22 Sep 2022 12:47
A few factors are fueling growing popularity in the United States of curbless showers, also commonly referred to as “zero entry” showers. An aging population is a main one. Whether an older individual is “aging-in-place” or has opted to relocate to a community or facility, a curbless shower is often more desirable and sometimes even necessary to help people cope with physical changes that they may begin to experience that can make showering difficult or even dangerous. At the same time, thanks to a proliferation of fashion-forward products and systems that facilitate elimination of the shower curb, people of all ages are “going curbless” purely for the sophisticated, streamlined design.
Regardless of the reasons for it, the noticeable shift toward curbless showers is making it increasingly important for building design professionals and tile contractors to know the unique and critical shower design and installation requirements when there will be no curb at the shower entry to function as a dam. Proper planning and high-tech installation materials and shower components are key to containing the water and channeling to a drain, all of which can be applied to the even more challenging goal for the entry into the bathroom to also be transition-free.