Different Types of Showers

A pre-fabricated shower consists of an acrylic or fiberglass shower pan and molded shower surround walls. Smaller showers are sometimes one-piece units, while larger showers use separate wall panels and shower pan. Often, extra ledges and soap dishes are integral to the surround walls.

Typically, custom showers are usually built out of natural stone or porcelain tile. The shower pan is often created from a wet mortar base laid with stone or tile.

A glass enclosure shower is a particular type of custom shower built from panels of 1/4-inch-thick tempered glass that wall off a corner of the bathroom where the shower fixtures are mounted. The inner shower walls are normally floor-to-ceiling ceramic or porcelain tile, with a shower pan that is usually made of custom-laid tile. Secured at the corners with metal clips, the sheets of glass form frameless shower enclosures that are easier to clean than framed enclosures and give the bathroom a greater sense of openness.

Curved enclosure showers usually occupy a corner of the bathroom, featuring a curved door sliding open in a graceful arc to provide access. Curved shower enclosures more smartly use space than do rectangular shower enclosures, though at a higher cost.

When viewed from above, a corner enclosure shower is a square formed by two walls and two sheets of glass of equal length. One of the sheets of glass has a pivoting door. Corner enclosure showers tuck away neatly and conserve a maximum amount of bathroom flooring space. They are often used as a space-saving design in bathrooms that contain both a bathtub and a shower.

For some homeowners, a neo-angle enclosure shower is a good compromise between a corner and a curved enclosure. Situated in a corner, two flat sheets of tempered form two sides of the square shower (the walls are the other two sides). However, the two sheets of glass do not meet. Instead, a third sheet of glass runs at a 45-degree angle and completes the enclosure.

A waterfall shower is a shower head located higher than a regular shower head, which emits a soft, rainfall-type flow of water. This shower head may not work well for users who prefer the massage-like feeling of water pressure on their neck and shoulders. Nor is this a good choice for water conservation, as this type of shower tends to encourage, slow, luxurious bathing. But if luxury is your goal, no other type of shower does the job better.