Best Shower Styles To Consider When Replacing Your Bathtub

Replacing a bathtub with a shower is one of the most transformative bathroom renovations homeowners can undertake. This conversion modernizes your space while addressing practical concerns, such as accessibility, maintenance, and efficient use of square footage.

With countless shower options available, selecting the right one requires understanding your space constraints, budget parameters, and daily usage patterns. Described below are the best shower styles to consider when replacing your bathtub. Weigh these options to make the selection that enhances functionality and aesthetic appeal.

Walk-In Showers: Maximum Accessibility and Style

Walk-in showers have become the gold standard for modern bathroom design, offering seamless entry without thresholds or barriers. These spacious configurations typically measure 36 by 36 inches minimum, though many homeowners choose larger dimensions for added comfort. The absence of doors or curtains creates an open, airy feeling that visually expands smaller bathrooms.

Installation involves creating a sloped floor that directs water toward a centrally located or linear drain. Waterproofing becomes paramount, requiring proper membrane installation and careful attention to corner details. Most walk-in showers feature glass panels on one or two sides, maintaining the open concept while containing water spray.

Design Benefits

This shower structure brings accessibility benefits that extend beyond convenience to long-term aging in place considerations. The absence of a curb eliminates trip hazards while providing easy wheelchair or walker access. The lack of a curb also makes walk-in showers user-friendly for individuals with mobility concerns or those planning for future needs. 

Design flexibility represents another significant advantage. Walk-in showers accommodate various tile patterns, multiple showerheads, built-in benches, and decorative niches. Popular materials include large-format porcelain tiles that minimize grout lines and natural stone options that create spa-like atmospheres.

Corner Showers: Space-Efficient Solutions

Corner showers maximize functionality in compact bathrooms where every square foot matters. These units nestle into unused corner spaces, freeing up valuable floor area for other fixtures or storage solutions. Standard configurations include neo-angle designs with angled fronts and traditional square corners with glass doors.

Neo-angle showers feature five-sided configurations that project less into the room than traditional square designs. The angled front typically measures 36 to 38 inches, while the back walls extend approximately 36 inches along each bathroom wall. This geometry provides adequate interior space while minimizing the shower’s footprint impact.

Making the Most of the Room

Square corner showers offer more interior room but require additional floor space. Still, the perpendicular walls simplify tile installation and create clean, geometric lines that complement contemporary design themes.

Installation considerations include plumbing relocation and structural modifications to accommodate the shower base or custom tile pan. Corner showers often require creative solutions for shower controls and fixtures, as wall space becomes limited.

Turn to your local shower replacement company for the most creative and useful solutions. North Carolina homeowners can turn to Reece Builders, a home remodeling company with over 50 years of service to communities in this state.

Are corner showers the right style for you or another type? Either way, our professionals can efficiently transform your tub into a custom shower using precise and accurate installation skills and durable, premier materials.

Alcove Showers: Replacing Tub-Shower Combos

Alcove showers perfectly utilize existing bathtub footprints, making them ideal replacements for tub-shower combinations. These three-walled configurations typically measure 60 inches long by 30 to 32 inches deep, following standard bathtub dimensions. This direct replacement approach minimizes plumbing modifications and structural changes.

The fourth wall remains open and accommodates various closure options, including shower curtains, pivot doors, or sliding doors. Sliding doors work well in smaller bathrooms where swing clearance becomes problematic, while pivot doors provide wider openings for easier access and cleaning.

Perfect Positioning and Storage Solutions

Alcove installations often involve removing the existing bathtub, waterproofing the walls, and installing either a prefabricated shower base or a custom tile pan. Many homeowners choose to expand the opening slightly, creating a more spacious feel without major structural modifications. This expansion might involve removing a few inches of wall material to achieve a 36-inch depth instead of the original 30-inch bathtub dimension.

Storage solutions become important in alcove designs since the linear configuration limits built-in options. Corner shelves, wall niches, and overhead caddies organize toiletries and bath accessories. Some homeowners install bench seating along one wall, providing comfort and storage utility.

Luxury Multi-Head Systems

Another one of the best shower styles to consider when replacing your bathtub is a multi-head shower system. They transform daily routines into spa-like experiences through the strategic placement of various water delivery mechanisms. These sophisticated setups typically combine overhead rain showers, adjustable body sprays, handheld units, and sometimes steam generators for comprehensive coverage.

Rain shower heads mounted on the ceiling provide gentle, widespread water distribution that simulates natural rainfall. Body spray systems position multiple jets at different heights along the shower walls, targeting shoulders, back, and legs simultaneously. Another possible addition, handheld shower heads offer flexibility for targeted rinsing, child bathing, and shower cleaning.

Professional installation ensures proper pressure balancing and temperature control across all outlets. Most systems include individual controls for each spray pattern, allowing customized experiences that accommodate users of different heights.

Glass Enclosures and Design Elements

Glass enclosures have largely replaced shower curtains in modern renovations, offering superior water containment and visual appeal. Clear glass maintains the open feeling of walk-in designs while providing necessary splash protection. Frosted, textured, patterned, and other glass treatment options add privacy without sacrificing light transmission.

Frameless glass installations create the most seamless, high-end appearance but require precise measurements and professional installation. These systems use minimal hardware, typically just hinges and handles, allowing the glass panels to become nearly invisible design elements.

Semi-frameless options provide cost savings while maintaining clean aesthetics. These systems use minimal framing around the glass perimeter but eliminate bulky frame intersections that characterize traditional framed enclosures.

Material Selection and Maintenance Considerations

Shower wall materials significantly impact aesthetics and long-term maintenance requirements. Porcelain and ceramic tiles remain popular choices due to their water resistance, durability, and design versatility. Large format tiles reduce grout lines, minimizing cleaning requirements and potential leak points.

Natural Stone

Marble, travertine, slate, and other natural stone materials create luxurious appearances but require regular sealing and specialized cleaning products. These materials can be more susceptible to staining and etching from soap and hard water deposits.

Solid Surface Materials

Solid surface materials or cultured marble provide seamless installations with integral soap dishes and corner shelves. These non-porous surfaces resist staining and require minimal maintenance, though they typically cost more than tile installations.

Prefabricated Showers

Prefabricated shower surrounds offer the most budget-friendly option while providing water-tight installations. Modern acrylic and fiberglass units feature realistic tile and stone patterns that closely mimic more expensive materials.

Select Your New Installation

Choosing the right shower style depends on balancing your space constraints, accessibility needs, and aesthetic preferences. Each option offers distinct advantages that can ultimately transform your bathroom into a more functional and enjoyable space for everyone.