The zero entry shower is quickly becoming one of the most popular bathroom designs. This type of shower features a flat floor with no steps or thresholds that could lead to trips and falls. It also eliminates the need for a lip or curb around the perimeter of the shower, providing a sleek and modern look.
As the name suggests, a curbless shower has no threshold, so there's easy entry and exit. Much like walk-in showers, there's no divider between the bathroom and the shower floor. Thus, curbless showers have the added advantage of accessibility for people with limited mobility.
It requires the floor to be sloped just so and typically uses a linear drain in order to ensure effective water drainage. This drain, along with the properly sloped shower floor, ensures that water stays within the shower area without the risk of flooding the broader bathroom space.
Zero Entry Shower Cons
$2,000 or more than a traditional curbed shower. Curtains will not prevent the water from escaping. Some water will still escape a glass door.
Curbless showers with linear drains provide an expansive canvas for design creativity. The linear drain can be positioned in various locations — against a wall, at the entrance of the shower, or anywhere in between — providing you with the flexibility to tailor the shower layout according to your preferences.
Open-concept, or curbless showers are a concept that's growing in popularity – and for good reason. They offer accessibility – and lots of flexibility in design. And when we remove the barriers for our shower, we can also create a seamless look in the bathroom, making it look and feel bigger.
A common linear shower drain problem is that, although they're nice to look at, the design makes them more difficult to clean. Because they're installed flush with the floor or wall, they can be hard to access for cleaning and accumulate more debris than a traditional drain.
Price Considerations
A traditional, curbed walk-in shower costs about $2,500 to $5,000 which can significantly add to the bathroom remodel cost. Installing a curbless shower will add on another $500 to $700 or more, depending on the tile choices, shower size, and any additional shower waterproofing that is needed.
Firstly, if you don't know what a curbless shower is, it's a shower that has no tiled 'bumper' or threshold around the shower pan. Instead, the shower floor looks level with the rest of the bathroom, separated by a glass panel with or without a shower door.
The national average cost of a walk-in shower installation is $7,500, with an average range between $3,170 and $11,495. A basic pre-fabricated unit can cost as little as $1,000, while a custom unit can cost as much as $6,500 to $12,000.
If attention is paid to a few critical details, curbless showers will meet building codes, are highly usable by most people, present few if any installa tion difficulties, and do not leak or present maintenance problems.
The standard measurement that you will need at a minimum is 30 inches deep and 60 inches long. We recommend that 36 inches should really be considered the minimum depth for any curbless shower.
Also called an open-concept shower, a curbless shower is a type of walk-in shower that relies on a gradually sloping floor to move water toward the drain. The shower floor and the bathroom floor are often made of the same materials, usually ceramic, porcelain tile, or natural stone.
Zero-entry pools, also known as 'beach-entry pools' or 'walk-in pools', are a style of swimming pool people characterised by their sloping entrance. Unlike traditional pools, zero-entry pools replace bulky stairs and ladders with a slope, creating a seamless transition between land and water.
Con: Water Can Get Everywhere
Installed properly, you'll be fine – but if you don't plan it well, you could have some pretty big problems with water and your curbless shower. Without a curb, the shower water isn't contained in the tub area and can get EVERYWHERE. There are a few ways you can alleviate this.
In addition to the cost of materials, you'll also need to factor in the cost of labor. Installing a curbless shower is generally more time-consuming and therefore more expensive than installing a traditional shower. Another cost to consider is the cost of permits.
The choice between linear and square drain will highly depend on your application. As mentioned, if you are remodeling to create a wet room or a curbless shower, a linear drain is the right choice.
The decision to build a shower without a curb or shower pan is the decision to replace a very effective system of water control with far less effective systems. For this reason, the entire bathroom should be waterproofed whenever a curbless shower is installed. There should be an expectation of water leakage.
KOHLER offers the LuxStone shower as another safe and beautiful walk-in solution for those who have mobility challenges or are not ready to purchase a walk-in tub. You can expect to pay between $5,000 to $30,000+ for a roll-in or walk-in shower without installation.
For curbless showers, the drain position is incredibly important. For most showers, this means placing it on the opposite side from the shower door to keep the water as far away from the rest of the bathroom as possible. A linear shower drain is a popular choice for curbless sliding shower door enclosures.
Hair and debris can clog any drain, of course, but I've found that most linear drains do indeed clog easier and faster. The longer the drain, the more problematic they can be. This is because the pitch of the gutter is smaller.
We recommend installing your shower drain against the wall (three-sided installation). By doing so, you have a one-sided slope that offers the easiest installation with less tile cutting necessary. Another option is to place the shower drain free-in-the-floor.
Answer: Linear shower drains can be more expensive than traditional drains due to their design and materials. However, they carry several benefits, such as improved drainage efficiency, design flexibility, and a luxe style, which can justify the higher cost.