We have maple floors in the powder room (which is a 1/2 bath per realtors’ listings) because the floor is continuous throughout the lower level. Never had any water issues, but I cannot imagine having wood floors where people shower and take baths!
OP, here… I always love this forum! One gets varied opinions and such sound advice. I understand the concerns about hardwood in an area where baths/showers are taken but as I said it has worked for us for nearly 2 decades so I’m thinking I may just leave it. I struggle with potential owners who would let something (seemingly) so minor play the role of deal-breaker in the sale of a home. It would be an easy fix if they wanted to fix it but believe i’d rather spend my money elsewhere.
I’m intrigued by the differing opinions about the need for a shower door. Perhaps a personal hangup, but I have always hated shower curtains. in my opinion, the newer, frameless doors are so much nicer. Particularly like the swinging ones as I also hate the sliding rail.
I read somewhere that regularly treating those doors with Rain-Ex (think that’s the right name–the stuff you spray on car windshields) makes them sparkle! I’ve used it for several years, squeegee the glass after each use and our MBa shower door has always stayed quite nice.
Keep the opinions coming as it’s great to hear all of your great ideas!
I’m really trying to make the frameless shower door work in the small second bath. I don’t like shower curtains either. The challenge is clearance to open the door. We’ve entirely gutted the bath and I’m considering installing one of those tankless or tank in the wall toilets to free some space. Anyone have experience with those?
Like BB, when I did floors throughout, I had the wood continue into the powder room.
When I had kid’s bathroom redone, I left the white tile, put in double sinks with white Dorian counters. If I could redo now, I’d have use granite or Quartz or marble. I dislike shower curtains, so put in glass door. There is plenty of storage under sinks so counter top is uncluttered. Even though I have one child, every weekend was a sleepover.
If I was OP, I’d add the glass doors, and use large area rug over the wood floor.
The thing to remember is that you don’t know who will buy your house. You want to minimize objections. I would keep the shower curtain since this is a bath that might be used to bathe young children in the future. Imagine trying to bathe a toddler in a bathtub with a door. The next owners may see that door as a detriment and worry about removing it and repairing holes, etc. Adding things to a house is much easier than removing and repairing them. I know when our children were young my husband and I eliminated a house because it only had a very deep tub for bathing the kids. I would have I’d keep the bath as simple and neutral as possible. If you want to add some kind of decorative touch use a row or two of a different shaped/sized tile in the bath tub surround–same color scheme though. As someone else mentioned, I would also prefer more storage space and counterspace over two sinks.
Have you thought about using one of the curved shower curtain rods? We’ve recently installed them in 2 tub/shower combo bathrooms and I’m amazed by how much more spacious the shower feels without the external space feeling any smaller. TJ Maxx/Marshalls often have them very competitively priced. I also like how the whole feel of the bathroom can be changed by a new shower curtain.
I too dislike glass doors on bathtubs, but I love them on walk-in showers. Glass doors on tubs can get icky fast. Shower curtains can be changed easily, and can also be used to spruce up/change the bathroom décor.
We have the curved curtain rod, it makes a huge difference, and I like shower curtains, cause then more than one person can use the bathroom.
I have a really neutral bathroom, but then I lighten it up with lace curtains and voile shower curtain.
Its hard enough keeping the fixtures polished to contemplate glassed in shower.
When I was growing up though, my bathroom had a walk in shower that didn’t need a door or a curtain.
I was spoiled & I didn’t even know it.
I have a wood floor in the bathroom in my house, which is about 100 yrs old. It’s fine, although beginning to show some signs of water wear that could be fixed. If yours is in good shape, I would bother to replace it. As a person who likes to take baths, I absolutely DETEST the kind of shower surround that has a track across the edge of the tub. On the other hand, I am spoiled by my deep old clawfoot tub, and so never take baths when I am visiting people with conventional shower over tub arrangements: the tubs are just too shallow. Good for bathing kids, lousy for a nice soak. If one is bathing kids, it is nasty to lave to lean over one of those metal tracks and have it dig in, and a pain not to have easy access to the whole tub. I vote for a shower curtain. (Love all-clear shower doors on showers, though.)
I’d probably go for a double sink if there is room. Personally, do not use the bathroom at the same time as anyone else, but other people seem to value such an arrangement highly.
i’m on the same side of the downward hill as OP, and all I can say is that with that little time left I would do the bare necessities and keep the budget in check. imo, its one thing to break the bank when you plan to “live there”…its another when you can already see the future–let the next person do the expensive, fancy things to their taste. the ROI is probably minimal at this point–unless your toilet is harvest gold, you probably aren’t as dated as you think.
i’d leave the floor alone.
i’d get the curved shower curtain rod–forget the glass door.
i’d recoat the tub if needed.
i’d replace the toilet.
i’d ask the plumber how costly is it to convert from one sink to two…but i’m with everyone else, I prefer the storage instead of the extra sink.
tread carefully about redoing tile–its a mess, its not cheap, and really, I lol’d when emerald said she just installed the same tile…I completely agree that its a timeless, classic choice.
“As a person who likes to take baths, I absolutely DETEST the kind of shower surround that has a track across the edge of the tub.”
This!!! The sealant and gaskets that come with the track get icky and no amount of bleach can clean them. Give me a clean tub edge where I can put my arm.
I sometimes watch HGTV home shows, and it seems like everyone these days wants the soul sinks. We just have one, with a long counter, but I am thinking of replacing it with a double.
Add one more to the list of people who prefer shower curtain around the bathtub and hate the glass door. It will not be a deal breaker as removing a shower door is a quick job. The Curved shower curtains are awesome.
The curved rod/curtain is a good idea. I imagine it only works with a claw foot or soaking tub? I do love claw foot tubs though. Umm…
The frameless doors don’t have that awful track running along the tub. They attach at the wall. IMO, the only downside to the frameless doors is that they don’t function well for small children. So they’re not ideal for resale in a bath likely to be used by kids.
Two of the baths in my current house have dual sinks and they’re great. But both baths are large, easily utilized by two people at once, and have plenty of storage space. In the house we’re remodeling, there’s just not much storage or counter space. I gain 4 more drawers and counter space by getting rid of one sink. I think the sink issue really depends on size and who will be using the bath. Two little boys vs a teenage girl would have different needs.
The curved rods attach at the wall the same way a straight rod would, only they bow outwards in the center. A genius invention. For most of us who aren’t super tall, they don’t encroach on the bathroom space outside the tub, but they keep the curtain liner from attacking you when you shower.
What greenwitch said - they keep the liner away from my elbows while I shower. They work fine with standard shallow tubs typically found in hotels and kiddie bathrooms.
Water quality can really affect whether I would ever consider glass doors. I have awful, hard water that immediately discolors glass and other surfaces. The shower heads all have mineral crust on them and soaking in vinegar etc does nothing.
I have tried Rain Ex to prevent water drop etching but it doesn’t help. Lemon oil is the only thing that makes a bit of improvement.
I would not put glass doors in this house if I had a choice. Our guest bath has them and it looks like it’s twenty years old even though less than a dozen showers have been taken in it.
I have a friend with this gorgeous vinyl flooring that looks like wood…really it does. She has it in her bathrooms, and I will get it when I redo a bathroom.
What about glass doors that are textured a little? I think clear glass looks better but only if its just been cleaned and I know I’m too lazy for that! Your bathroom won’t look as big but it won’t look as streaky either.
Another question - we have some kind of tile patterned linoleum sheet on our bathroom floors. It is old and discolored. I know there must be wood floors under there, since they’re everywhere else in the house. I would hate to cover them with tile, but tile is so pretty…
I don’t think a 5x8 bathroom could possible have room for a double sink. I think they are a good idea in a kids’ bath especially if you can put a real divider between toilet and shower and the sinks. That way it can really be used by two or even three kids at once.