Is a shower in front of PVC Window A Really Bad Idea?

[Deleted User]

I have had someone from Wicks design services come round to look at my bathroom. At present I have toilet and bath against one wall, there is a window at the wall running across the room. It is opaqued and made of PVC.

I'd like to reposition things so there is a toilet and washbasin where the toilet and bath are presently, and move the bath to the wall with the window in it (dead centre). The window isn't huge, there is plenty of room to put a bath underneath it. It will allow for a slightly longer bath and make mounting a shower much easier as there is no wall running against the end of the bath. I have no room to put in a shower cubicle, so need a shower over bath.

But the designer said this would give me dreadful ice and condensation problems because of water vapour. I tend to leave windows open a crack, leaving them fully open once bath is done, happy to wipe wall/window down as I tend to like a sparkly bathroom anyway lol.

What do you think? Will it cause more problems than its worth to move the bath to the windowed wall? Having the bath/shower there will make much more sensibe use of the space.

I am also looking at using waterproof tile backing boards (Abacus Elements or Jackoboard). Wickes recommended some concrete tile backing boards they have in stock with very bad reviews so my confidence in their 'superior' service has already been shaken.

moneyistooshorttomention

Not sure what your designer is on about tbh.

The bathroom in my current house is distinctly small.

When I bought the house it had:
- bath on left-hand side (ie running down from door towards window) and with a grotty type shower over it
- washbasin immediately on the right as one walks in the door
- loo on the facing wall (ie to the side of the window - as the facing wall is the one with window in it).

I was the one that made the plan as to how the bathroom was to be and I decided:
- replace washbasin in existing spot
- put the loo beside the washbasin (ie on right-hand wall as one comes into the bathroom)
- I would like a bath and a separate shower. As the bathroom isn't big enough for both unless I have the shower over the bath - then I decided to have a huge modern-size walk-in shower.

That shower is built across the facing wall (with obscure window in it) and goes all the way across from left side wall to right side wall. So it's one huge shower tray with left-hand sliding door and right-hand sliding door.

After each shower - I either open the window or (more usually) switch on the extractor fan for a reasonable period of time (say 10-15 minutes).

Extractor fans can be either:
- integral with the light in the bathroom (so that when one switches on the light then the fan automatically comes on and will then stay on for a fixed period after the light is switched off)

OR
- have the light operating on one switch and have an extractor fan push switch and operate them both separately.

I chose to have a pull switch in the bathroom for the light and a push switch immediately outside the bathroom for the extractor fan. They had tried to tell me that wasn't possible. It is possible.

You could do that either way to suit yourself. I trust myself not to be too absent-minded as to forget to switch the fan on or off. Hence the separate switches in my case.

The problems I had in the bathroom since were down to the firm and not me or my design. They told me the concrete floor (thick layer of new concrete - as the drains had to be altered) would be dry enough to put vinyl down on only days later. They were wrong and some mould started coming up through the vinyl from underneath. I ripped up the vinyl, scrubbed that floor thoroughly with bleach and had new vinyl put down.

They told me the walls could be painted pretty soon after the new plaster had dried as far as could be seen. They were wrong and the paint started flaking off in an area of poor air circulation (ie to the right of the loo just above skirting board) - and I've subsequently had that area sanded and whole room repainted.

My bathroom is now okay.

Davesnave

I have a bath under a fairly large window. The bath has a shower over it, but we tend to use the guest room shower, so it's mainly used as a bath only.

I'm not very enamoured with cheap ventilation fans, so I put a particularly powerful one in there. Like you, we open the window as well. Once out & dry, we open it fully and squeegee the tiles, both here and in the shower room.

Seems to work well, but other factors also come into play like the fact we have insulated cavity walls and good whole house heating. I agree with using cement board backing too. I didn't do that, but I did tank the walls at tile height, paying particular attention to corners. Hardibacker is the cement board I'll use in the shower in the en-suite we're doing soon.

Extractor fans can work automatically on measured humidity as well, though I think that's more appropriate to situations here people won't care, or may forget.

[Deleted User]

Thank you for both posts. I must admit I'm not overly impressed with the design service lol.

moneyistooshorttomention

Don't blame you - for not being over-enamoured with the design service.

Friend of mine had a new kitchen put in by one of this type of firm a while back and found they'd chosen a wrong size floor unit. Cue for argument - which my friend won - and the firm replaced it with correct size unit.

I had a firm here design a kitchen for me and their design would have been pretty much unworkable.

Trust yourself - not the firm.

Yep.....I've got those modern huge tiles all up the wall in my shower cubicle thing and squeegee them after showers. House is those double thickness concrete block walls common here - and is cavity wall insulated.

bouicca21

My bath with shower over is also under a window. The fan operates as soon as the light is put on - which means it often doesn't get used because there is sufficient natural light. I'd much rather have the fan and the light on separate switches, as was the case in my previous rental.

I rarely open the window as it can only be opened/closed when standing in the bath. I don't have mould problems. It is btw, a really small room.

PS it's a pvc window.

Carrot007

Sounds like you are after the setup in my previous house.


I had no issues.


I did have the window on vent most of the time and 100% of the time when using the shower (or for a bit afterwards in very odd weather!).

frankie

I have a upvc window in the shower cubicle. Fitter made the bottom cill sloping for drain off. Everything was well sealed correctly with appropriate moisture capable materials.


The cubicle has an extactor in centre of ceiling. I always squeegee after use (do this in all my showers keeps them cleaner).


I vent the window after use.


I have had no problems whatsoever and I am very happy to be able to have a nice big cubicle by chosing my layout.


PS I also have a 'powerful' towel rail rad capable of heating the room. This enables good air flow after showering and any condensation is quickly dispersed.

EssexExile

bouicca21 wrote: »

The fan operates as soon as the light is put on - which means it often doesn't get used because there is sufficient natural light.

You are allowed to turn on the light (& therefore the fan) if it isn't dark.

moneyistooshorttomention

EssexExile wrote: »

You are allowed to turn on the light (& therefore the fan) if it isn't dark.

Maybe a set-up like mine? - ie where "if" someone was standing in the neighbouring garden beyond my bathroom they might be able to "see through" whilst I was having a shower if the light was on.

It would be most unlikely they would be there anyway and I tend to feel if they were then "Blow them....and my window is set high enough that a man wouldn't be concerned (ie everything below waist level private anyway) - so why should a woman be concerned either?"".

My showers are usually in the morning anyway (ie when there is almost certainly sufficient natural light anyway). If there wasn't - then I could turn on the hallway light and leave my bathroom door open to the hallway.

Morbier

If you're showering/bathing next to a window (even if it's opaque glass) won't people passing by be able to see all your bits and bobs? :eek: Won't you need a (waterproof) curtain or blind? Is there such a thing? :rotfl: