A shower bench is a wonderful thing. Should your shower stall be big enough to incorporate a chair, it’s guaranteed to include comfort and function to your regular cleansing experience. There’s an art to getting shower seats right, nevertheless. I asked bath designer Joy Wilkins of Custom Kitchens by John Wilkins to share some tips of the transaction. These suggestions will help steer you toward what works best for the own stall and your physique.
Custom Kitchens by John Wilkins, Inc..
Types of shower seats. There are three kinds of permanent shower seats: built in, floating and fold-down. You can even utilize a freestanding bench, but with this ideabook, we are sticking with shower seats that’s permanently affixed to the wall.
1. Built-in bench. This is a trade term describing a chair that is styled to the shower wall and flooring. This sort of chairs can operate the entire diameter of a shower enclosure, such as the one shown here, or may be limited to a corner. It can have squared angles or be semicircular.
Tip of the transaction: “One of the simplest ways to integrate an integrated bench is using a product such as the Laticrete Hydro Ban preformed chair,” Wilkins says. “The seat bench is installed, then waterproofed and tiled for a personalized look.”
Laura Bohn Design Associates
2. Floating bench. A floating bench is securely fastened to the shower walls but is open under. It can be made from waterproofed timber, such as this one created by Laura Bohn Design Associates.
Devlin McNally Construction
Or it can be made from a single slab of stone, such as this one installed by Devlin/McNally Construction.
Though drifting seats may look simple in shape, careful engineering is required. This endeavor is best left to seasoned professionals.
Farm construction corp
Braces were installed under this near-floating stone bench by Plantation Building, ensuring the bench can support both its hefty weight and of people who sit.
Professional Construction Solutions LLC
An alternative to get a floating chair would be to tile it to suit the remainder of the shower.
Tip of the transaction: With this sort of tiled corner chair, Wilkins suggests with a product named Better-Bench. “It’s designed in many shapes and comes with the appropriate fasteners for the selected contour,” she says.
3. Fold-down bench. This is a space-saving alternative for smaller showers or universal design showers. Wilkins’ firm installed this fold-down bench by framing in special blocking between the stud walls.
Here is the exact same bench in a lowered position. When choosing seats, choose the style that can best accommodate the weight it will need to support. This one, as an instance, is designed to hold no more than 250 pounds.
Tip of the transaction: “This teak fold-down bench is a Mr. Steam product rated for steam showers,” notes Wilkins, “but we also use it in showers, since it is designed to withstand water penetration and moisture.”
Mosaik Design & Remodeling
Heavier individuals may want to decide on an integrated bench. This is the point where a conversation with your builder, designer or architect becomes particularly important.
Irrespective of the type of bench you opt for, Wilkins says, “the very best needs to incline slightly, so water runs off instead of pooling.” Pooled water not only feels icky to a nude body, it promotes mould.
Tarkus Tile, Inc..
A word regarding dimension. The dimensions of your shower — not to mention the amount of individuals who mean to utilize it at one time — can help determine the most appropriate bench size to suit your requirements. Keep your preferred function in mind, also. A narrow bench, such as this one, makes shaving legs a dream, but it may not be the most comfy place for kicking back and relaxing.
American Coastal Properties
Setting the proper height and thickness. The height and placement of any bench has to be determined prior to installing the backer board and tile, so the seat’s armature can be securely fastened to the blocking.
Tile & style
Tip of the transaction: The height of any bench, says Wilkins, “is generally determined by each individual client. Some like a higher perch — about 211/2 inches from the shower pan — which is simple to push oneself off of, particularly for a taller individual. Some individuals like something comparable in height to a chair, around 171/2 about 18 inches. This may work best for people who are shorter and want to sit on the bench instead of perch.”
Geometra Design Ltd..
The thickness of a bench can be negotiable, depending on what suits the entire body for the bench is being built, and what the stall allows. Wilkins says a comfortable depth ranges from 12 to 21 inches.
This shower bench in a Hollywood Hills, California, residence falls to the built in class — but in its own unique way. “It’s a 2,000-pound lava rock that demanded extra steel engineering to keep it from falling through the floor,” says designer Lori Dennis, that describes this approach as “The Flintstones meets The Jetsons.”
The rock was carved on site, and it took seven men to it haul into position. “It’s carved and smoothed to fit two rear ends,” the designer notes.
SoCal Contractor
This built-in bench by SoCal Contractor was made for a fashion industry executive that travels the majority of the year. The custom love chair re-creates the spa encounter the owner loves at the boutique hotels she frequents. The tiled, ergonomic design features a sloping seat plus a recessed channel that drains behind the “cushions” so that water can’t puddle.
Kaufman Homes, Inc..
A bench alternative. Not all showers are equally as big and as lavish as some we’ve seen here. Nor might they be big enough to accommodate a bench sized for an actual tush. If that’s your scenario, don’t despair. Wilkins suggests adding exactly what she calls for a toe grip. This is a small recess from the shower or even a triangle of tile at the corner that occupies hardly any space, but still helps with shaving legs and washing toes.
Abbie Joan Fine Living
Your turn: Please show us your favorite shower bench.