DIY advice: Shower for the elderly

[Cutlass]

Leave the screen and ditch the door altogether, add a floor drain in front of the sink, that way you don't have to worry about opening and closing anything. Most bathroom floors are made to get wet. I've been in many bathrooms where the shower is just part of the room.

While true, it's a major piece of work to make them that way.

 

[Birdjaguar]

yes, adding a new drain can get complicated, but it also solves problems.

 

[Samson]

Valka is right here, and the thing is, you need to plan these in advance of building the room. Because you have to be able to anchor them to something solid. Which could well mean opening up the wall and putting in something solid to anchor them to. Wallboard is not strong enough for this purpose. Most US construction is stick frame, so you hit the studs. But the grab bars aren't necessarily built to make it easy to get all the screws into studs. Unless you put solid framing in the wall to handle the loads.

The wall opposite the basin is solid brick, so we can easily add handles anywhere along it. We shall have plenty in the end.

As to the door, I couldn't tell from your description, but you don't have quite enough room for a slider?

There is enough room for a sliding door, but we are concerned the slider would be a trip hazard.

Leave the screen and ditch the door altogether, add a floor drain in front of the sink, that way you don't have to worry about opening and closing anything. Most bathroom floors are made to get wet. I've been in many bathrooms where the shower is just part of the room.

I am advocating for a floor drain, but no one else thinks it is a good idea.

While true, it's a major piece of work to make them that way.

It does not seem like major work. There is plenty of room below, and the drains go out past where you would want the drain and the low point on the floor is just in front of the toilet so i looks fairly easy to me but I do not actually know what is involved.

 

[Birdjaguar]

If the shower and the bathroom floor are the same with two drains and appropriate sloping, both the door and tripping hazards go away. If the house is not on a slab, that makes things much easier. The nature of the shower/bathroom floor has to be addressed. A remodeler/plumber would have the answers.

 

[Samson]

If the shower and the bathroom floor are the same with two drains and appropriate sloping, both the door and tripping hazards go away. If the house is not on a slab, that makes things much easier. The nature of the shower/bathroom floor has to be addressed. A remodeler/plumber would have the answers.

We considered the idea of a "wet room", which I have only seen in the context of outdoor sports, usually a converted garage. My mothers sister has one as the main bathroom, and my mother dislikes it so we discounted that. I think they think the floor will be always wet and so more of a trip hazard when using the bathroom for other things.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I think they think the floor will be always wet and so more of a trip hazard when using the bathroom for other things.

You're going to need a fan and make sure water is thoroughly mopped up, or you'll have mold issues.

 

[Samson]

You're going to need a fan and make sure water is thoroughly mopped up, or you'll have mold issues.

There is already quite a powerful fan, but that is certainly an issue.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Proper placement of the shower heads and barriers will keep most of the water in the shower. It is mostly a design problem.

 

[Samson]

Proper placement of the shower heads and barriers will keep most of the water in the shower. It is mostly a design problem.

I kind of do not want any fixed barrier, as it will get in the way. I think an oversized shower tray and a curtain should keep basically all of the water in the shower.

 

[Synobun]

Hospital showers are wet rooms and they get around the tripping hazard problem by having textured floors.

You also sometimes see baths with textured bottoms that maintain grip regardless of how wet they are.

 

[Samson]

Hospital showers are wet rooms and they get around the tripping hazard problem by having textured floors.

You also sometimes see baths with textured bottoms that maintain grip regardless of how wet they are.

I think we are getting that style of floor. I wonder what the floor is on my aunts wet room, I shall have to ask.

 

[Cutlass]

I kind of do not want any fixed barrier, as it will get in the way. I think an oversized shower tray and a curtain should keep basically all of the water in the shower.

If you're using a shower tray, that already has a few CM of step over height, right? A shower door frame adds maybe 2CM to that. So you already have something to step over. Just now a little more. You can just go with a shower curtain. But I've never liked that for it blowing around and isn't as good at keeping the water contained.

 

[Samson]

If you're using a shower tray, that already has a few CM of step over height, right? A shower door frame adds maybe 2CM to that. So you already have something to step over. Just now a little more. You can just go with a shower curtain. But I've never liked that for it blowing around and isn't as good at keeping the water contained.

I have been looking at the shower trays and prioritising them by height. The lowest I have found is 26mm, so 2cm on top of that is nearly doubling it, which is significant. I asked about removing the floor boards to get it more flush, but they did not like that idea.

 

[Cutlass]

I have been looking at the shower trays and prioritising them by height. The lowest I have found is 26mm, so 2cm on top of that is nearly doubling it, which is significant. I asked about removing the floor boards to get it more flush, but they did not like that idea.

Yeah, that would require rebuilding the structure of the floor to support it.

 

[Hygro]

Do Yourself It?

 

[Samson]

Do Yourself It?

I think between having other stuff to do and wanting a good, quick and maximally safe result I am happy to let the pros do this.

 

[The_J]

Do Yourself It?

messup in the thread title, my fault, now changed DYI to DIY.