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deputydog1 t1_je5f6c5 wrote

Don’t do it. Build the shower without a bench. They aren’t practical for people with different heights, different injuries or disabilities (broken leg, bad knee) and are a head-cracking hazard in a fall.

Buy benches in teak for looks - or benches of other materials that are adjustable.

Source: My husband’s bad back, my elderly mom’s bone issues and my injured leg tendons

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Rugged_as_fuck t1_je6nykv wrote

I'll second this. I had my tub and shower insert ripped out and hired a contractor to do a full custom shower, and I really wanted a bench. River rock floor, huge beautiful tiles on the wall, and the bench built to match both. The guy did a fantastic job, it came out great, it was exactly what I wanted.

I hated it. It was constantly covered in bottles. It was uncomfortable to sit on because if you didn't spray water on it for 5 minutes it was freezing cold. It took up space that I was constantly reminded I might have wanted to stand in. It accumulated more shower "grime" than the rest of the shower even though it was properly sloped. It was wide enough for two people, which was great for all the times you showered alone, or all the times when you did shower with a partner and wanted the extra room to stand in. Fucking stupid idea.

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gburgwardt t1_je731l3 wrote

> River rock floor

Are these as much of a pain in the ass to clean as I imagine?

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Blitzboks t1_je7nmr2 wrote

Not really. I had one with medium sized rocks and it was not much different than cleaning any other grouted tile. I lived in a very dry climate though, might have been worse somewhere humid.

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Rugged_as_fuck t1_je88yut wrote

Nah, I never regretted the floor, and like someone else replied it was no more difficult to clean than a tile floor, maybe with a bit more grout to deal with since the spacing was irregular. The real key was keeping it sealed, there was a noticeable difference in how quickly it would begin to get dingy between cleanings when the sealing was wearing off.

All the more reason to hate the bench though, it broke up what should have been a great wall to wall shower floor and was the only thing that kept the shower from being perfect.

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Kyanche t1_je8e1qb wrote

> I hated it. It was constantly covered in bottles. It was uncomfortable to sit on because if you didn't spray water on it for 5 minutes it was freezing cold. It took up space that I was constantly reminded I might have wanted to stand in. It accumulated more shower "grime" than the rest of the shower even though it was properly sloped. It was wide enough for two people, which was great for all the times you showered alone, or all the times when you did shower with a partner and wanted the extra room to stand in. Fucking stupid idea.

I thought shower benches were cool until I rented a house that had a brand new master bedroom and bathroom, and the bathroom had a really nice shower - subway tile, granite trim, that pretty blue glass decoration, AND A BIG GRANITE BENCH.

Made the shower feel smaller, and as you mentioned, would get gross really fast and was way way way too cold to actually sit on.

This was also how I learned I don't think I ever want a shower with a swinging door ever again. The rubber trim on the bottom messes up really easily and even when it does work, the door will dump water all over the floor every time you open it. Sliding doors don't look as cool and the rails are really annoying, but man I will take a sliding shower door any day.

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hamlet_d t1_je6ksy3 wrote

The one that came with the shower in our house tends to get quite slick. That's yet another reason to not have one: they aren't really a stable, reliable surface. Teak or other are much better in that they may not have the problem that tile has with being slippery.

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zamfire t1_je6jue6 wrote

Can confirm the fall danger. My shower has a built in seat and I slipped once and landed on my shin. Thought I broke my leg. There was a bruise there for 6 weeks.

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CyanideFlavorAid t1_je7gdob wrote

Hey. The bone I give your elderly mother has no issues. Thanks.

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