Transform Your Bathroom with a Barrier-Free Shower

Imagine lathering up in an open, walk-in shower with the look and feel of a luxury spa. Instead of a raised threshold, the entry of a barrier-free shower is flush with the floor, creating a seamless surface that gives your bathroom a spacious, airy look. More importantly, it's convenient for everyone from kids to grandparents, including people with mobility challenges. Read on to find out why barrier-free, or curbless, showers are a bathroom trend with staying power.

When the floor flows unobstructed from wall to wall, your bathroom will look like it magically grew some serious square footage. A doorless or glass-enclosed walk-in shower will also open up any small bathroom space and make a dark room appear brighter. For a seamless look, apply matching tiles on the shower walls and floor in the rest of the bathroom.

If a room has fewer surface joints and seams, there are fewer places for soap scum and mildew to nestle. Even if you install a glass partition in your shower, you’ll still have a more streamlined cleaning routine. And less housework means more time for indulgent bathroom rituals. Oatmeal-avocado face mask, anyone? 

Wondering how to clean a walk-in tiled shower? Equal parts distilled white vinegar and warm water will be your best friend! Just scrub your tiles and grout with a soft-bristled brush or sponge, rinse the walls, and enjoy your squeaky-clean shower.

Or install the ProClean™ Hand Shower which powers off stubborn soap scum and shower messes, cleaning shower surfaces at least two times faster than standard sprays. This is the perfect DIY upgrade that makes it easier to keep your shower and tile clean.

The workhorse of a barrier-free shower is the drain, which ensures that water doesn’t run all over the room. To allow for proper drainage, the floor is slightly sloped toward the drain. Shower head position is also important, as is aiming the water in a direction that causes the least backsplash. Bonus, barrier-free showers with linear shower drains placed against the wall only need one-sided sloping, making for a quick and easy installation!

Curbless showers are a classic example of Universal Design, which promotes spaces that are accessible for as many people as possible, regardless of age, size or physical ability. With no tub or threshold to climb over, a barrier-free shower is a game-changer for anyone with achy joints or who uses a wheelchair. The minimum size guidelines issued by the Americans with Disabilities Act for a transfer type shower compartment is a modest 36" x 36". If you are adding a bench, opt for a folding bench to allow extra space when not in use.

Don’t think that unless your decor is modern, this type of shower won’t suit your bathroom. No matter your style, barrier-free showers can be designed to blend with a variety of looks and configured to accommodate the shape and size of your bathroom. Whether you have bold, statement tiling and colorful wallpaper or keep it classic and airy with white all over, a barrier-free shower helps any bathroom feel spacious and luxurious.