to pay attention to certain individual elements of the decor. It is a solution that responds to the minimalistic designs. One of the rules for this style is hiding unnecessary elements that might be distracting. Bathrooms with a curbless shower are exceptionally elegant and stylish.

A curbless shower is a particularly attractive option for small bathrooms. Such interiors have so limited space that every centimeter counts. Glass, transparent walls “unblock” the whole room.

One might achieve even better results using just one wall or a nook. There are many possibilities - it’s a great opportunity to design a small bathroom in an interesting way. What are the other advantages of a curbless shower?

• Easy cleaning - both shower door and floor that build a curbless shower are very easy to keep clean. There are fewer nooks and crannies where scale and dirt might accumulate.
• Option to customize the size of the stall - a curbless shower cabin might have any size, therefore interior design is easier to adjust. One might design a shower of an unusual shape and size.
• Lower costs - if a curbless shower has been planned before designing the bathroom, it is not an expensive project. In such a case the costs mostly involve buying a glass wall and several additional elements.
• No threshold - a curbless shower is a great solution for elderly, people using a wheelchair and children. There is no barrier between the base and the bathroom, therefore there is no risk of accidental tripping and losing balance. A wheelchair also can enter such a cabin without any difficulties. It is a huge improvement which makes one more independent.

A curbless shower - not for everyone

Although a wet room is a highly advantageous solution, unfortunately it also has some disadvantages. For this reason, not everyone can use it. If a curbless shower is to be constructed in an already finished bathroom, it might be quite problematic. In this case it will not be a cheap solution. Designing such a shower means a complete makeover of a room.

A curbless shower is not always possible to install on the upper level. An attic bathroom usually excludes such an option, unless the slopes in the room are high.

A curbless shower requires an appropriate drain, hidden in the floor. The floor itself should slope so that the water does not flood the bathroom. This requires removing old tiles and creating the floor anew. It also might turn out that the ceiling is too thin - in which case a curbless shower is simply not possible to construct.

How to make a curbless shower?

As already mentioned, a barrier-free shower is easy to make if it is designed along with the plan of the whole house. It is best to plan carefully at which spot the shower is going to stand. If the bathroom is small, use any available niches and corners.

{:.distinction.distinction-information} If the room is more spacious, consider choosing a bigger rectangular shower unit. Other very important elements are properly installed tiles and drains.

What tiles are best for a curbless shower?

A barrier-free shower requires a carefully designed floor. Choosing the right tiles is a highly important matter. They must be the non-slip type. Only then the shower cabin can be safe. Choose the one with R10-R13 rating.

Because the floor must have a slope, the tiles should be able to conceal it. It is very likely that the tiles are going to be cut in order to fit them. For this reason make sure to carefully measure everything.

Apart from the tiles, you also need to choose the right type of grout. It should be waterproof and easy to clean. This will make the curbless shower sturdy for years. The most recommended product is an epoxy grout. It is waterproof, flexible and doesn’t crumble after drying up.

Before laying the tiles, one needs to take care of floor waterproofing. This way, the bathroom and the rooms below are secured from water. Traditional methods use waterproofing flashing mortar - they are the most popular.

You can also use a product called liquid foil, which contains synthetic resin. It is a substantially faster method. To apply the substance, one might simply use a brush or a pallet knife.

A curbless shower - choosing the right drain

Yet another important issue that a curbless shower poses is choosing the right drain. There are several possibilities in this matter - the choice is between a wall drain or a floor drain. One must also decide between a trench (linear) drain and a point drain.

The most inconspicuous solution is a wall drain. Users of floor drains subconsciously omit standing on them, which might make using the shower less comfortable. There is no such problem with a wall drain. It can be also concealed under a tile in the same color as the wall or floor.

Floor drains are definitely more popular. Here, the choice is between a trench drain and a point drain. Regardless of which one is going to be installed, drain needs to be more efficient than shower head. This way one can be sure that water is going to be drained effectively. A linear drain for a curbless shower usually has a large surface, therefore water flows quickly and more evenly. The major downside is that this type of drain is more expensive than the others.

A curbless shower - which one is the best?

The biggest advantage of a curbless shower is the fact that it can take any shape. Depending on the available floor space and type of the room, a shower cabin might be triangular, square or rectangular. The choice is also in type of the door - hinged, sliding or folding. There is also another particularly interesting solution - a walk-in shower. In this case only one glass panel is fixed into place, as a protection from water. This way the room seems even more spacious - especially if the glass is completely transparent. All types of shower doors are made of hardened glass - either transparent or opaque.

Curbless showers look particularly beatiful in white bathrooms. They are perfect fot Scandinavian style bathrooms, where space is the most important factor.

How about a doorless shower?

A doorless shower with no walls is quite a bold solution. In this case the shower area consists of a drain and a shower head only. There is no door or any additional glass panel. If there is a nook in the bathroom, it is a good idea to use it for this purpose. This way the shower has a wall, partially separating it from the rest of the bathroom. Many homeowners choose an open space wet room. The main advantage here are lower costs - buying a shower stall is unnecessary. It is also a good solution for a small bathroom - a glass wall takes some space after all. The best type of douche, in this case, is a rainshower.

A curbless shower is a great idea both for small and large bathrooms. It unblocks a lot of space and contributes to a modern, minimalistic look. When planning this type of shower, pay attention to every detail, from the drain to the type of door. A curbless shower is a practical and visually pleasing bathroom addition!