A walk in shower is a must for most handicapped people.
The name of the game is convenience and walk in showers have become very popular because of it.
Everyone is in a hurry and at the same time a hot steamy shower after a long stressful day is said to work wonders with a number of stress related problems.
The beauty of walk in showers is that they are designed to fit into smaller spaces but still give you the functionality of larger showers.
There are several design styles available. The most common is the tiled walk in shower. These showers use everything from ceramic to glass to marble and granite.
Travertine tiles are commonly used also, especially for the floors. Sometimes these showers have a bathtub attached for the best of both worlds.
You also have the door less walk in shower designs that are different in that they have no curb. Instead the floor is slightly sloped to allow the water to drain properly. These are very popular in smaller spaces and are sometimes part of a walk in bathroom. They have very simple arrangements and fixtures. You also have spa showers. These showers generally have a steam pump attached to turn the shower into a mini spa.
Because there are many styles to chose from there are also several places to look for help. The internet has a treasure trove of information about these showers including a great number of do it yourself websites devoted to this subject.
Your local home improvement store, where you will be likely to be getting your materials anyway, will have experts to guide you and answer your questions, especially when it comes to the unique characteristics of a handicapped shower.
Most cities have building codes that effect plumbing of this nature and before you start tearing out the old bathtub make sure you know what the local building codes require and that you know where all the supports and load bearing beams are and that you do not damage them. Some municipalities require that a licensed contractor inspect and sign off on each job as well before the city will approve the job.
