Opinions and ideas on shower stall size

[ctmustache]

Hi. We had a 32 x 32 shower installed in our master bedroom bath. It tray was leaking and so we've torn it out. We could just put in a new shower as-is, but with some extra work we could move one of the walls on the side and lose some or all of the closet on the other side. For example, we could make it a 32 x 40 shower and lose about half of the depth of the closet on the other side. This would be OK as we'd change the use of that closet to store medicines, shampoo, etc.

I'm curious if others think the relatively small size increase would be worth the work? We moved into the house recently and didn't use the shower much before we discovered the leak, so didn't have much experience using a shower of that size.

[kendallf]

I don't think I'd do it for 8" of space.  How big could it be if you took up that entire half of the closet that's behind the shower stall?  That might be worth it. 

[deborah]

That's a really small shower - 8 inches will certainly make it a lot more comfortable to use - and the rest of the closet depth would be even better!

[paddedhat]

As a builder I can assure you that there is a massive difference between a 32" shower and a 40". For most full sized adults it's the difference between being able to wash you hair in a reasonable fashion, or fumbling around with your elbows banging on the walls. No question about it, you won't regret going bigger.

[Kevan]

Ditto.  Eight inches is massive.  Even four inches would change your life.

[James]

Make the shower the size you want it. Whether that means adding 8 inches or the full closet space, the shower is something you use every day and the closet space isn't real important. You can always store things in another space, but you can't add shower space later. Doesn't mean you need to add any space if you are happy with the current size, just saying I wouldn't take closet space into consideration, just make the shower the size you want.

[zolotiyeruki]

Our last home had a 32x32 shower.  It was tiny.  Our current shower is 32x48, and it's plenty big.  Your proposed shower is exactly halfway between.  Will it be big enough?  YES.  Is it worth all the extra effort/time/expense?  MAYBE.

One other thought:  our old, small shower had walls on three sides and a glass door on the fourth.  Our current shower has two glass sides.  The glass, I'm sure, makes it feel even bigger than it actually is, so keep that in mind as you make your plans.

[ctmustache]

Thanks everyone. Another idea that has occurred to us is to curve the curb at the front of the shower out into the room, and then hang a shower curtain on the same curve above.

Definitely leaning towards moving the wall. The question is, how far???

[deborah]

Can you make a mock up somewhere out of cardboard or something that doesn't cost anything, and get a feel for the different sizes and how comfortable they are for you?

[Kevan]

Go to a big store like Lowe's and just stand inside the units they have on display there.  You'll learn instantly which dimensions are unsatisfactory.