Placement of shower controls and shower door

9 years ago

I just posted a separate thread with a diagram of my proposed master bath layout and asked for comments. Assuming there are no significant issues with the basic layout, I still need to think about specifics - like where to place the shower controls and the door. I wanted to keep this apart from that tread because I think many people would be interested in a more specific discussion on shower layout issues.

My shower will be about 66 wide x 40 deep. I do not want to have the entire 66' side to be glass, but want a half wall with glass above for all but the door opening. I'm concerned about where to put the door and the controls. My shower head needs to be on the left wall but the best place for the door is on the right. I'm wondering if it would be weird to have the shower controls on the front half wall under the glass section - next to the door but not visible for outside the shower? Has anyone done/seen something like this?

Featured Answer

Babka NorCal 9b

9 years ago

I agree with sjhockeyfan. It really depends on how high your "half" wall is, as I wouldn't want to bend down to turn on the water. You could hinge a swinging door on the other side to block any possible spray and mount the controls on the back wall. I suppose it depends on how the room can be plumbed.

-Babka

Comments (9)

aam31
9 years ago
I think that makes a lot of sense. You can easily access controls right when you step in the door, without getting in the spray path.
sjhockeyfan325
9 years ago
I was just in a hotel and made this very comment - that it was silly to put the controls in the oath of the water! I think your idea is great, either below the glass on the near wall, or, if you don't want them to be that low, then on the back wall.
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bpath
9 years ago
With a full-height wall instead of half-height, that's our shower, and it's great. I can turn on the water and adjust the temp without getting wet, and it's easy to wipe the controls after a shower. The handle is centered at 48" which is just right. In reaching in just now, 40" is as low as I could comfortably go with out having to bend. I'm 5'4". DH is about 5'10" and would probably find 40" too low.

This post was edited by bpathome on Sat, Oct 4, 14 at 18:42
palimpsest
9 years ago
Doorknobs are 36" on center so anything around there or slightly above should be fine if you don't want to pony wall to get too tall.

Is bending over a little considered a form of strenuous exercise now, or something?

This post was edited by palimpsest on Sat, Oct 4, 14 at 19:21
bpath
9 years ago
Ha ha, pal, yes!
ontariomom
9 years ago
LOL Pal!

OP, I wondered if you were going to consider a second shower head, perhaps a rainhead? You have a good sized shower and would have room for two. You definitely want the controls reachable from outside the shower, so you don't get the first blast of cold water before the shower warms up. Where you locate it on the plan will avoid the cold. Not sure how low would be comfortable, so I see you dilemma.

Carol
k_rider
9 years ago
You may want to swing the door out for safety. If you fall inside the door may not be able to be opened. Also the outside of the door will get wet when you close the door and it swings past the flow... I think they make a double swinging door...
maxmillion_gw
9 years ago
I've used showers with similar set-ups in hotels. I like being able to turn on the shower without being in the spray, but if the controls are too far away I don't like having to walk away from the water to adjust the temperature -- which I inevitably have to do in a hotel where I'm not familiar with their settings.

If it's a reach from the stream to the controls, I would suggest thermostatic controls so that you'll have more precise control of the water temperature.