Shower Dome?

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wazzageek

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#329449 12-May-2010 16:38

Dingbatt: I believe the reason it is a dome is twofold. Firstly to make it feel less claustrophobic and secondly (and more inportantly) so the condensation runs to the sides rather than forming cold drips to fall on you.

Didn't think about that ...

Our main bathroom shower is a cubicle that is completely enclosed. Yes it does get steamy and a little sauna-like, but the bathroom doesn't have an extractor fan (house is about 40 years old) and having the shower fully enclosed, and training the kids to keep the doors closed during and after showering, makes a huge difference the the amount of condensation in the rest of the bathroom (and in the house as a whole).

It's amazing the amount of condensation visible in our (small) house when you shower with the bathroom door open ...

The growth of mould may be promoted in the cubicle itself but regular cleaning keeps on top of that, and it's better than having to de-mould the whole bathroom.

.... or de-mould the whole house...

nitrotech

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#329462 12-May-2010 17:01

These things are amazing, I was completely skeptical but am now converted.

Steam is gone and the bathroom is not damp at all.

Would highly recommend one of these over an extractor fan.

oxnsox

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#329474 12-May-2010 17:39

Built my own out of rigid plastic for a place I rented a few years ago. Used cuts and folds to form a peak, which meant it was self supporting and as has been said, condensation ran to outer edges. Sealed and stuck it up with clear(ish) duct tape.

House was noticeably less damp and therefore easier (and cheaper) to heat. If I'd owned the place it convinced me I would have paid for a properly fitted one.

robbyp

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#329483 12-May-2010 18:08

bazzer:
robbyp: Shows TV advertising works. I saw them being advertisied this morning on TV. Personally I wouldn't install one, as it is trying to solve a problem that isn't really a major issue, and I am too tall for it. They don't mention how you are meant to clean the top of it, when it gets dustly

What is the problem that is not a major issue? Steam and condensation are pretty annoying in the bathroom. I'd call it a major issue. Also, wondering how you can be too tall for it? Does your head stick out the of of your shower? Must make it awfully difficult to wash your hair? Luckily, being so tall, I'd assume you'd have no problem cleaning the top of it! I would assume you just wipe it when it gets dusty. If you can't reach, get a stool?

It wouldn't stop all condensation from entering the bathroom as you have to open the door, and there are gaps in a shower to let air in. The dust on top would clump due to the air being damp so, so it would still require wiping with a damp cloth. Yes you could get a stool, but being a dome, getting to the back of it would be difficult, plus getting on a stool is quite dangerous in a slippery bathroom. My shower is a large tiled one that, that isn't a conventional shower box, so it wouldn't fit anyway. Not sure if it would invalidate the manufacturers warranty on the shower either. Personally if I was going to set one up, I would just install a piece of perspex over the top, as the dome is quite ugly.

However good on a kiwi business investing something of value, and it would probably be good for rentals, to cut down the damage caused by condensation, and tenants not opening the window.

jpoc

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#938740 22-Nov-2013 00:19

I am late with this reply but this may be of interest:

I made a shower-dome myself. It cost me nothing and works pretty well as good as the real thing, plus I discovered a neat tip for using it.

How did I make my own shower dome?

I had a load of large empty cardboard boxes from buying assorted items of furniture and whiteware from the warehouse.

I also had a lot of heavy duty clear plastic sheeting that had been wrapped around the contents of the aforementioned boxes.

My shower is square and is in the corner of the bathroom.

I cut a square of card to be a little bigger then my shower and then wrapped it in plastic sheet. Making sure that all of the joins and overlaps in the plastic were no the top side of the cardboard, I joined them all together with duct-tape.

Then I just put the square on top of the shower - joins uppermost and it has worked fine ever since.

It is two years old now and looking a little tatty but it still works just fine.

So, how well does it work?

Because it is flat, you get a little less headroom in the shower but my family gets up to 191cm and reports no problems other than feeling a little enclosed. Very very occasionally, I can feel a drip from the new 'dome' but it is never enough to worry me.

As others have noted, the shower feels warmer and you will save money as a result because you will feel more happy with a slightly lower temp.

It reduces condensation massively. I would say that it appears to reduce it by about 95% though that is subjective and YMMV.

My extra tip? This will work even with those shower-domes that you can buy:

When you have finished your shower, turn the water temp to as low as and then spray cold water on the walls of the shower cubicle. This will cool the air inside and the walls of the shower so that when you open the door to exit the shower, there is no slug of hot humid air to cause some condensation.

That will reduce the residual condensation in the bathroom to zero.

Perfect.

Batwing

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#938749 22-Nov-2013 03:09

I can vouch for this method.

ZollyMonsta

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#938751 22-Nov-2013 07:05

I installed a showerdome and it works great.

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idle

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#938759 22-Nov-2013 07:36

Had a Showerdome for two years, and it has done all that was expected of it. Certainly one of our most successful purchases, and no problems with mould.

Dingbatt

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#938769 22-Nov-2013 07:48

Yes. I installed 2 domes on our showers just before the winter and there has been a noticeable reduction of condensation in the house.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

trig42

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#938842 22-Nov-2013 09:58

We put one in the bathroom of our rental. It is a normal sized bathroom on the south side of the house, and the tenants obviously left the window closed and the door afterwards (when we lived in the house, we usually had the windows cracked open the whole time, and left the door open during the day.

The dome really cut down the dampness and mould that was growing in the bathroom, but doesn't cut it completely if the room gets no airflow. We have made it part of their tenancy that they air the room.

jaymz

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#938902 22-Nov-2013 11:43

wow, forgot about this thread!

Ended up using the plywood board for awhile, then changed to a clear bit of perspex that i had. the plywood made it a bit dark, but worked wonderfully!

Upgraded to a showerdome this year, and have enjoyed the extra head room.

Recommend them to anyone who has a shower, such a good idea.

RobDickinson

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#939122 22-Nov-2013 15:58

idle: Had a Showerdome for two years, and it has done all that was expected of it. Certainly one of our most successful purchases, and no problems with mould.

+1

Had one for a while, works as advertised.

welliegeek

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#939179 22-Nov-2013 17:01

RobDickinson:
idle: Had a Showerdome for two years, and it has done all that was expected of it. Certainly one of our most successful purchases, and no problems with mould.

+1

Had one for a while, works as advertised.

+2

Had one in my old house and it worked a treat.

PS: Love it when old threads pop up ;)

tdgeek

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#939215 22-Nov-2013 18:41

They are great I have had one for a few years.

I'm 6 foot 1, no issue
Doesnt get steamy in the shower itself, and not like a sauna. In winter time, even though I turn on a bathroom fan heater, no coldness draws into the shower from the top. If I leave the shower door open there is some condensation on the mirror, if I shut the shower door, there isn't. Never have condensation on walls etc.

To clean, mine is cut to the size of the shower (semi circle) and it slides into plastic groove strip thingies that are glued to the two shower enclosure top sides. Slide out, clean, slide back in.

I'll never be without one

NZRobin

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#939268 22-Nov-2013 20:24

I have a three sided shower with the door on the open side. I simply used some clear perspex and silicon that I had kicking around to close the gap above the door. Still have a ineffective fan/light combo in the shower. It's made a huge difference. Before the walls and mirror of the bathroom would have a layer of moisture on them and if one was last to shower it wasn't unknown for water droplets to drip of the light fitting. Now all is nicely dry.

No steam to speak of in the shower but there is a layer of condensation on all the surfaces above the cubicle layer within the shower but that's no worse than it was before. Now obviously if the door is left open after the shower then that moisture is going to evaporate into the home so the rule is that the last one to shower has to wipe down the shower.

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