Could a Shower Bath Free Up Your Bathroom Space?

If you have a small bathroom space, you may think you have to compromise between a shower and a bath. As both bathroom fixtures demand a good deal of space in this room, small bathrooms can struggle. Yet, for many of us, deciding between a bath and a shower is a near impossibility!

Fortunately, though, you may not need to. If you’re determined not to be limited to one, then there’s a fabulous alternative; that of a shower bath. And, with so many of us looking for ways to save money and space in the home, this choice could help you both short term and indeed long term, when creating that perfect bathroom suite. 

Here the team at City Plumbing looks at what you need to know when considering a shower bath.

A shower bath is simply a combination of a shower and a bath. One end of the bath is a typical bath shape while the other that houses the shower offers a slightly wider end to accommodate maneuverability while you're showering. Ultimately, this design ensures practicality and functionality while retaining an element of comfort for those who still want to soak in the bath. 

There are two main types of shower baths including P-shaped and L-Shaped. The difference between the two is merely the shape at the shower end. A P-shaped shower bath is shaped like a ‘P’ and offers a softer rounded curve design while eliminating any sharp corners. Whereas an L-Shaped shower bath is shaped like an ‘L’ and promotes a cleaner defined finish in its lines.  

There's then the matter of a left or right-hand shower bath. This choice can be determined by the shape of your bathroom. The difference here is simply the positioning of where the shower end will go - at the right-hand side or the left-hand side of the wall where the shower will be fixed. 

One question often asked is how well-made are shower baths? Because they'll likely be used more as a shower than a bath, understandably they'll need to be durable to hold up to repeated use in the way of standing. For this reason, you'll find most shower bath designs offer a construction of reinforced acrylic. This highly durable material works to enhance the overall strength while ensuring this fixture holds up well over long-term use. 

Shower baths are comfortable and luxurious choices despite being smaller than standard baths and shower enclosures. With most models measuring 850mm at their widest point, bathing in a shower bath allows you to relax just as you would in a typical bath.

What's more, many people find that the added space at the shower end of a shower bath more than makes up for this reduction in size while creating a unique design feature in the process.

For many, a shower bath is often chosen out of necessity with the sole purpose of fitting into a smaller bathroom space. Though the initial cost of a shower bath is less than purchasing both a separate bath and a separate shower enclosure, you could be looking at potential savings long-term with this choice.

For those who like their long soaks, but with recent energy hikes are reluctant to fill the tub, a shower bath has a smaller surface area to fill. Therefore, you could be saving more water each time as opposed to using a standard-size bath.

What’s more, if you have young children still veering between bath and shower, a shower bath will give them the confidence to try out the shower. This means you can look at gradually cutting down the number of baths thus saving money by showering more.

At City Plumbing, we’re proud to offer a selection of shower bath designs to suit all small bathroom decors as well as all budgets!