How I Design the Perfect Tub and Shower
The Right Shower Head
Many of you want a rain head, but the larger the head, the more the water dissipates, and the less pressure you will get. If you have lots of hair to wash, you are going to want an additional wall head. I love Speakman, with adjustable settings, because while adhering to Gallons Per Minute standards in the U.S., it still provides great pressure.
Locate your shower head at the right height on the wall
Standard is 78 to 84 inches above the shower or tub floor. At average height, the top of my head is 64 inches above the floor, and my husband, who is 6’1”, maxes out at 73 inches above the floor. So 84” above the floor might work for both of us, provided it’s not an adjustable shower head.
With an adjustable head, you need to be able to reach up and change the settings. I can’t reach a head that is placed at 84 inches high. Consider factors such as who will be using the head if it’s adjustable. If more than one person is using the shower, for significant height differences, consider more than one head and two different heights. You don’t want to have to be reaching on your toes to change the setting!
Tub size
My favorite soaking alcove tub is one that is 19 or 20 inches high and not overly long. Freestanding tubs are often higher, and thus a bit trickier to get into. It’s helpful to have your toes easily touch the far side of the tub, so a 60 to 66 inch tub is plenty long enough if you are a female of average height. For taller clients, we will sometimes go as long as 72 inches. Bear in mind that the top of the tub (the lip) is longer than the bottom (the base) when determining the right size for you. An extra-large tub is not necessarily better, as you may wind up slipping and sliding rather than relaxing.
Location of Controls
There’s a lot to think about here. For large walk-in showers, I locate the shut-off valves close to the shower entrance because no one wants to get wet when turning on the water. The temperature control valves should be located closer to the shower heads.
For tub valves, the shut off valves (think on and off) should be located low on the wall, by the bather’s arm or head. Too high and you have to get up out of the water to run more water. If you are just doing a tub for the kiddos, locating the valve on the same wall as the shower head might be fine, but if you are designing a tub for someone who wants to luxuriate in a soak, then both the shut-off valve and the temp control valve should be within easy reach when they are bathing.
