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Roll in showers for people who use wheelchairs come in many shapes and sizes. A good roll in shower slopes gently toward the drain which helps direct the water away from the sides of the shower. With larger showers you have more space to collect and control water. Good slope and water control accessories become more critical with narrower showers. I’ve seen some showers that are built with mini thresholds which the contractor was convinced was necessary to keep water from flowing out of the shower, but those thresholds can be difficult to push a shower chair over. Most of the showers we’ve been involved with lately have been remodeling projects in which the size of the new shower is limited to the size of the tub or shower we are replacing. Water control is critical. Our preferred method is the water control system available from Best Bath Systems, Inc. to provide as low a threshold as possible with maximum water control.
The Best Bath water stopper is a T-shaped rubber water dam that provides a flexible threshold. The threshold is easily rolled over and then pops back up. The sides are held in place with a curved end piece. Water dams without this end piece tend to pull away from the sides of the shower. Since water can pool or get sprayed toward these areas it is critical to have a water tight joint at this point.
The water stopper is fantastic, simple as it is, but it really is only half of the system, especially in a narrow shower. In a 30-34” inch deep shower such as one that replaces a bath tub, there are several forces at work that can lead to water being dripped or sprayed outside of the shower. The key is the curtain. Even with a weighted curtain, it is easy for air currents generated by the shower or water spraying on the curtain, to make the curtain to billow past the water stopper. Water drips down the curtain outside of the stopper and onto the floor. Best Bath Systems supplies a vinyl curtain, which in addition to being staph, mildew, and fungus resistant is thick and stiff. I specify the version that is 74” long and allow it to drape and touch or even drag the floor of the shower slightly inside the water stopper. This creates a “wall” to help hold the water inside the shower where it belongs. Clients can hang decorative curtains on the same shower rings and use this durable white curtain as a liner that will last for years.
Narrow roll in showers need all the space possible, so built in thresholds make maneuvering difficult and decrease useable space. You may still need some techniques to keep your shower chair from dripping on the floor, but you can control most of the water in a roll in shower with the right system of flexible threshold and shower curtain. Give us a call if you need some help deciding what sizes will be best for you.
Click here for shower curtain specifications. >>
Click here for water stopper specifications. >>
