Type of shower

There’s really two types of showers on the market.

1. Full showers, as in exclusively just a shower
2. Combination shower and tubs

Stand-alone showers

Stand-alone showers are a great option is you are limited on space. Also, if you’re not really a tub person, these are ideal.

The best part is that you can really customize these showers if you want to go that far.

Pros for stand-alone showers

• Cos effective: today’s showers use less than half of the water a tub uses, on average, and especially true if you have a low-flow shower head installed
• Fits easily into corners where you might not have anything else otherwise
• Safer than a tub: Elderly, disabled and people of smaller stature don’t have to worry about stepping over a tub wall
• You have the option of buying a pre-cast shower or customizing with tile

Cons for stand-alone showers

• House resale value: Industry experts recommend at least one bathtub in the house, as not having a tub can actually hurt your home’s value at sell time
• Mold may build up quicker with a stand-alone shower

Shower/tub combinations

As mentioned above, having at least one tub in your house is good for resale value. With tubs, installation can be a bit more complex and therefore costly. However, even the nicest stand-alone shower cannot replace the value of not having a tub.

Pros for shower/bathtubs

• You get the versatility of getting to choose if you want to take a relaxing bath with scents and candles, or if you want to take a stand-up shower
• Lots of styles to choose from: Apart from different colours and shapes, you can also choose between alcove, clawfoot and drop-in tubs
• Although bigger than a stand-alone shower, they can still save space as they are doing the work of two fixtures in one space
• Upgrades to the aesthetics are easily accomplished by installing new tile around the walls or perhaps just replacing the faucets
• And once again, the resale value that tubs bring to your house

Cons of shower/bathtubs

• The plumbing can get a bit complicated, possibly, as you are combing two different features
• Although considering that they do the work of two fixtures, they still do take up significantly more room than stand-alone showers and can sometimes make your bathroom look a lot smaller
• If the tub wall is too high, elderly, disabled and people of smaller stature may have trouble stepping over the edge

Shower doors or curtains

Not many people would think of this as an option that actually has quite a bit of significance.

For example, if you go with a door on a shower/tub, you’re losing 50% of your access into the tub. On the other hand, if you hang up curtains, you’ll eventually have to replace them as they’ll get stained and worn.

Shower doors, contrary to curtains, have clean lines and will maintain a cleaner look for longer.

There are two basic types of shower doors:

1. Framed
2. Frameless

Framed doors are usually made of a lightweight metal with various options for finishes and slide on tracks. A downside is that the tracks can get water build up and will need to be cleaned every so often.

Frameless doors are easier to clean. They also have a more modern, open look.

Shower door options for finishes:

• Clear glass: smooth and transparent, which allows maximum light in
• Frosted glass: great privacy and can have designs as well as colors
• Rain glass: textured on one side to look like raindrops, which can afford privacy and hide water stains and fingerprints well
• Tinted glass: varying degrees of opaqueness and provides warmth to a bathroom’s color palette
• Hammered glass: indentations that look like hammered metal creating many kinds of visual effects as the light passes through

Other shower fixtures to consider

The beauty of installing a new shower is that you can customize a few other things to really get it to stand out and look luxurious.

Shower pan

You can either get a pre-fabricated one for relatively cheap or go with a custom tile or stone look for significantly more.

Faucets and shower heads

You might want to upgrade your shower faucets and shower heads for various reasons. Maybe it’s an aesthetic thing. Or perhaps you want to change out the type of material altogether.

If you shower heads are eco-friendly, there are many options out there for saving water.

Location of shower

Every floor of your house presents a different set of circumstances and challenges for installing a new shower. For example, if you want a new shower installed on the main floor, it’s going to be cheaper than if you want it installed on the second story.

Shower installation costs

Installation costs could vary widely, depending on what your Winnipeg plumber finds when they take out the existing fixture. If there’s mold, you have no choice but to get rid of it. If your existing plumbing is old or improperly setup, you may need to do a plumbing pipe upgrade.

New shower installation cost

Considering all of the things you need to consider when choosing a shower or combination shower/tub, the costs will vary somewhat.

However, based on our research and experience, we’ve found that typical shower installs run around $2,000 with all the finishing touches, including tiles, drywall, paint, etc., and including the actual shower or tub.

Need a quote for a shower installation

Here at Dean’s Plumbing & Heating in Winnipeg, we are more than happy to come out and give you a quote on a shower installation.

Get in touch with us today!