It’s Time to Upgrade Your Shower

Modern-day showers feel like luxurious spa retreats.

There is no better way to unwind and wash away the stress and weariness of a busy day than taking a long, relaxing bath. There is no better way to awaken your mind and body than a refreshing morning shower.

If the shower plays such a critical role in daily life, then, it’s no wonder that people are looking for ways to improve their bathing experiences and add luxury to their bathing spaces. Modern showers are designed to provide exactly that – a spa-like atmosphere, a delightful recreation, and a reinvigorating start of the day.

If your shower is outdated or improperly functioning, though, you won’t be able to enjoy that soothing, refreshing feeling. You will be robbed of one of the most pleasant experiences in everyday life. In such a case, it’s probably time to consider a shower upgrade.

A shower remodel is not as difficult, expensive, or time-consuming as you might think. In fact, you can dramatically improve your bathing space with very little effort and at quite an affordable cost. Or you can get a variety of upscale innovations that will result in a high-end, luxurious showering area. It’s your choice – there are plenty of shower options for every budget and style. What matters is to update your old, worn out shower into a charming, practical bathing retreat.

Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Your Shower

You can give your shower a makeover anytime you feel like a change, but there are certain signs that clearly indicate that you should no longer ignore your bathroom’s need for an overhaul:

• Leaky or broken fixtures – If your shower’s faucet or showerhead is leaking or unable to provide adequate water pressure, it’s time to replace it with a new, more efficient model. Showerheads are inexpensive and easy to install, but they can greatly improve your showering experience;
• Mold – If you can see black dots on the showerhead or if parts of the shower are frequently turning green or black, then you have mold in your shower. It is very unsightly and very bad for your health, so you need to act quickly. Thorough cleaning will help you get rid of the harmful microorganisms for a time but mold is very likely to reappear as soon as the right conditions favorable for its growth form. Your best bet is to give your shower a complete overhaul;
• Chipped shower tiles – Broken and cracked shower tiles not only detract from the overall appeal of your bathroom, but can cause a number of problems – you can cut yourself on broken tile pieces, a loose tile may fall and hurt you, water can sneak through the cracks and result in mold growth or damage the integrity of your walls, etc. If it’s just a couple of broken tiles, you can caulk them, but if many of your shower tiles are cracked, it’s time for a renovation;
  

  Not happy with your showering space? Time to consider an upgrade!

• Outdated or damaged shower doors – The shower doors have a dual purpose in a bathroom – they add to the beauty of the ambience and keep water contained within the shower enclosure. If they look dilapidated, don’t suit your aesthetic taste, or have sustained damage over the years, you need to look for a more stylish and more practical bathroom partition;
• Outdated look – Even if your shower is properly functioning, it may no longer match your personal style or the rest of your home décor. Or it may look tired and worn-out. Outdated or faded colors, old-fashioned fixtures, antiquated décor and other stylish relics are clear signs that your shower is out of date and in need of rejuvenation. So, if your bathing space has lost its aesthetic appeal, a shower makeover should be next on your agenda.

Poor lighting, musty smells, or other irksome details may also be ruining your shower experience and depriving you of comfort.  So, if your shower is showing any of these signs, you have nothing to wait for – it’s time for an upgrade.

Shower Remodeling Ideas

Great shower design will greatly improve not only your personal comfort, but the overall value of your home as well. So, if you’re considering a bathroom renovation project, here are several great shower upgrades to think about:

Shower Heads

The easiest and cheapest way to give your bathing space a considerable boost is to replace the showerhead (especially if your current one is an older, single-spray model).

You can choose from a wide variety of models, functionalities, materials, and styles, so it’ll be easy to find a showerhead that suits your needs and preferences. You can keep it simple with a single-function showerhead, opt for a multifunctional model that delivers different kinds of sprays (from massaging jets to gentle mist), install multiple showerheads at different levels so that they spray you from different angles, or upgrade to a multi-purpose complete showerhead system. You can even go for a rain showerhead that will make you feel as if you’re standing beneath a waterfall or install wall jets and steam showers to mimic a fancy spa atmosphere – the shower options are virtually limitless. What’s more, you can browse through multi-handle and single-handle shower sets for an option that best fits your bathroom style and your practical needs.

If you wish for an upgrade from the traditional shower head which is installed in the wall, you can get hand held showerheads or hand showers – they are available in various finishes (including nickel, chrome, bronze, and copper) and offer plenty of high-end features.

It’s the shower heads that define your bathing experience.

Shower heads and handles provide the perfect way to upgrade your shower without spending much time or money on the project. If you prefer a more thorough shower remodel though, you’ll have to redo the shower stall as well.

Shower Enclosures

To get a spa-quality shower and create the Zen environment you need in order to better relax and recharge, you need to have the perfect shower surroundings – luxurious, bright, and refreshing.

Shower stalls ideas

The shower stall design is the first thing to consider when upgrading your bathing space. You can choose between:

• Fiberglass showers – Inexpensive, easy to install, and even easier to clean (they are less prone to mold, soap scum buildup, or hard water stains than other types of shower enclosures), fiberglass showers are extremely popular among contemporary homeowners. They come in a wide variety of shapes and colors to match any bathroom style and layout;
• Glass showers – Glass shower enclosures make a shower space feel brighter and more spacious. They lend a luxurious, spa-like quality to the bath area and allow for greater customization and creativity than other shower stall options. Keep in mind though that glass is quite expensive and very prone to soap scum buildup. Cleaning glass showers is a laborious and time-consuming job, and you may need specialized cleaning products in order to keep the glass looking as clean and clear as on the day it was installed;
• Tile showers – The most widely preferred material for a bathroom, tile is easily customizable to any style and décor. Depending on the shapes, sizes, colors, and materials you choose, tile can bring classic appeal to the bathroom or give it a sleek, modern look – marble tiles will create an atmosphere of luxury and serenity in your bathing space, porcelain tiles will combine sophisticated elegance with practicality and comfort, mosaic tiling will provide interesting emphasis to the shower walls, floors, niches, etc. You can bring the splendor of natural stone to your showering space or go for the more consistent patterning and coloration of a man-made tile – the choice is yours.

Further shower upgrades

When remodeling a shower, you can make it more convenient, beautiful, and luxurious than ever before:

• Glass shower doors – If you’re looking for stylish and practical bathroom upgrades, glass shower doors may be your best option. They not only look modern and luxurious, but also make shower access much easier and safer (they have no ledges or lips to step over when getting in or out of the shower). Glass shower doors also extend the visual sight line further into the bathroom and make the room feel brighter and more open;
  

  Tile showers with glass shower doors have become the hottest trend in contemporary shower stall designs.

• Impressive shower curtains – For an even cheaper and easier bathroom upgrade, you can choose to forgo the shower doors altogether and use beautiful shower curtains instead. Quality, artistic shower curtains can add visual interest and elegance to the space, enhancing the beauty of your shower and lending a spacious feel to your bathroom;
• Shower benches – Just like in a lavish spa, a seat in the shower will provide a wonderful place to relax and enjoy a lengthy, luxurious scrub. Unlike built-in seating that is typically installed during the building process, a bench can be easily added at any time. You can tile the bench with the same natural stone (be it marble, granite, or limestone) or porcelain tiles as the ones used on the shower walls to create a calming, monochromatic vibe or add a bench made of a contrasting material (like teak or glass) for a more intriguing, modern impression;
• Shower shelving – With the ever-growing need for extra storage space in the bathroom, shower shelving is one of the most convenient and efficient upgrades you can make to your bath area. Shelves create convenient places for housing personal care items and hygienic products, and they considerably increase the comfort of your showering space, while making it look tidier and better organized;
• Shower lighting – Incorporating artistic lighting fixtures in your bath area is another easy and economical upgrade that will have a huge impact on your overall bathroom design and your daily showering experience. You can choose from a great variety of lighting systems (layered lighting techniques, chandelier-like pendants, colorful wall fixtures, sensor lights, etc.) that can help you create the bright ambience, recessed illumination, or accent lighting you prefer. LED fixtures, however, seem to be the hottest trend in present-day showers – their diversity, beauty, and efficiency make them appropriate for any design, any preference, and any budget;
• Shower accessories – When upgrading your shower, do not forget to swap your tired old towel racks, tissue holders, soap dishes, and bathmats for new ones that will add functionality and beauty to the bathroom – it’s the small details that make a big difference.

So, if you feel that it’s time to upgrade your shower, you can choose from a number of different ways to take your bathing space to the next level – from making a tile update and incorporating the beauty of natural stones into your bathing space to simply swapping an old curtain for a glass door or adding a new showerhead. All these enhancements will create a luxurious, spa-like feel in your bathroom and will greatly increase the comfort and efficiency of your shower.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.