Submitted by Mike Foti, president of Columbus Glass Block, Clear Choice Window Door, Bath Doctor and Columbus Design and Remodeling

Showers and bathtubs can be dangerous places. Climbing over a bathtub rail, water and soap on the floor or a dark shower area that limits visibility are just a few common safety issues in many bathrooms. Here are seven tips that may help you avoid such dangers while creating a relaxing, inviting and safe shower.

1. Start from the ground up. Shower safety and style begins with the shower base. Add a sleek contemporary European flair and greatly reduce the risk of a fall with a curbless barrier free shower base system – also called a wet room. In this system the shower base is set below the subfloor, which creates the structure of a universal shower that can be used by everyone.
2. Floor it. Use slip resistant flooring in the shower. Consider a matte finish porcelain tile to reduce the slipperiness of the floor. Use urethane grout between the joints to minimize future maintenance.
3. Back up your walls. Long lasting and safe walls begin with what you don’t see – what’s behind the walls. If you’re using tile shower wall surrounds on the inside, use either waterproof (extruded polystyrene) or water resistant (cement board) behind the walls for sound construction. If you’re using acrylic wall surrounds, make sure to put solid wood backer boards behind the wall for future safety grab bar installations.
4. Change your plumbing valve to save water and add safety. New shower valves come with anti-scald features that prevent your water from getting too hot. New valves also provide significant water saving benefits.
5. Let the light shine in. Shower windows, glass shower enclosures and lighting can add style and dramatically improve shower safety. If you’ve got an opening directly in the shower space, consider using either a glass block window or an operable acrylic block window. For the shower stall, consider either glass block walls, which are very sturdy, or a thicker, frameless glass shower system. Also, add plenty of task lighting.
6. Take a seat. Get a more relaxing spa-type shower experience and improve safety by adding a shower seat. If you’ve got a small amount of room, use a fold down seat. With a moderate amount of room, you can use a corner seat. For large shower spaces, a bench seat works great.
7. Add cool, multi-purpose decorative grab bars. There are many new, modern styles from which to choose. You can now get safety bars that can even double as towel bars and shower shelves.
    

Foti is president of Cleveland Design & Remodeling, Columbus Design and Remodeling and the Ohio-based Bath Doctor of Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton websites.

As of June 15, 2011, this service provider was highly rated on Angie’s List. Ratings are subject to change based on consumer feedback, so check AngiesList.com for the most up-to-date reviews. The views expressed by this author do not necessarily reflect those of Angie’s List.