Shower kits offer one quick answer to the debate of how best to spruce up a bathroom on a budget. When moving into an older home, the first course of action is to take stock of what updates can be done without breaking the bank. And the best place to start is with areas that impact the family’s daily life the most. Quite frequently, the bathroom is the leading candidate for upgrading. In general, because of high daily usage, it is likely to show its age ahead of other rooms that are visited less frequently throughout the day. In many instances the bathroom shower stall is the first thing on the list. This can be a rather expensive endeavor, but there are many options available in a choice of price ranges. Depending on the budget for the remodel, evaluating the wide variety of shower kits available may be the best first step in planning your upgrade. These kits can be a more economical option than building custom walk in showers or European style wet rooms.
It can be intimidating if you consider the skill set, time and expense required in re-tiling a shower cubicle, or in building one from scratch. There are usually several different trades that you will need to coordinate to accomplish an entire rebuild, including plumbing, carpentry and tile. For an easier approach, consider bringing in a pre-fabricated unit and all of the convenience it offers toward budget and construction time. In most instances, the installation can be completed in one day, and it is very possible for the installation to be done by the homeowner with some basic do-it-yourself skills. In selecting a pre-fab unit, don’t forget to consider the placement of any existing drain. There is the potential for additional plumbing costs if the purchased unit has a different drain placement than the original piping configuration. If you are concerned with getting the delivered product into the room, be aware that you have choices. Some units are made in such a way that they are delivered in multiple pieces. This allows them to easily be carried through narrow doorways and then be assembled in their destination room. In some versions, a tub is included while in others a tray or pan may be part of the kit. Choose what best suits your space and your family needs. Be sure to consider the type of door and spacing for door movement for those versions that are designed with a door. You’ll want to be sure the space allows for convenient opening and closing without conflicting with the other bathroom appliances. Some shower kits come with fixtures and additional shower accessories to match, like towel bars and curtains or doors. Others come with just the basic shower enclosure, allowing for any number of choices in shower fixtures. With the variety of styles available, it doesn’t matter whether you are searching for a corner shower, or a more modern frameless version, there is likely one that will fit your space and your budget.
In any bathroom, the cleaning and care of the space is an important consideration. Whether dealing with grout or a textured finish, cleaning can be an issue and the scrubbing of shower walls can be an arduous task. Generally the materials used in these pre-fab kits are very consumer friendly. They are designed to be easy to clean and durable for the every day wear and tear common to most family bathrooms.
Once the kit is installed you just may have the leftover budget necessary to upgrade the rest of your décor around the new piece. If you opted to purchase a kit that did not include fixtures, shop around and choose some that contribute to the general feel you are after, whether it’s modern or retro. Remember the old standby of color. It’s fairly inexpensive to introduce color to the rest of the room with a gallon of paint. Purchase some towels and accessories that complement the overall look. If your budget permits consider installing a wall-mounted automatic soap dispenser or two in your new bathroom to help reduce the clutter of all those soap, shampoo and conditioner bottles on the sink and in the shower area.
Even though walk in shower wet rooms or other types of extensive bathroom remodeling are not in your budget a more affordable shower kit with frameless shower doors can work very nicely. You’ll be pleased with your inexpensive make over and ready to tackle the next room that needs your attention.
