Custom showers or shower systems are the kind of showers you find in high-end spas, with many multiple shower heads and body sprayers mounted on all walls of the shower and even on the ceiling. They produce a high volume of water with a variety of spray types, and are usually part of a large, tiled shower stall.
Pros
- Total Customizability – Shower systems are often called custom showers for a reason – because you have total control over the types of shower heads used and where they’re placed, meaning you can get the exact shower experience you want (which is doubly nice for people who are tall, short, or couples with a significant height difference).
- Total Coverage – Shower systems are specifically designed to give a near 360 degree spray, with different types of shower heads and body sprayers in different zones so water is coming at you from all directions.
- Maximum Water Flow – Shower systems include many multiple shower heads, each of which are plumbed individually or in small groups, meaning each shower head or cluster produces the maximum volume of water you’d get in a standard shower, but they can all be used at once, giving you genuine spa-like levels of water flow.
- Designer Look And Feel – Shower systems require extensive plumbing work, but that means that as part of a larger project, you have the opportunity to build a really gorgeous shower stall around them – fully tiled from floor to ceiling, with all the shower hardware integrated seamlessly into the design.
Cons
- Requires Major Renovation – The biggest drawback to shower systems is that they’re necessarily invasive to install. At the minimum, you’ll need to extend your plumbing to accommodate the new shower heads, which means knocking out and rebuilding walls. You really can’t install a shower system without also building an entirely new shower.
- Higher Total Price Tag – It’s possible to buy all the actual hardware you need to build a shower system for about what you’d pay for a shower panel, but the parts themselves aren’t worth much on their own – you’ll also need to factor in all the other costs of construction to have a new shower stall designed and built to put them in.
- Hidden Costs – Shower systems also come with a lot of costs beyond the construction of the shower stall itself. A new shower system typically requires additional plumbing upgrades – like an upgraded water heater and expanded drainage. They can also significantly raise your water and sewage bills, since you’ll be using a whole lot more water per shower – and probably taking longer showers!
- They Really Will Spoil You – This might seem like a silly thing to list as a “con,” but it’s true – once you get used to an amazing shower with high water pressure, 360 degree sprays, and a dozen different spray types, even high end normal showers will feel a little mediocre by comparison. So while this is an upgrade that can definitely enhance your property value, it’s also one you’ll really miss if you move!
