WALK-IN SHOWERS IN MURRUMBEENA
A walk-in shower drops the hob, the door and the step. The floor manages the water instead: a fall shaped into the screed, a drain placed where the water runs, and waterproofing that carries past the shower zone. Bathroom Renovation Murrumbeena designs and builds walk-in showers for bathrooms and ensuites in Murrumbeena, Carnegie, Malvern East, Bentleigh East and nearby suburbs.
FOUR DECISIONS THAT SHAPE A WALK-IN SHOWER
Hobless, step-free entry
Without a hob, the shower floor meets the bathroom floor flush or with a slight set-down. On timber floors that can mean lowering joists or building the surrounding floor up; on a slab it depends on the slab itself. The assessment confirms what the structure allows before the design is locked.
Fixed glass panel or no screen
A single fixed panel stops most spray while keeping the entry open, with no door to swing or seal to wear. Going screenless suits longer rooms where the shower head can sit well back from the opening. Clear, fluted or partly tiled walls are all options.
Linear or centre drain
A linear drain along the back wall or entry lets the floor fall one way, so large-format tiles run without diagonal cuts. A centre drain needs a four-way fall and smaller tiles or envelope cuts, but it is simple and suits tighter footprints.
Wall and floor tile continuity
Running one floor tile from the room into the shower, and one wall tile up every wall, makes the shower read as part of the bathroom. Set-out is planned at design so grout lines align across the threshold and niche. More on Bathroom Tiling.
FLOOR FALLS AND SPLASH CONTROL
In a walk-in shower the floor does the job a hob used to do. The screed is shaped so water runs to the drain from the far side of the shower zone, and the fall extends past the opening to catch what drips off as you step out. That gradient is the difference between a floor that drains and one that puddles by the vanity.
Where the spray goes
Placement matters as much as glass. A rain head or rail facing away from the entry, a panel long enough to cover the spray arc and a shower zone of sensible length keep water where it belongs. Those dimensions are worked out on the plan, not on site.
For layouts and finishes to borrow, read Walk-In Shower Ideas.
WATERPROOFING AND TILING, IN ORDER
With no hob to contain water, the wet trades carry more weight in a walk-in shower. These are the stages where it is won or lost. See the full 12-stage renovation process.
07Plumbing/Electrical. The drain body is set at its planned position and height, and the mixer, rail and any niche lighting are roughed in.
08Waterproofing. Falls are formed, then the membrane goes across the floor and up the walls, extending beyond the shower zone, and is left to cure before tiling. Detail on Waterproofing.
09Tiling. Floor tiles follow the fall into the drain, walls are set out from the agreed grid, and movement joints are finished with flexible sealant.
10Fixtures. Glass panel, shower rail and drain grate are fitted, then the shower is run to check water heads to the drain, not the doorway.
A SHOWER THAT WORKS NOW AND LATER
No step to trip on, no hob to lift a foot over, and room for a shower chair or someone helping. A step-free shower is easier for young children, anyone recovering from surgery and people who plan to stay in their home as they get older.
Timber blocking fixed into the walls before they are sheeted means grab rails can go in now or years later without lifting tiles. A hand shower on a slide rail and a fold-down seat complete the set-up.
How our case studies are laid out
Case studies are added to our Projects page after handover, each setting out the location, room type, brief, before and after photos, design solution, materials and result.
WALK-IN SHOWER FAQS
Will water escape from a walk-in shower?
Some spray can reach past an open entry. That is why the design combines floor falls that extend beyond the opening, a glass panel sized to the spray and a shower head angled away from the gap, so stray water is directed back toward the drain rather than across the room.
How much room does a walk-in shower need?
There is no single minimum. Screenless designs need the most length, because distance from the shower head does the work of a screen. A compact room can still take a step-free shower with a fixed panel and linear drain. For tight rooms, see Small Bathroom Renovations.
Can my existing shower become a walk-in?
That depends mainly on the floor structure and where the waste can go. A conversion removes the hob or base, resets the drain and falls and renews the waterproofing, so it rebuilds the shower zone rather than refreshing it. Questions first? Use the contact page.
PLANNING A WALK-IN SHOWER?
Send through your bathroom and what you want the shower to do, and we’ll look at entry, drain and screen options for your room.
RELATED SERVICES
Still collecting ideas? Read Walk-In Shower Ideas.