Get fast and friendly bathroom repairs and remodeling by Oklahoma City’s trusted plumbing company. Call Champion Plumbing at 405-889-1318 to add a tub or shower to your bathroom.
The shower stall or bathtub is often the focal point of a bathroom, so deciding on shower vs bathtub installation requires careful consideration. Which meets your family’s needs? Which fits the layout of your bathroom?
Before you commit to your next bathroom project, check with the plumbing experts in South OKC from Champion Plumbing for help deciding which bathroom upgrade is right for your home. We serve many communities near Oklahoma City, working as a husband-wife team to tackle even the most challenging plumbing work. Find out how we live up to our slogan—Love, Serve, Care.
What Look Are You Going For?
Choosing between a shower and a bathtub influences the overall aesthetic of your renovated bathroom. A freestanding bathtub with ornate feet gives the bathroom a traditional look, whereas a walk-in shower or shower-bath combo with glass walls has a modern feel.
A bathtub or shower addition improves your home’s efficiency in a few ways, including:
- Avoid lines at the bathroom door in the mornings
- Provide first-floor shower access to guests or family members with limited mobility
- Give added privacy to visitors using the guest bedroom
- Create a fully functional finished basement or attic apartment
Before installing a bathtub, ensure that you have enough space for anyone using the tub to step out and dry off. Is the layout attractive, and is the bath or shower an integral part of the bathroom design?
Do You Want to Conserve Water?
In general, taking a shower uses less water than filling up the tub for a bath. Installing a shower instead of a bath can keep water bills low. If you take long showers, taking baths instead could reduce your water usage.
The surest way to find out whether baths or showers are more eco-friendly is to take a shower as you normally would with a stopper in the drain. If you finish the shower and the tub has not filled yet, your showers conserve water relative to baths.
Consider the cost of the energy used to heat water as well. Unless you prefer cold showers, you’ll want hot water for both baths and showers. A new water heater could enhance the experience of your new bathtub or shower.
Do You Need to Optimize Bathroom Space?
For smaller bathrooms, the advantage goes to shower vs bathtub additions. You can squeeze a shower into less than ten square feet, not counting the space for the hot and cold hookups or any storage shelving. The typical bathtub measures five feet by two and a half feet, or twelve square feet overall.
If you have a small bathroom, a shower stall is more compact and saves space. In a larger bathroom, a luxurious bathtub may be a better option.
Is the Bathroom for Guests and Family?
Consider the usage patterns that you expect for every bathroom in your home. Do you expect to have many guests using the bathroom? In that situation, small bathrooms with showers will help you meet demand.
If you decide to build an in-suite bathroom for you and your partner or in a guest room, a bathtub might be a perfect amenity for relaxing weekend nights or holidays.
Is Accessibility an Issue?
If you or a member of your household has difficulty getting into or out of a conventional bathtub, a walk-in shower or walk-in tub might help. Include grab bars on the side of the tub and consider designs that include space for storing a shower chair. Make the shower or tub large enough to accommodate any assistive devices that your guests or family might need.
Are You Planning to Sell Your Home?
Consider how long you plan to stay in your home. If you plan to list your home within the next few years, it might benefit you to focus on features that will help you sell for a higher price and wait until you move to customize your bathroom.
If resale value is your main concern, choose a tub over a shower. The logic for the choice is that more buyers want bathtubs over showers. A buyer who wants a shower can more easily take out the tub and save a few square feet of space, but a buyer who wants a tub won’t be able to install one without reducing the bathroom’s square footage.
One strategy to avoid is removing the shower or tub from a bathroom to free up space. The number of bathrooms in a home is among the top pieces of information that house hunters consider. Downgrading a home from two bathrooms to one-and-a-half bathrooms might cross your home off the list of many homeowners before they consider your listing.
Consider Maintenance and Cleaning
When you plan your bathroom upgrade, consider the time and effort you need to keep the bath or shower looking clean. Glass shower doors need frequent cleaning. Porcelain tubs can chip and crack over time.
Create the Perfect Shower Bath or Combo with Champion Plumbing
When considering the price of different styles and materials, remember that a stylish and durable shower or bath can add value to your home. Once you weigh the pros and cons of each type of shower and bath, choose a home remodeling contractor that knows bath and shower installation.
Extend the life of your shower or bath by choosing material carefully. A bathroom that looks nice when it’s new but shows stains and cracks after a few years will not add lasting value to your home.
The experts at Champion Plumbing can help you with many bathroom questions in addition to the shower vs bathtub dilemma. Visit our blog if you want to know what to do if you have leaky toilets. Call Champion Plumbing at 405-889-1318 to schedule an appointment or click the BOOK ONLINE TODAY button on our web page.
