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12/08/2016 03:00 PMBathroom remodels go beyond decisions like what kind of vanity or tub to install.
With the rise in popularity of steam showers and a variety of showerheads and saunas, today's bathroom can feel like a trip to the spa.
"Saunas are usually dry heat where people build rooms out of cedar wood and you buy a stove that heats rocks," says Gino Donanno, a sales consultant at White's Plumbing in West Haven. "We work more with steam showers, which is wet, and primarily done in a master bathroom."
Both saunas and steam showers offer a relaxing, spa-like feel. Bill Jacques, owner of Shoreline Hot Tubs & Saunas with locations in Westbrook and Orange, has seen the many benefits to adding a sauna to your home.
"[The benefits are] sweating out the toxins, losing weight, softening muscle tissues, and offering relief from pain, headaches, and tension," says Jacques. "In nearly every other country, it's a household item, but in the U.S., there aren't enough people selling them so people don't seem to know the health benefits."
Shoreline Hot Tub & Saunas offers sauna kits to help transform a closet or small space into a sauna in addition to a selection of free-standing units that can be placed in a basement, bathroom, bonus room, or even a bedroom.
"They're really nice looking with full glass fronts, stereos, Bluetooth speakers, and more," says Jacques. "They're becoming more and more popular with the elderly because it's a deep tissue heat like putting a heating pad over your whole body."
Donanno notes that steam showers are also "extremely therapeutic" and when he had one in his house, he used it nearly every day. Once a steam head, control panel, and a steam shower unit are installed it is easy to use.
"Once it's programmed with the different temperatures and timing you want, it's as simple as pushing a button – you just sit down and it's one of most enjoyable, therapeutic experiences you'll ever have," says Donanno. "You don't have to wait like you do with a tub for it fill up or have the water cool off. It's very convenient and there's a lot of longevity with the product."
While the size of steam showers can vary, Donanno says that clients also need to install floor to ceiling vented glass, and he also recommends an exhaust fan in the shower.
There are many other ways to customize a shower, as well. White's Plumbing has seen rain heads grow in popularity, though those do need a water pressure of about 70 to 80 pounds, which generally excludes households with well water. One staple that Donanno always recommends is a handheld showerhead, which is not only good for the body, but for cleaning the shower, as well.
Thermostatic shower valves that control different functions such as the rain head or body sprays. In order to get the most benefit from a thermostatic shower, Donanno recommends an on-demand water heater and making sure your water supply can support 16 to 18 gallons of water per minute.
"The thermostatic shower valves are very therapeutic, but you have to plan on using a lot of water," says Donanno. "You don't have to spend a lot, lot of money to have a shower with activity and that's comfortable. It's all matter of making sure you have the right hot water system and good water pressure coming into the house. There's not a limit of what can be done – it's just a question of what one wants to spend and the finishes that are available."