Tub to Shower Conversion Kits
Tub to Shower Conversion Kits make it easy to retrofit your tub to a shower.
If you’re thinking of converting your bathtub to a shower, you’re in good company. The American Institute of Architects says that the tub-less bathroom is growing in popularity.
Its annual Home Design Trends Survey found that more than 60% of homeowners preferred a stall shower without a tub in 2013. Compare that to 49% in 2012, the first year they specifically surveyed about tub-less bathrooms. However, there’s a caveat: Even if you only use your tub to wash your pets, most real estate agents are adamant about having at least one bathtub in your house to preserve marketability. A recent Houzz poll agrees, with 58% of respondents claiming, “you’ll never sell that house without a tub."
Bathroom Safety for older adults. The bathroom is one of the most potentially dangerous rooms in the home, particularly for older adults.
Why? Let's start with the wet and slippery surfaces, loose rugs, and sharp corners. Next, add in the physical challenges many older adults experience: difficulty with balance getting in and out of the bath or shower; trouble bending and reaching to adjust water temperature or wash body parts; difficulty seeing without glasses or contact lenses. It makes for one seriously dangerous mix. Statistics are hard to isolate, but a National Institute on Aging (NIA) study determined that over 1/3 of seniors over the age of 65 slip and fall yearly - 80 percent of those falls occur in the bathroom.
The conclusion? Whether you have your eye on home resale value or safety, go ahead and convert your old tub or tub/shower combo into a cool, walk-in shower. As long as one other bathroom in your house has a tub for tasks such as bathing small children.