Choosing between options
Shower baths: choosing one that works day to day
Written by Martin, M24/7 Bathrooms
Last updated:
A bath with a shower over it is the most common compromise in British bathrooms. Done well it serves both jobs for years; done badly it drips, leaks and pleases nobody.
The shower bath exists because most homes have one bathroom and two needs: a proper bath for children, pets and long soaks, and a quick daily shower. The compromise works, but only when the bath shape, the screen and the waterproofing are chosen together.
This guide covers the main shapes, what fitting involves and where shower baths go wrong. Our bathroom fitting service installs them as part of a refit or a full renovation, and the bath or shower guide helps if you have not yet decided whether to keep a bath at all.
The three shapes you will actually meet
A standard straight bath with a shower over one end is the simplest option and suits rooms where the bath already sits in the right place. A P shaped shower bath widens at the shower end, giving elbow room for showering without lengthening the bath. An L shaped bath does the same job with a squarer profile that suits modern suites.
A double ended bath has the taps and waste in the middle and a gentle slope at both ends. It is comfortable for bathing and can take a shower over either end, but it needs a wider room and the screen choice becomes more important because the shower is not tucked into a corner.
The screen matters as much as the bath
Most shower bath complaints are really screen complaints. A screen that is too short or too narrow lets water run down the outside of the bath and onto the floor, and a folding screen with tired seals leaks at every joint. A single fixed or hinged screen, sized to the showering end, is the reliable choice.
The screen should sit on the bath rim with a proper seal, and the wall it meets should be tiled or panelled well past the showering zone. Our shower screen installation page covers screens fitted on their own if the bath is staying.
Waterproofing the shower end properly
The wall above the shower end of a bath takes the same soaking as any shower enclosure, so it needs the same preparation. The wall is checked, made good and tanked before tiling, and the junction between the bath rim and the wall is sealed with a flexible sanitary sealant rather than grout.
Skipping this is how shower baths earn their reputation for leaks. Water that gets behind the tiles at the bath edge travels along the rim and appears as a stain on the ceiling below, often months later. The bath replacement guide covers the wider job of swapping the bath itself.
Fitting considerations that decide the layout
The shower valve and head need wall space at the showering end, which can rule out a window reveal or a sloping ceiling. The waste position under the bath decides how the pipework runs, and on a timber floor there is usually more freedom than on concrete.
If the bath is moving as part of a bigger change, the pipework, tiling and any plastering are planned as one sequence. That is the everyday work of a bathroom fitter, and it is quoted as a single written scope after the survey.
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Questions
Frequently asked
Is a P shaped bath worth it over a straight bath?
If the bath is the main showering spot, usually yes. The wider showering end makes a noticeable difference to comfort, and the shaped screen keeps water in better than a narrow straight screen.
Can a shower go over any bath?
Almost any bath can take a shower, but the wall above it must be waterproofed and tiled like a shower enclosure, and the screen must suit the bath shape. A survey confirms what your room needs.
Do shower baths leak more than separate showers?
Not when they are fitted properly. Leaks come from poor screens, grout used at the bath rim, or walls that were never tanked. Correct preparation removes all three causes.
Should I keep a bath or switch to a shower only?
It depends on your household and whether it is the only bath in the house. Our bath or shower guide walks through the decision, and the bath to shower conversion service covers the change if you go that way.