What Is a Low-Threshold Shower?
In recent years, walk-in showers have exploded in popularity among homeowners and are now all the rage in bathroom remodeling. The growing interest in tub-to-shower conversions is easy to understand when you consider today’s busy and active lifestyles. Most people simply don’t have the time or interest in leisurely soaking in a bathtub—they’d much rather take a brisk shower and get on with it. And while a walk-in shower has many convenient and attractive features, the crown jewel is its low threshold.
A Safer Bathing Experience
Unlike a high-walled tub/shower combination, a low-threshold shower has only a small curb to step over, which makes it much safer to enter and exit the bathing area. This feature is especially important for elderly adults and individuals who have physical limitations, but it will benefit everyone who uses the shower by minimizing the risk of slip-and-fall accidents. Falls are among the most common causes of household injuries, and the majority of those falls occur in a bathroom, where unsteady footing combined with slick, wet surfaces can easily create a recipe for disaster.
What’s more, a low-threshold shower is very appealing to accessibility conscious home buyers, such as retirees and those who plan to age in place—as well as anyone else who is interested in a safer bathing experience. And let’s face it, that group includes just about everyone. As such, the addition of a safe, low-threshold shower can enhance the resale value of the home.
But Where Does the Water Go?
To prevent water from spilling and splashing over the small barrier, a low-threshold shower is equipped with a special pan that is slightly pitched toward the traditional drain in the shower floor. With this configuration, the water is naturally pulled toward the drain by gravity, ensuring that it ends up where it should—and not all over the bathroom floor—even if the shower is completely open with no door.
An Attractive & Functional Bathroom Focal Point
In decades past, the bathroom was usually the smallest room in the house. The traditional setup of yesteryear was a no-frills tub-shower combination, which did its job but could hardly be considered attractive or luxurious. Over time, as people began renovating their older homes and building new ones, the trend changed dramatically. Bathrooms have grown in importance, taken on more fanciful roles, and become bigger, better, and much more glamorous. Many homeowners are opting to completely do away with the utilitarian tub, at least in the master suite, and instead install a large and luxurious low-threshold shower.
Unlike basic tub and shower accessories, which typically include a showerhead and an ill-placed soap dish—and nothing else—a low-threshold shower can be fully customized. For instance, some homeowners choose to outfit their low-threshold shower with comfortable bench seating, a convenient footrest, deep shelves, corner caddies, and handy grab bars—there’s plenty of room for all of that and more! Some people go one step further and transform their low-threshold shower into a technological marvel with a large rainfall or waterfall shower head, multiple shower heads, steam options, and other gizmos to create a tropical, spa-like experience at home.
BathWraps Offers Best-In-Class Shower Solutions
A respected industry leader, BathWraps is pleased to offer top-quality—and highly affordable—low-threshold showers. Custom-made in the United States, our products are constructed from nonporous acrylic that won’t crack, chip, fade, or stain. The shower walls are infused with innovative antimicrobial protection which resists mold and mildew growth and makes cleaning a breeze. Perhaps best of all, a BathWraps low-threshold shower can be installed by our certified technicians in as little as one day. And we will guarantee it for as long as you own your current home.
To learn more about the benefits of a low-threshold shower, click here today to find an authorized BathWraps dealer near you.
