Selecting a shower for seniors requires careful attention to compliance with ADA standards and inclusion of the right accessibility features. Quality is paramount. However, budgets are also a constraint. Here’s how you can maximize your budget for shower units while ensuring your senior living bathroom design is fully compliant.
The most common failure point in prefabricated shower units is the bottom plate. Senior living developers can stretch the budget further with a world-class shower bottom that will prevent costly rework and repairs.
So-called “budget friendly” shower bottoms with wood or MDF reinforcements are not only heavy, but unstable and risk delamination, bending, or cracking in the shower pan. Steer clear of manufacturers who take shortcuts such as flimsy legs or require you to support a thin floor with foam or a mortar bed. These designs complicate installation and do not supply the proper support for stability, strength, and long-term durability.
Cost-saving shortcuts are also a sign of a low commitment to quality, which can mean flaws in the shower bottom’s slope and water spillage onto the floor. One developer was so frustrated by the high rate of showers that drained out of the front of the unit that he dumped the previous vendors and opted for the best shower bottom plate on the market.
EverFab’s bottom plate is our biggest differentiator. Pre-leveled and diamond cut for absolute precision, our reinforced shower bottoms use the same high-strength fiberglass composite that makes up the body of all our one-piece shower units and are laminated directly onto the unit.
Full-height reinforcement on the shower back is a cost-saving investment. A strong, reinforced unit survives shipping an installation without cracks and chips, and also simplifies the accessory selection process for senior bathroom design. Many shower units do not include the necessary reinforcement for grab bars and seats to accommodate the strength thresholds for ADA compliance. This means expensive and time-consuming manual installation of reinforcement for every fixture.
You’ll save time and money with units that are 100% reinforced right out of the box. Whether you opt for pre-installation of accessories at the factory or prefer the option to install them later, on an as-needed basis, full-height reinforcement ensures there’s no question — the unit is ready for accessories wherever you want them.
At EverFab, we partner with BIMsmith and BimObject to create downloadable Revit files and make them readily available on our website. Early access to Revit files empowers senior living developers to collaborate with designers, annotate and test the renderings as a team, and customize showers for any project before purchase and installation. This streamlines senior living bathroom design and ensures the right product makes it to the job site.
Many manufacturers mistakenly assume that a heavy design is a durable design. In fact, a heavy shower is generally a sign of poorly selected shower materials. Wood backing and reinforcement is heavy, but preferred by some manufacturers because it’s cheap. However, wood is no good for moist environments (or rain on the distributor’s lot), cumbersome to move and install, and less reliable than a lighter, properly reinforced fiberglass composite.
Showers made and reinforced with EverFab’s proprietary core material are not only 50% lighter, but stronger, too. Our formula optimizes the ratio of glass to calcium sulfate, resulting in a durable design that prevents damage during delivery and reduces the number of people that are required to move and install the unit. Less labor and fewer damaged units = more budget savings!
Tile is beautiful, but heavy, expensive, and time-consuming to install. You can lend the same sophistication and class to your shower for seniors with an attractive simulated tile pattern built into your fiberglass shower unit. We also have an option with a recessed band along the midline of the shower back for post-installation custom inlay of genuine tile. This allows senior living developers to blend the shower into the bathroom’s decor without breaking the bank (or your installers’ backs). It’s also easier and cheaper to maintain than a full tile shower!
Have more questions about showers for senior living developments? Get in touch with EverFab for additional information or a fast quote!