5 Benefits of a No-Threshold Shower

Posted by Ben Thompson on 11.29.17
Have you seen a no-threshold shower? It's a shower that has no curb or surrounding edge to it, making it flush with the bathroom floor. You may have also heard the terms barrier-free, curbless walk-in-shower or zero threshold, but they are all the same thing. I know what you may be thinking. Where is all the water going to go? Won't I have a flood on my hands after every shower? No! The secret to containing the water is in the drainage system. This type of shower will have either a trench drain, which is a long and narrow drain placed where the shower door would be placed, or a center drain with the floor just slightly pitched towards it.  

No-threshold showers are becoming increasingly popular in bathroom remodeling designs for their great benefits. These are the top five.

  1. They are accessible for family members of all ages to use - from children to grandparents! A perfect example of universal design, as it does not require stepping in or out, making it very safe to navigate. Plus it can be made large enough to accommodate a wheelchair.
  2. Easy cleaning! Without a curb, a barrier-free shower feels less closed in, which makes it easier to move around while cleaning and there are fewer crevices to deal with.
  3. You can show off a great tile design. If you like, you can continue the same flooring right into the shower.
  4. The bathroom will feel larger. As mentioned above, without the visual break that a shower curb would create, the eye continues to move without interruption creating a sense of a larger, more open space.
  5. Leave it wide open or partially close it with a glass wall. Some folks like the option of having no walls at all, while others want to create a more defined shower area. You decide based on your preference.

Here are a few photos of a no-threshold shower that was included in one of our recent bathroom remodeling projects. What do you think?

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Topics: Bathroom Design, remodeling grand rapids mi, universal design, bathroom, bathroom remodel, remodeling grand rapids, Thompson Remodeling, thompson remodeling grand rapids, no-threshold shower