Adding an over bath shower to a double ended freestanding bath

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Has anyone successfully done this please? We've had an offer accepted on a house and the bath in the family bathroom is the type in the photos here. Not enough space in room to add a shower cubicle with the current layout so I'm wondering if we could add an over bath shower to the current freestanding bath. The bath doesn't join either wall and has a window next to it which I'm thinking will complicate things.
The only shower in the property is in the en suite so we need to sort something for the kids.
Thanks

You would need to put the shower over the centre on the bath and then have the kind of shower curtain that goes all round all 4 sides to keep the water in.

or you need to replace the bath with a normal one joined to the wall and tile the wall. I’d do this if possible because I think free standing baths just gather dust in the corners and waste space.

Search for wrap around shower curtain for images. But remember the curtain has to be tucked inside the tub to prevent water all over the floor, unlike the pretty pictures which will show it outside.

I have a shower over a freestanding bath. It’s an electric one on the wall though at the same end as the taps, which wouldn’t be possible with a window. It’s a bit of a pain tbh, as even with shower curtains some water usually ends up on the floor in the gap between the shower and bath.

We stayed in an Airbnb once that had a shower over a freestanding bath with a curtain. Having a shower was a miserable experience - the curtain clung to my legs, there was barely any space to move because you were constrained by the diameter of the curtain ring. And we still managed to get water everywhere.

Honestly, I'd rip it out and put in a bath that connects to the wall along two edges so you can shower more comfortably.

I think with that bath it would be a nightmare. I second the PP saying get a normal bath attached the to wall. We have a freestanding bath just like in the picture, and it gathers so much dust and grime (and spiders!) around the sides and back.

I've had the same experience as @MotherofPufflings .

A cold, wet shower curtain dangling all around you whilst you shower is no fun at all. (especially in a rental cottage where you know that wet shower has clung to a hundred wet bottoms!!!!)
Because it has to hang inside the bath to drain afterwards it looks a mess and is bunched up whilst it drip dries so it gets mouldy and makes the room smell musty.
Seems like a flawed concept to me.

I put one of these over a free standing bath in the DC's bathroom because I didn't want the expense of ripping out the bathroom. It was a solution - worked fine. It was cheaper to change the taps and add an exposed shower, not this one but similar to this one.

The really important measurement is making sure that the shower head is over the middle of the space in the curtain rail.

No issues with flooding or a musty smell despite it being used by two teenagers for five years.

It is possible, but the bath shape and the window make it awkward. A shower over a freestanding double-ended bath needs a properly sealed screen or curtain arrangement, and the shower head and controls need positioning so spray cannot hit the window, woodwork or floor. Waterproofing, waste access and ventilation matter too.

With no wall alongside the bath to support a screen, a wraparound curtain is usually the practical option, but it can still allow splashes and is not everyone's idea of a good daily shower. Before committing, get a plumber to measure it properly: can the bath be moved tight to a wall, can the waste and pipework be altered, and is the window suitable for a wet area? Price that against replacing it with a straight bath against two walls; that is usually the simpler and more comfortable solution.

Thanks. This is the current layout. I guess blocking up part of the window is an option, for a narrower shape frame and swapping the bath for one that goes flush to the wall with the shower fixed to the end furthest from the window? I know there's also the option of rearranging the whole layout. What would be easier and / or cheaper?

Here's the current layout and the dimensions. Not totally accurate as the current bath doesn't touch any walls.
There's a radiator on the left hand wall as you look at the floorplan, in front of the toilet.

Based on the size of room I don't think we'd fit a decent size bath AND a decent size shower cubicle. (I've lived with a too short bath and a poky shower cubicle for years and keen not repeat that when we move!)

if you can cope with a 150cm bath, I'd rotate the bath 90deg so it is against the wall with a shower above

this kind of bath would fit and has a flat base which makes it work well with a shower over

www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Evolve-Acrylic-Shower-Bath---1500-x-750mm/p/281455?_br_psugg_q=shower+bath

then put the sink where the current foot of the bath is, with an extra vanity worksurface in front of the window.

the loo can stay in the same location which is much easier.

How is the bathroom waterproofed and tiled? Could you do a wet room type concept? Best layout for a bathroom is central entry then everything on the walls. But you might not be able to do that, so a wet room might get what you are after.

These are really interesting examples. Thanks for sharing. I wouldn't be averse to it wouldn't be my preference simply as I imagine my kids would test the boundaries of the wet room concept! It's worth considering though, so thanks for posting.

Sorry for the slow reply. Of the two, keeping the loo where it is and swapping to a straight shower bath against a wall is nearly always the easier and cheaper route, so I'd agree with parietal's suggestion. The toilet waste is the awkward and expensive thing to move, whereas the bath waste and water feeds can usually be re-run under the floor without much fuss, depending on which way the joists run. A flat-bottomed shower bath with a fixed glass screen at the end away from the window keeps spray off the glass and is far easier to keep watertight than a curtain round a freestanding bath. Partly blocking up the window is doable but brings in a builder, plasterer and a new window, so I'd only do it if the layout really doesn't work any other way. Whatever you go for, tank or board the shower area properly before tiling and fit a decent extractor fan. It's worth asking the plumber to lift a floorboard or two before quoting so they can see the joist direction and give you a firm price.

do you need a bath? Alternatively rip out the bath and install a nice big shower cubicle

I think the window placement is the most problematic thing. We’ve got the shower in the middle of the bath which actually feels better than being down one end. We have a curtain, which I really like cos it’s dead easy to swap/ chuck in the washing machine / tuck away when not in use. The bath is big and wide so it never touches or clings to you.