Bath and separate shower

fruitstick · 2023-01-07T17:32:36+00:00

We have a relatively small bathroom. It currently has a bath with a shower above it. With some rearranging we could just about fit a bath and a (smallish) shower cubicle. We would have to move the towel rail and turn the bath 90°. It wouldn't leave an awful lot of space. Would you bother? Or keep it how it is? This is the main family bathroom which is really only used by DS. Our en suite just has a shower.

FrenchFancier · 07/01/2023 17:36

Being as you already have a separate shower in the en suite I would have a shower over bath. That would be nicer than the bathroom feeling really crammed in. If you do decide to go the separate route, a wetroom shower with a sleek glass screen would help it feel more spacious.

yikesanotherbooboo · 07/01/2023 17:38

We have a shower room and a spacious bathroom with a shower over the bath. All the young adults use the shower over the bath by choice and quite happily. The room is pleasant to be in because there is a bit of floor space. Squeezing in a separate shower sounds unnecessarily expensive. I wouldn't.

Original poster

fruitstick · 07/01/2023 17:40

This is good to know. That's what I think too but was worried I'd regret not having a separate shower when we had the chance.

Thank you.

OP posts:

UsingChangeofName · 07/01/2023 17:45

I agree with others.
You've already got a separate shower in the house (should anyone not be able to step in to / out of the bath).

Your possible change doesn't mean that more people could wash at once - as creating a separate shower room would - so I can't see that you would be gaining anything.

nicknamehelp · 07/01/2023 18:01

My inlaws have a small shower cubicle and I hate it feels claustrophobic, washing hair you keep knocking door if you drop something knock door and to get in and out is a squeeze would of been better off putting shower over bath with decent screen.

trulyunruly01 · 07/01/2023 18:09

I think if having them separate means compromising on storage or drying space then probably best to keep the shower over the bath with a good shower screen.
Easier for leg shaving, washing small children and dogs, soaking larger items etc. and small cubicles are a bugger to keep clean.

MaggieFS · 07/01/2023 18:28

As with pp, I wouldn't bother. What I would do if you are redoing it anyway is fit in a wider than standard bath (if possible). Large shower trays are typically wider than a standard bath width, so by having a shower over a wider bath, you benefit almost like standing in a large shower tray, IYSWIM.

I did it in a previous flat and it made a big difference.

Original poster

fruitstick · 07/01/2023 19:09

Does a wider bath use a lot more water (I know I should be able to work this out).

DS likes his baths deep and a wider bath could cost us a fortune!

OP posts:

rrrrrreatt · 07/01/2023 20:31

We’re currently having this debate. Our house needs a new bathroom (we’ve got navy fixtures - originals from the 70s) and I really want a separate shower to bath.

I’ve been doing a lot of research (aka Pinterest) and I think we can do a glass sheet shower cubicle so it doesn’t feel claustrophobic and a deeper but shorter bath. The shorter deeper bath is generally more energy efficient because the volume of water needed to be covered is less but equally you can’t recline fully.

chipsandpeas · 07/01/2023 20:32

do it, then if your shower ever has a leak then you can still use the bath and vice versa

Flamingosarentreal · 07/01/2023 20:36

We have both and apart from the bath being too big - dh chose it as he uses it -I love having the choice.

MaggieFS · 07/01/2023 20:57

fruitstick · 07/01/2023 19:09

Does a wider bath use a lot more water (I know I should be able to work this out).

DS likes his baths deep and a wider bath could cost us a fortune!

Ha. I think I should be able to work it out too, but I'm struggling. It will completely depend on the internal dimensions of the bath. Based on some very rough maths though... a standard bath is 1700x700. If you went for 1700x800 both filled to 300mm, then that would be a 14% increase in volume (I think).

The maths of how many litres that is eludes me though, but I don't think it's too significant.

custardbear · 07/01/2023 21:37

I'd say go for a really good bath, deep, /spacious etc. If the walk in shower is lovely then a shower over the bath in another bathroom would be fine I'm sure
We have 4 walk in showers and 1 bath ... which sounds lovely ... but it's not and the cleaning is immense!

WoolyMammoth55 · 07/01/2023 23:22

Hi OP, we separated them out - bath is important to me as my kids are small and have a bedtime bath every day. There's only one shower in the house so I found space to give us a 90x90cm cubicle and it feels nice and spacious in use.

However, bath over shower would have given much more storage space, and I do wish I had more. Have to keep clean towels in the bedroom wardrobe and spare toiletries in the downstairs guest loo because the separate bath and shower left zero room...

If my kids were older and I had an en-suite shower then I would have preferred bath over shower and some decent storage :)

StalkedByASpider · 08/01/2023 06:45

rrrrrreatt · 07/01/2023 20:31

We’re currently having this debate. Our house needs a new bathroom (we’ve got navy fixtures - originals from the 70s) and I really want a separate shower to bath.

I’ve been doing a lot of research (aka Pinterest) and I think we can do a glass sheet shower cubicle so it doesn’t feel claustrophobic and a deeper but shorter bath. The shorter deeper bath is generally more energy efficient because the volume of water needed to be covered is less but equally you can’t recline fully.

We have a deep, short bath and it's bloody awful. It's uncomfortable and I can't wait until I move house so I can have a proper bath again!! I'm not especially tall - 5'7 - but it's cramped and horrible. I don't have baths these days, just showers. I can't wait to relax in a proper size bath again!!

OP - I would say it depends how small the shower cubicle would be, and whether you have any issues with dripping/spilling with the shower over bath set-up. In our house, we have a glass partition and water is always pissing around the side of it onto the floor. It's a nightmare and I would so much prefer a separate shower. It might be better though if you can fit in a larger bath and ensure that you have an extra-long shower screen fitted to prevent spillage.

rrrrrreatt · 08/01/2023 09:57

StalkedByASpider · 08/01/2023 06:45

We have a deep, short bath and it's bloody awful. It's uncomfortable and I can't wait until I move house so I can have a proper bath again!! I'm not especially tall - 5'7 - but it's cramped and horrible. I don't have baths these days, just showers. I can't wait to relax in a proper size bath again!!

OP - I would say it depends how small the shower cubicle would be, and whether you have any issues with dripping/spilling with the shower over bath set-up. In our house, we have a glass partition and water is always pissing around the side of it onto the floor. It's a nightmare and I would so much prefer a separate shower. It might be better though if you can fit in a larger bath and ensure that you have an extra-long shower screen fitted to prevent spillage.

Show quote history

I did say to my partner we need to go and lie in some but this definitely gives me second thoughts on our current plan!! I’m 5ft 9 and he’s 6ft so neither of us are short.