Unlike traditional showers, an roll-in shower has low-profile shower pan and
threshold, usually with several grab bars and a seat. A shower wheelchair can be
rolled over the threshold into the shower. A person can also walk into the
shower and sit down on the seat for bath.
The cheapest roll-in shower is under $1,000 dollars. With installation, the
number usually goes up to $7,000 or more. If some interior walls have to be
taken down, the number can easily go over $10,000. So what happened?
There are several reasons why retrofitting an accessible shower is very, very expensive:
1. Removing your existing shower enclosure and shower pan is labor extensive;
2. Putting in the new shower pan, enclosure is equally labor extensive;
3. Re-routing plumbing is another big part;
4. In some cases, workers have to cut the floor and construct a new SUNKEN
sub-floor to accommodate the low-profile accessible shower pan;
5. If the new shower stall fits within the existing space, you should
consider yourself lucky. Because in many cases, the newly shower pan is TOO BIG
to fit in and walls must be taken down.
So the remodel is done, and the new shower is in, is your bathroom accessible now?
Not so fast.
Mr. John Sargent of RampNow, Inc in Chicago, IL has been selling and installing
wheelchair stair lifts for years. According to Mr. Sargent, the most common
reason why people spend several thousand dollars to have stair lifts in their
home is to get to the shower upstairs.
So if you decide to remodel your shower, take careful measurements of the
new shower stall, plan ahead, and most importantly, know how to get the
wheelchair to the shower. A simple mistake can cost you several thousand
dollars, leading to disputes and even lawsuits with your contractor.
Accessible showers could affect your house resale value. This is because water
is easy to spill out of the low threshold and make the floor wet. Any handicap showers
are turn-off's for young families with kids.
A tub with a side door is called a "walk-in" bathtub.
Inside the tub is a seat for someone to sit down. The door has rubber gasket to remain watertight.
You cannot roll a wheelchair into the tub. If a person is confined to a
wheelchair, walk-in tubs are not helpful.
The door seal is specially made for each tub. As the seal wears over time and
becomes leaky, you must buy a replacement seal from the same manufacturer and replace it.
Typical purchase cost for a walk-in tub is $3,000 - $5,000. With installation
(taking out old tub, put new one in), the number could go up to $5,000 - 7,000.
The LiteShower™ portable, wheelchair accessible shower stalls offer many unique advantages over accessible
showers and walk-in tubs:
1. Cost. You can get a complete set for under $800.
2. You can use the shower ANYWHERE in your home. For example, you don't have to
struggle to get the wheelchair upstairs if you use your portable shower in the kitchen.
3. Our
recliner model allows a person to lie down in
the shower because the shower tray is 7-foot long. It is not possible for either
accessible shower or talk-in tubs.
4. You don't have to worry about home resale value because you can fold the shower up and store it away.
Portable, Wheelchair-accessible Shower Stalls
