Which One is Better – a Walk-In Shower or Bath?

There is a big divide between people that either prefer to take a shower in their dedicated walk-in shower or the bath lover that wants to soak away the world’s stress of the day in essential oils, epsom salts or bubble bath. It can even be a deal breaker when buying or selling a home if one exists over the other.

Best for the planet?

Huffpost.com reports that “showers beat baths from an environment stand point so long as you aren’t taking a very long shower. The best way to conserve water is to use a water-saving shower head, which uses no more than two gallons of water per minute. A 10-minute shower will put you at only 20 gallons on average to get clean through this method. The average bath uses 36 gallons to fill a tub, while the average shower (without the water-saving device) uses five gallons of water per minute, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. You can make it snappy and rinse off between five and seven minutes with a regular shower head, or go a bit longer with a water-reducing nozzle instead.

Best for your skin?

“Dr. Rachel Nazarian, a dermatologist at the Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City, noted that while baths can help people with skin conditions, they’re not beneficial for everyone. In fact, a shower is actually better for your skin. “The only benefit (to baths) is its ability to easily apply certain ingredients to skin,” Nazarian explained. “You can add oats to bath water which can be quite soothing to skin suffering from eczema, or even certain medication treatments can be placed in the water to avoid applying to your entire skin by hand, but otherwise, showers are much more beneficial.” The National Eczema Association recommends people limit baths to 10 to 15 minutes, and notes that adding oatmeal, salt or vinegar to a bath can ease itching symptoms. If you don’t have a skin condition, showers are the way to go. Showers expose the body to less water than a bath. Too much water, like during a bath or a long shower, can strip the skin of natural oils. This can cause the skin’s surface to break down, leading to “irritation and inflammation, reports Today.com.

Best to clean?

“We don’t have to have a long shower or a long bath to be clean, and scrubbing yourself more will just make your skin drier,” said Emma Guttman-Yassky, a professor and vice chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center.Guttman-Yassky recommends bathers rinse off under fresh water to be sure no soap sticks to the body after a soak,” HuffPost explains.

1,200 U.S. Homeowners’ Opinions

For some hard facts on who is actually doing what about the tub versus shower conundrum, the 2017 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study asked more than 1,200 U.S. homeowners — who were planning, were in the midst of or had recently completed a master bathroom project — about their choices. Here’s what they said:

Showers are the top feature to splurge on during a master bathroom renovation (42% of renovating homeowners).

Of those making master shower updates (81%), more than half increase its size.

Many homeowners remove their master bathtub (27%) to make room for a larger shower (91%).

Tub lovers, unite.Nearly two out of five renovating homeowners (37 percent) chose to upgrade a bathtub during their master bathroom overhaul. Among that group, 64 percent chose a soaking tub, which is deeper and larger than a standard, builder-grade tub.

Freestanding tubs lead the pack.In terms of shape, half of renovating homeowners who upgraded their bathtub chose a freestanding tub (43 percent flat-bottom, 7 percent claw-foot), while 26 percent chose an alcove tub bordered by three walls, and 17 percent picked a deck-mounted tub, which sits within a built-up structure.

Tub naysayers, find your allies.About one in four homeowners (27 percent) decided to remove the master bathtub, most frequently to make room for a larger shower (91 percent). Among those who made this no-bath choice, it’s notable that the vast majority (78 percent) did have another bathtub in the home.

Luxe features trending for showers.Among renovating homeowners who chose to upgrade their master showers, 73 percent decided to include high-end features like rainfall shower heads, dual showers or curbless showers, which have no threshold.

Either way, Georgia Home Remodeling can help you remodel your bathroom with your preference of bathtub, walk-in shower or both in your space.

About Georgia Home Remodeling
Georgia Home Remodeling is a Gwinnett-based remodeling and renovation contractor company that has been serving Metro Atlanta and North Georgia since 1991. Originally created by company founder and president Chris Allen as a small painting company, GHR has since grown into a full service custom remodeling and home renovation provider.

Georgia Home Remodeling is dedicated to providing great service and quality work at a fair price. From the initial contact until the job’s completion, we will be prompt, courteous and communicative, and will always do exactly what we promise to do at the price we quoted.

We are fully licensed and insured home renovation contractor, and our diverse and experienced crews include carpenters, painters, electricians, plumbers, flooring specialist and HVAC professionals. Company president Chris Allen, who oversees and manages each GHR job, is also a Certified Graduate Builder, Certified Lead Carpenter and Certified Remodeler.

Contact us via email or call today 678-635-5429 to request a quote and let us help you make your dreams for your home a reality!