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Bath and Shower Surrounds

Any discussion about baths and showers would be incomplete without mentioning the option of adding a shower surround to a conventional or whirlpool bath mounted against the wall. This surround can be either prefabricated or custombuilt, depending on the project budget, and allows a builder to add a custom element to this space relatively economically.

Prefabricated surrounds are available in different materials, including ABS, fiberglass, acrylic, and decorative laminates. Typically, these surrounds are in three, four, or five pieces to accommodate variations in bath length. Some surrounds have built-in shelves and grab bars, while others are just flat panels. These surrounds are quick and easy to install, generally requiring only a bit of cutting around the valve openings and adhesive to attach them to the walls. Besides the individual drawbacks related to the specific type of material that surrounds are made of, plastic surrounds also feel flimsy to me, and their seams are prone to leakage, particularly around the base where the edge of the surround butts against the bath. This is a difficult joint because it is here that water tends to collect, and relying on caulk to make a long-term waterproof seal is a sure-fire recipe for problems later on. I think this is potentially the ugliest spot in the bathroom, especially when mold starts to grow—a common condition with silicone caulk.

Surrounds can also be constructed out of sheet goods like high-pressure (HP) decorative laminates and low-pressure (LP) melamine laminated boards. More expensive surround options include natural stones, like marble or granite, and solid-surface materials, like Cofian, which help to solve the flimsiness problem but are still prone to the caulking problems mentioned previously. Solid-surface materials are more adaptable to customizing because they can be routed, cut, and laminated on-site. Ceramic tile is a traditional choice for shower surrounds; its hard surface feels solid and is easy to keep clean.

The simplest way to prevent water from splashing out of a bath or shower is with a shower curtain mounted on a curtain rod. These don't necessarily have to look tacky, although they certainly often do. Brightly colored curtains on combination bath/shower units in a child's bathroom somehow seem appropriate and have the advantage of being easily pushed aside for full access to the bath; shower curtains also work well on shower stalls in cramped quarters. Plastic and nylon effectively shed water and work well as liners, but they aren't very pleasing to the touch. Better curtains in treated cotton and cotton/nylon blends are sometimes treated with water repellents and mildewcides.

Glass doors are usually considered to be an upgrade from shower curtains, but they aren't without their problems. In a confined area, pivoting glass doors or hinged doors can swing out into floor area needed for maneuvering or into an adjacent fixture. I've also noticed that they tend to drip a lot of water on the floor when they're open. Sliding doors don't have this problem, but they cut in half the available entry space into a bath. While this might not sound like a problem, try giving a child a bath in a bath with sliding glass doors to find out how limited this access can actually be. Accordion folding doors are also available, with multiple panels that fold flat against each other when open, providing more access through the opening and less interference with the free space in front of the bath or shower. These doors aren't generally as waterproof, however, and there is a lot of hardware to keep clean and free of mildew. Showers designed to fit into corners can have either a curved front and a corresponding curved shower door or a faceted front (often called neo-angle) and a regular swinging flatpanel door.

Glass doors are usually constructed of Ys-in. or 1/2-in. tempered glass, which can be clear, frosted, mirrored, or custom patterned. Frameless enclosures maximize visibility for a shower space with a more open feel, while framed enclosures have a more self-contained and traditional feel. Frames are usually of aluminum or of brass, and they can also be powder-coated in white or colored finishes.