To facilitate accessibility or to save space, replacing a bathtub with a shower has many advantages. But this work should not be done lightly. Discover the options available in our practical guide.
And the state has given another reason that could convince households to take the plunge. Action Logement offers a € 5,000 grant for “adapt sanitary facilities and prevent the risk of falling for the elderly”, was announced on April 30, 2019. This aid is part of a housing adaptation assistance program for low-income retirees, amounting to one billion euros.
When the choice is made, it remains to embark on work, more or less simple depending on your bathroom and the shower model chosen: cabin, model specific to the replacement of a bathtub or, rather, bathtub shower. Italian and tailor-made creation? Maison à part helps you discover why and how to replace your bathtub with a shower.
Focus on housing adaptation assistance
A whole new aid has just been announced, intended for retirees and people in a situation of dependency on low incomes. The objective: to help the less well-off households to fit out their bathroom to install a shower, in order to facilitate access to the water feature.
Beneficiaries must meet the following conditions:
- Former employees over 70 years old, whose income is lower than the “Anah modest” resource ceiling for a single person (currently 24,918 € in Île-de-France and 18,960 € in the provinces);
- Parents of an employee a private company with more than 10 employees, meeting the same age and income conditions;
- People in a situation of dependency (GIR 1 to 4) regardless of age, meeting the same conditions of income and status.
They can be accompanied by professionals to identify their needs and put together a file. “Action Logement may offer enhanced home help during the work “, specifies the organization.
The work qualifying for this aid is as follows:
- Supply and installation of a Italian shower with anti-slip floor;
- Supply and installation of a bathroom sink intended for people with reduced mobility (PRM);
- Supply and installation of a raised toilet bowl and ergonomic grab bars;
- Related works to these equipments.
As to aid amount, it amounts to 5,000 € paid directly to the company carrying out the work. A sum which can also cover the support services of the beneficiary. The aid can be combined with other work aid schemes. This system entered into force in September 2019.
Reasons to replace your bathtub with a shower
- Accessibility
Several reasons lead individuals to replace their bathtub with a shower. “The argument most often put forward is accessibility” says an expert from the Kinedo bathroom company.
For older people, lifting their leg to get into a bathtub can be difficult. In anticipation of their old age, some people quickly think of replacing the tub, which is difficult to access, with a shower.
The ideal is then a shower without steps, or even a walk-in model said to the Italian. You can also take the opportunity to install a seat, folding or not, and grab bars in the shower.
Replace bath with shower © Allia
- Space saving
As pleasant as the baths are, the tub often takes up a lot of space in the powder room. For the smallest dwellings, every square meter counts. One can then find great interest in replacing a bathtub with a shower.
“Instead of a 160 cm long bathtub, we can place a 90 cm wide shower tray and a cabinet” advises Kinedo. Everything is then possible, depending on the space available and the needs of the family. By placing the toilet next to the new shower tray, instead of the bathtub, you can for example create a storage room in the old toilets!
- Comfort
If the bathtub brings the pleasure of the bath, the shower, too, can be a source of well-being. “Many people, who no longer take the time to take a bath, prefer to switch to a more compact shower cubicle” explains a Kinedo expert. All the more so as some shower cubicles offer more and more comfort: audio modules for listening to music, seat for sitting down, etc.
The most sophisticated shower columns offer popular hydromassage modules, which you can’t always enjoy while standing in a bathtub.
- Water savings
As we know, the volume of water needed to take a bath is much greater than that for a shower (if you don’t stay too long under the water jet!). Saving water is also an asset that may eventually convince you to abandon the old tub for a shower, and thus limit your consumption.
Work to be planned
Replacing a bathtub with a shower is not trivial. If it is possible to do it yourself, it is better to call a professional if you don’t know the basics of DIY.
The first step is to deposit the aprons that surround the bathtub, then the taps, before removing the bathtub itself. “One of the surprises is the condition of the ground below” explains at Kinedo. You may need lay tiles on the floor before installing the shower tray or, conversely, remove ceramic tiles so that the floor is perfectly straight.
Likewise, behind the old tub, the wall had not been tiled. You will then have to choose between several options to cover this part became apparent:
- tile it, by choosing the same tiles as on the rest of the wall or, on the contrary, by alternating colors;
- hide it, by installing a specific shower model, with a wall part;
- or completely redo the tiling the bathroom, which could add to the budget.
The question of plumbing arises quickly. “It is often necessary to move the water outlets and inlets, depending on the position of the shower tray” says Kinedo experts. It is then advisable to deport them using hoses, or to call a specialist to completely rethink the plumbing.“The best thing is to arrange to position the shower according to the location of the pipes” adds the company.
Finally, you will need to install the new shower. This step depends on the model chosen: complete cabin, ready-to-install model specific to the replacement of a bathtub, ready-to-tile tray or walk-in shower?
Shower models to install
The easiest way to replace a bathtub is to install a complete shower cubicle. This choice has two advantages: “the tap is included and is easily connected, we explain at Kinedo. The pipes, meanwhile, go behind the back wall “.
However, you will need to make a tile fitting on the wall and on the floor, if the tray is shorter than the bathtub.
Several manufacturers have imagined models of specific shower cubicles replacing bathtubs. Ready to install, they are longer than conventional cabins (120 to 195 cm) and they include a wall part that covers exactly the area discovered by removing the bathtub. “This eliminates the need to tile the wall or the floor after removal” says Kinedo experts.
Replace tub shower © Kinedo
The realization of a custom shower
Instead of a bathtub, you can also choose to install a shower that you have composed yourself. As with any bathroom, you choose the receiver, to be tiled or not, the walls, glazed or opaque, the door or the curtain, the faucet, etc.
This is the perfect choice if you are planning to completely redo the bathroom including tiling. You will be able to choose the size of the tray and the color of the ceramic, without having to take into account the location left by the bathtub.
You can even opt for a walk-in shower, if you have the option of fitting the shower tray into the screed.
The downside: you will have to think about thesealing installation, as if you were creating a shower from scratch.
How much does it cost ?
If you choose to create a shower to replace your tub, the budget can vary greatly.
If you do the work yourself, count at least € 50 for a shower tray, € 10 for the taps (and up to € 500 for a hydromassage column), € 150 per glass wall, as well as € 200 to € 300 for equipment . Not to mention the price of tiling on the floor and on the wall, if applicable. But pay attention to the quality of the materials chosen!
The easiest way, especially for removing the tub and removing a lot of debris, is to call a professional. You will be guaranteed a good seal. The prices, again, are very variable, and depend on the quality, the level of range of the installation, and the duration of the work.
The ready-to-install shower cubicles are available from around € 300, and up to € 1,500 for the most sophisticated models. Again, depending on the size of the booth, you may need to make tile fittings.
Finally, models specific to the replacement of bathtubs are available from around € 1,800, and often have many options to facilitate theaccessibility : folding seat, support bar, doors without floor demarcation, etc.