A tub with a walk-in shower is the most ideal and practical fixture you can install in your house. However, there are some instances where you cannot have both.
The number one reason for most households is not having extra space to accommodate this type of remodeling project. The next challenge comes when you have older family members with balance and mobility issues.
Because of these considerations, home buyers’ debate on bathtub vs. shower continues.
This guide will highlight the pros and cons of a tub and a shower to help you with your bathroom upgrades and renovations.
Shower: Pros and Cons
A shower allows users to take baths, usually while standing through rain shower heads to multi-functional jets. You can choose to shower with hot or cold water. Then the dirty water is disposed of through drains present on the floor. New shower stalls have different designs that can match your modern bathroom theme.
- A shower lets you wash dirt, hair, and other gunk properly as they directly fall down the drain making your body cleaner than bathing in a tub.
- Replacing your tub with a walk-in shower gives ample space in your bathroom; it takes up less room than a bathtub.
- A shower is more flexible in terms of installation space.
- Uses less water
- Feasible for a quick shower, especially during hurried mornings.
- Perfect for a small bathroom as showers take up less space
Cons
- When using a shower, water, shampoo, and soap splashes on the door and walls can leave you with ugly-looking stains in bathrooms.
- Shower repairs are more challenging, especially when you replace leaking pipes.
- It gives you less or no area for relaxing long baths
Bathtub: Pros and Cons
While taking a bath is an essential daily habit, especially after a long day, choosing a bathtub to bathe in may pose a lot of considerations. But we made a general list of pros and cons to help you decipher if bathtubs are the one for you! They vary in shape, size, material, and features.
Pros
- Water jets can relax and soothe sore muscles
- Bathing small children will be easy
- Available in various types depending on your preference: whirlpool tub, freestanding tub with air jets, and soaking tub
- A hot bath is relaxing and has a lot of health benefits, especially when you soak your whole body
- Allows you to have a bubble bath or long bath
- It comes in various shapes and sizes depending on the amount of space your bathroom has
- Freestanding bathtubs can be placed on the sides of the bathroom wall
- Homes with tubs have higher resale value
Cons
- Tubs are more expensive than walk-in showers.
- To fill the tub with hot water, you’ll need a water heater with enough capacity. Filling a tub and bathing might be time-consuming and requires higher energy costs.
- Tubs take up more space in the bathroom.
- It can be challenging for older people for everyday use
- Dropped or mishandled tubs can easily fracture or dent flooring, so it must be created on-site. The process may include waterproofing the base and inserting concrete backer board into the walls to hold the weight of materials like tile or glass.
Why Is It Important to Have a Separate Shower?
Many people are not fond of bathtubs as they find bathing in them unhygienic. Also, installing a shower enclosure has a lesser cost than a bathtub. However, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), 50% of home buyers want to have both a bathtub and a custom shower inside their master bathroom. Having a bath increases the resale value of the house.
If you have more than two bathrooms in your home, installing showers in each of them is preferable. And you can install and accommodate at least one tub in one of the lavatories. Remember to have grab bars inside your shower stall for safety. This is to ensure you can still shower safely in showers as you age or if you have senior members in your family.
