Master Bath

Reply to: Fernon - just a suggestion... I would recommend porcelain tile over ceramic. It is fired at hotter temperatures and is stronger and more water resistant. It should perform better on a steam shower environment. I would further suggest using a single component grout like a soliconized material (Fusion), or urethane based (Quartz-Lock2). They two should perform better. Resistant to cracking, mold/mildew, etc.

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Reply to: There are a number of good products available, some more expensive than others. You want to make sure you get a good unit that does not require you remove and clean the steam probe. This is a pain, and rarely done, which leads to premature failure of the probe. Kohler, Thermasol, and others. Do some research, then check with a local higher end Bath Showroom, and talk to them about what products they sell. If you have a Ferguson showroom in your area they are a good supplier. Like Martin said, figure you will spend between $2-4K for a good unit. One step further is to check out reviews of these products, then... make sure you have a plumber that has plumbed steam before. Proper installation is as critical as the unit you purchase. Making sure the line from the generator to the shower has the proper slope and doesn't hold water, is very important. Most good generators have a cleaning cycle and it is imperative that the unit drain the water used during the cleaning cycle properly.

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Reply to: Martin gives you great advice above. Wedi is a great product. Even using Wedi, or a product called Kerdi (by Schluter), we still install a visqueen vapor barrier behind the board. In addition to tiling our ceiling you will want to slope the ceiling so that the condensation that develops on the ceiling will run down the ceiling to the wall where it can then run down the wall to the pan for draining purposes. A flat ceiling in a steam shower results in the ceiling dripping as the condensation develops. He is also right about getting a system that has a fast start up and constant steam flow. Getting a system like that is advisable. I would also make sure you steam outlet is well away from any seating area as the steam will cause burns. I also would recommend the use of a tilting transom window over the door to vent steam when you are done, and finally, a high quality exhaust fan just outside the shower glass enclosure that can quickly and efficiently vent the steam from the bathroom. Typically adding steam to a shower adds 8-12K depending upon the manufacturer, and things like how far to the electrical panel to run the 50 amp dedicated circuit required for most generators. I have clients who absolutely love their steam showers. Good luck!

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Reply to: It will depend on the size of your shower. Typical setup is 5x5x8. I am going to be talking retail prices here. The minimum steam equipment you will need is a steam generator, controller and steam head. $2-4k. For waterproofing material check out Wedi ($1k). They offer best warranty against any damages and etc. The only 2 other things you need to do is to tile the ceiling and make sure your shower door goes all the way to the ceiling. Or you can install transom above the door. Tell your glass person to install silicone seals all around your glass panels. As far as the electrical goes you will need 208/240v and for this example you will need 50 AMPs. That's really it when it comes to steam shower upgrade. As far as the generator goes make sure that unit is not cycling (you want constant steam at constant rate), you probably want the fast start option included so you get steam in seconds and not minutes with option to turn it off from the controller if needed. For the equipment check out www.thermasol.com and let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck and wish you many relaxing days ahead in the steam shower ☺

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Reply to: Zagyzebra - Glad you went ahead and got it! I don't think you will be disappointed. Yeah, my AV guy had the same opinion on the shower speakers. We decided to pre wire the whole first floor for when we want to put regular room speakers in. And that fragrance thing was too much; you could not control the Amount it dispensed. I agree with you on that too; the only thing that I might like is a menthol or eucalyptus spray in the flu / cold / allergy season (with a cooler steam), and I can dispense the exact amount and type I need by myself. This entire steam shower has been quite a learning experience for me. I was blown away by all of the extra prep required for a good sealed steam shower for the waterproofing AND vapourproofing. I was also surprised that my natural stone shower tile required a larger steam unit than if I used ceramic or porcelain. We're even using an appropriate sealer that has smaller particles (I forget the exact scientific terminogy) that allows the tile and grout to breath and evaporate water (and vapor) from behind yet still be protected (and easy to clean) so not to create any future 'vapor sandwich' effect (and therefore prevent mildew or mold). But considering the ENTIRE reason for my remodel in the first place started with repairing old and current water leaks, water damage and subsequent framing damage around the shower and tub wall, all of the extra prep is good piece of mind!! Hope yours is going well and we can both enjoy our steam shower with chromatherapy real soon!

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Reply to: I am *almost* 5'2" and have a steam shower. we used a vertical transom that runs along the door seam, rather than a horizontal transom over the door. With the knob toward the bottom it works perfectly for me

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Reply to: bicoastal, Unless it's detailed with a full vapor barrier from the start, it's very difficult to turn a "regular" shower into a steam shower with just a little remodeling. Traditional showers are normally built with a drainage plain behind the tile/cement board...it might be tar paper, it might be polyethylene sheet plastic...but it's usually "lapped for drainage" instead of being fully sealed at the seams, and it's usually a partial wall installation instead of being floor-to-ceiling and ceiling. Or there might not be any barrier at all. Just tile over backer board over framing. A steam shower can drive moisture through natural stone, through grout, and into the wall. If there's not a fully inclusive vapor barrier on all six sides of the steam room cube, then moisture vapor can be driven through the wall and into the wall cavities. When warm moisture vapor cools, it'll condense...wetting and saturating the insulation and/or the wood framing. Not good. That's why with steam showers it's best to have a fully integral vapor barrier on all sides of the cube. A small yet important point, is that "waterproofing" does not necessarily mean a "vapor" barrier. You can use a waterproofing membrane, and it'll shed liquid water. That's good enough in a traditional shower. But vapor can pass through some waterproofing membranes. Again, that's not good in a steam shower. Moisture vapor would destroy your green board over time, green board is moisture resistant. Not waterproof. Not vaporproof. It's been recognized for at least the past 20 years by good tile mechanics that green board is an inferior tile backer in wet areas. Building codes finally caught up to common trade knowledge and banned green board as a tile backer in wet areas in 2006. That said, in a typical shower green board can perform fine or 30 years or fail in 3 years. In a steam shower it'd be a short-lived installation due to repeated vapor drive. The nice thing about having a topical vapor barrier applied to the face of the tile backer board (between the backer board and the tile) is that the only thing that can get "wet" in a situation like that is the tile and the thinset. The membrane stops the moisture from penetrating into the backer board. With no deep wetting, the steam shower can dry more quickly than otherwise might be possible. While there are several materials out there that perform fine, you'll see Bill and I mention Kerdi. It's not the only material that can do the job, but it's a warm-fuzzy for me. It's been my membrane of choice since way back in the 20th century. Wow, that's over a thousand years!

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Reply to: No matter what you do, the entire existing shower will have to be torn down and started from scratch. The reason is that you must have a complete watertight (and vapor tight) envelope before the tile goes on. Far as I'm concerned, the best bet for this is Kerdi. I won't do another steam shower without it.

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