Installing, plumbing, and running a conventional ‘tile and tray shower’ into a new build is inherently risky. You've got the challenges of running electricity and plumbing into a tight space, while also tackling the Tetris-like task of making sure the bath, shower, toilet, and sink all fit in safely, don't conflict with each other, or cause splashback.
If your shower cubicle design has to accommodate a tight or awkward space, those risks become riskier. Constricted room to manoeuvre can make plumbing, maintenance, and day-to-day use of the room even trickier. Thankfully, there is a simple solution available that sidesteps the traditional problems of shower installation and can save you time and money, too: specifying modular, prefabricated shower pods for your next bathroom build.
Shower pods are made-to-order in two to four modular sections and a separate door. Pods are available in a variety of sizes and configurations to meet different bathroom designs and layouts, from compact alcoves to large, spacious open-plan designs.
The great advantage of shower pods over conventional shower cubicles is their simplicity and the way they reduce risk. They do this in two ways:
First, shower pods safely confine running water inside a small, self-contained cubicle with integrated drainage, reducing condensation and ruling out the risk of leaks. Reduced shower room condensation makes shower pods easier to keep clean than conventional showers, with less black mould growth and fewer slip hazards. This is appealing for owner-occupiers of homes with shower pods, and is also good news for residential landlords, as it reduces their lifetime maintenance and repair bill.
Secondly, and from a construction perspective, the quick assembly of modular shower pods ensures predictable installation schedules for contractors and developers, with fewer opportunities for project overruns and precise quality control over leak-proofing, intakes, and building ventilation.
It usually takes under half a day with one tradesperson for a pod to go from components to a fully working, plumbed-in unit. No tiles, extra pipes, or new flooring are typically required. This reduces the number of people needed on site during the build, reducing the risk of accidents arising from tradespeople getting in each other’s way.
Additionally, the prefabricated nature of shower pods reduces the need to store large volumes of tiles and building materials on site, lowering the risk of theft. Your shower pods can be delivered to site on the day of installation, which can be scheduled towards the end of the build to avoid parts getting damaged by moving plant.
For contractors and developers, modular shower pods offer a simpler way to approach bathroom construction. Because much of the shower is manufactured and prepared off-site, there is less work required on site and fewer trades involved in completing the installation.
This can help keep projects moving to schedule while reducing the potential for delays, damage, and costly remedial work. For larger developments where multiple bathrooms need to be completed, the consistency and repeatability of shower pods can make the build process considerably easier to manage.
Another benefit of shower pods is the consistency they can bring to bathroom construction. Because the units are manufactured and assembled in a controlled environment before arriving on site, there is less reliance on multiple trades completing different parts of the shower installation.
This can make it easier for contractors and developers to maintain consistent standards across multiple bathrooms. For larger projects, where dozens or even hundreds of bathrooms may need to be completed to the same specification, the repeatable nature of modular shower pods can help reduce variations in installation and make quality control more straightforward.
Traditional shower installations can involve several stages, from waterproofing and tiling to plumbing and fitting the final fixtures. Each additional stage creates another opportunity for delays, particularly when different trades need to work around one another.
With shower pods, much of the work is completed before the unit reaches the site. Once the relevant connections are ready, the pod can be installed and connected as part of a more streamlined process. This can help reduce the amount of work taking place inside each bathroom and free up space for other construction activities to continue.
For developments with multiple bathrooms, reducing the work required in each individual room can make a significant difference to the overall construction programme.
To find out more about the advantages of specifying our modular shower pods in your next bathroom build, please have a chat with one of our technical sales team, or click here to download our free Shower Pods Guide.
Image source: Pixabay