There are many different kinds of showers available nowadays, so you might have heard the phrase ‘Roman Shower’ around. What does it mean?
A Roman Shower is occasionally called a wet room or doorless shower – and that is because unlike many other kinds of showers, it does not have a door, but rather, takes up a nook or corner in the room or even the entire bathroom by itself. It may be installed to make showering more accessible to those with disabilities, or simply for aesthetic reasons.
So why would you want a Roman Shower in your house? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having one? Let’s discuss it…
What Makes a Shower A Roman Shower?
As implied, a doorless shower is a shower which doesn’t have a door separating it from the rest of the room.
Typically, a Roman Shower consists of a nook which the shower is installed in, but no way to separate it from the rest of the bathroom.
They are also known as Roman Showers for their tendency to show off some nice design choices like:
- Stone
- Tiles
A Roman Shower, unlike its name, can also feature bathtubs as well on occasion, kept in the same area as the showers.
What Are The Benefits of a Roman Shower?
There are many reasons why people might be interested in a Roman Shower. Here are a number of the main ones:
They Are Beautiful
This is the main one that attracts people to it. Having a doorless shower can be a very modern and pretty look for open bathrooms, reminiscent of a high-end spa.
Doorless showers have become very modern and sleek looking, and there are many different designs you could choose to make your bathroom your own such as:
- Mosaic tiles
- Suspended shower heads
- Modern waterfall faucet
They Are Very Easy to Clean
The easiest part of a shower to clean are the tiles and stone walls, as they can just be sprayed and wiped off.
Shower curtains and doors can be harder to clean than the tiles, so just not having any can be a great boon.
There are no tracks to catch errant water and be forgotten to mold over. The streamlined tiles can be even easier to clean.
They Are Very Spacious
If you have a small bathroom, then a shower door might make your relaxing shower time into something a bit more claustrophobic.
Having your shower door being dirty or hard to see through might make it even harder to relax.
A Roman Shower might alleviate this problem by simply having no doors.
It Allows for a Lot Of Light
Along the same lines as the last point, but alongside the relaxation of having a shower, having light fall in on you can add to the effect.
You can even add some light to doorless showers through methods like:
- Install a skylight
- Add a window made of frosted/stained glass
- Add more lighting to the light
You Can Have Multiple Different Showerheads
Do you sometimes want to bathe with a handheld shower, and other times you’d like an overhead shower?
Do you want to have the choice between the two, but hate how crammed they are on a narrow wall?
Well, a Roman Shower solves all these problems – you can spread all these fixtures around to be able to choose which shower you want and experience it and a luxurious way.
Accessible For Everyone
Not only can a Roman Shower be extremely beautiful and easy to clean, it is easy for everyone to get into.
If you have a disabled family member or friend, then a Roman Shower can be perfect for it, having the room for:
- Wheelchair
- Mobility Scooters
- Other mobility devices
If you want to make it even more accessible, then you can get an ADA accessible shower design that includes features such as:
- Grip bars
- Folding seats
- Sloped edges to allow wheelchairs
The Disadvantages of A Roman Shower
But there are also some aspects to having a Roman Shower which some people might find a little off-putting. Here are the disadvantages one might experience with a Roman Shower:
No Privacy
If you have one bathroom and someone else has an emergency whilst you’re showering, then a shower curtain will give you a little privacy.
With a Roman Shower, you’re out of luck there – your choices are to be bare, not allow the person in, or pay the cost for a half wall to hide behind.
Water Overflow
Having an open shower means the entire bathroom becomes your shower – water floods everywhere, especially with a high-pressure shower.
This means that anything that might possibly be exposed to water will need to be waterproof. That includes:
- Water resistant walls
- Water resistant ceilings
- Water resistant floors
- Water resistant fillings for the corners and cracks
Roman Showers Can Be Quite Cold
Without a door or a curtain, a shower can be quite chilly – in the summer, it might be pleasant, but in a colder season, the difference will be felt.
There are a few ways you can install such as:
- Floor heating
- Warming light fixtures
The issue with that is that it adds expense to an already expensive venture. Speaking of which:
Installation Of A Roman Shower Is Costly
Unlike most showers, there is no one unit that can just be slipped into your already existing room.
Roman Showers are generally custom designed, with different tiles, and angled flooring. Not to mention the entire room having to be thoroughly waterproofed.
Only Small Bathtubs
As mentioned before, you may be able to put in a small bathtub in your open shower, but there is no way that you will be able to fit in a large bathtub.
If you want something resembling a full bathtub, then your bathroom will need to be extremely large, which is not the kind of space most people have.
Conclusion
A Roman Shower is often known as a doorless shower, and just contains a nook which has a shower head in it.
It has many pros to it, such as feeling more open and free, being bright, and looking beautiful, but has downsides like costs and the chill.
Amos Christen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Drexel University — Philadelphia, PA. Since 2003, Amos has worked with top interior design professionals in this area, including architects and interior/graphic/lighting designers. As a skilled interior designer, Amos Christen is highly versed in fine arts and crafts and uses that to supplement his main area of expertise. He often publishes articles related to home décor on several websites, including Sprucetoilets.com, Sprucebathroom.com, and Mybesuitedhome.com. He also contributes to leading interior design magazines.