Builders and contractors understand the saying that “the devil is in the details.” What does this mean? Simply put, the smallest, unnoticed problems have caused the biggest construction disasters. For example, a minor crack in the water pipes can snowball into thousands of dollars worth of water damage.
In fact, water damage might be considered a slow killer for some residential and industrial builds depending on the type of material. In most cases, a great deal of it will be wood. Very few builds are constructed in 100% stone, even in the darkest regions. This is because there is the interior to consider as well.
Builders have the option of using a wide array of materials. For the lower-grade projects, the most perishable materials will be used.
Over some time, these materials may have to be replaced. If not, its purpose will no longer function properly. This may lead to costly damages to a dwelling.
What is the point in knowing all of this information? It is because it’s essential to understand why as a builder or contractor, one should never overlook the minor details such as shower curbs.
What Is A Shower Curb?
A shower curb is more like a shower dam to keep water from leaking from the shower onto the floor that can eventually seep through the floor, causing major water damage. The type of water damage that can incur can de-seal cheap flooring, causing the edges of laminate flooring to peel up. This can result in someone tripping and becoming injured.
If not quickly attended to, water on the floor can seep through, causing the subfloors to rot. If the bathroom is located upstairs, the water can bleed right through the floor and onto the ceiling creating an ugly watermark.
If the bathroom is located downstairs, the rotting subfloors can create an easier doorway for creepy crawlers and critters to enter since it’s closer to the ground. If all this is left unchecked, this could also reduce the resale value of a dwelling and increase any existing repair costs.
To at least some degree, the amount of damage that could be done is proportionate to the amount of humidity that your home sees. If you’re dealing with property management in more humid states, then the risk of rot starts to become a more significant issue.
That said, dry rot is one of the biggest problems facing homeowners in more relaxed northern states. However, when you manage homes down here in Florida, there’s always a chance that you’re going to come across a variety of properties that could have used this.
Mold growth is an issue, especially when managing this kind of a home or commercial building. Let’s say that you were dealing with multi-unit dwellings in a humid resort town. While you might not think that you need a place to direct the water, you could inadvertently be setting yourself up for advanced levels of mold growth. Take a look at some of the following situations where you may avoid using a shower curb.
Examples Of Bathrooms Without A Shower Curb
There are some overseas bathrooms that are designed as 3-in-1 bathrooms. There is no shower curb to separate one space from the other. This is meant to reserve space as some countries are highly populated with limited space.
As a result, a toilet may be placed in the shower with the sink inches away. Instead of having a shower curb, the drain is located in the center of the small space. In these instances, the more durable building material is sometimes incorporated into a bath. Other times, not so but this is all determined on the budget of the build as well as where it is.
Not everyone, especially Westerners, is fond of having a 3-in-1 bathroom. In fact, some even prefer that the toilet has its own room and in most cases, the shower too!
On top of this, there are compliance considerations to think about when managing construction or reclamation projects in the United States. For instance, you may have to provide some type of threshold between different areas in order to meet the needs of certain ADA requirements. Each of these is a major issue you’ll want to think about when laying out a bathroom.
The Advantages Of Shower Curbs
The shower curb not only serves as a dam, but it also acts as a separator, rightfully distinguishing the shower from the rest of the bathroom. It actually serves as a threshold separating one damp floor from a dry area. Like any other threshold, it will receive a lot of wear and tear. Being in a damp area, it is more susceptible to rot.
Using shower curbs will help to reduce this and other problems. There are also aesthetic advantages too, especially when you want to use special materials to make the room really pop. Interior designers will appreciate the freedom they have to choose between several different cuts, but you’ll want to look through the various material options before you make a final decision.
Types Of Material Used For Bathrooms
The following type of material is typically used for bathroom builds. As some of these could very well last for infinity, they have some disadvantages while others may need to be replaced just because they look old and worn. In some instances, certain types of material actually will end up old and worn,points and you’ll need to swap it out for more than just appearance reasons!
- Fiberglass – The least expensive but will crack and fade over some time. Once it breaks, it usually starts to deteriorate further.
- Porcelain – Also inexpensive, but a bit heavier, and can rust and chip underneath the surface after a while.
- Acrylic – Basically a reinforced piece of fiberglass, but stronger in durability.
- Cast iron – This is about as durable as one can get for a lasting material. However, cast iron is typically used for tubs, not showers.
Better Materials For Shower Curbs
If you want the peace of mind knowing that no complaints of water damage caused by the leakage of a cheap shower curb will come back to haunt you, considering investing in building materials that will last. Here is a list of a few stronger and more durable building materials that one might want to incorporate into their building projects:
- Stone – That’s it! We’re basically talking about rock here. Aside from the diamond, there’s no other type of building material that has proven to stand the test of time in regards to its durability.
Stone is also a versatile mineral that has several types of classifications that are then separated into their own categories. This is because it is an organic substance that is formed based on certain properties that may include other stones, land, or marine fossils. Chances are that you’ve come across plenty of images of stone buildings that have stood the test of time, which is an excellent example of how durable it is.
Here are some examples of different types of stone that can be made into a beautiful, long-lasting shower curb:
- Granite
- Marble
- Limestone
- Travertine
To learn more about these types of stones for shower curbs, visit the Stonexchange website, a manufacturer and wholesaler of marble windowsills and thresholds. We also invite you to look at our product showcase to see examples of all of these great pieces you could work with whenever managing any property type. Those who run interior design agencies or anyone who does restoration work will undoubtedly investigate the various possibilities.
Keep in mind that it’s essential to procure a significant enough stock if you’re in any way working on providing retailers with stones or running your home improvement warehouse. Anyone putting in shower curbs will likely need more than one, and you don’t want to leave them in the cold.
That’s why we invite you to learn about how easy it is to get bulk quantities of shower curbs and other stone products like soap shelves that can be used to brighten up a shower area. You might consider matching an entire set or contrasting and mixing them since there should be more than enough available for almost any use case.
View Curb Thresholds Stonexchange
Stonexchange is a natural stone accessory company located in Miami, Florida, specializing in the mass distribution of thresholds and windowsills. We have an abundant array of thresholds in different stone and colors in high demand in today’s market. We also distribute natural stone soap shelves and shower seats. Our company also delivers throughout the United States as well as overseas.
So, don’t overlook the small things and let the details destroy your reputation as a master builder or contractor. If you are interested in learning more about the kinds of natural stones that we stock and would like to place an order for thresholds, contact us online today.
In fact, water damage might be considered a slow killer for some residential and industrial builds depending on the type of material it was constructed with. In most cases, a great deal of it will be wood. Very few builds are constructed in 100% stone, even in the dankest regions. This is because there is the interior to consider as well.
Builders have the option of using a wide array of materials. For the lower-grade projects, the most perishable materials will be used. What this means is that over a period of time, these materials may have to be replaced. If not, its purpose will no longer function properly. This may lead to costly damages to a dwelling.
What is the point in knowing all of this information? It is because it’s important to understand why as a builder or contractor, one should never overlook the minor details such as shower curbs.
What is a Shower Curb?
A shower curb is more like a shower dam to keep water from leaking from the shower onto the floor that can eventually seep through the floor causing major water damage. The type of water damage that can incur can de-seal cheap flooring, causing the edges of laminate flooring to peel up. This can result in someone tripping and seriously injuring him or herself.
If not quickly attended to, water on the floor can seep through causing the subfloors to rot. If the bathroom is located upstairs, the water can bleed right through the floor and onto the ceiling creating a hideous watermark. Now, if the bathroom is located downstairs, the rotting subfloors can create an easier doorway for creepy crawlers and critters to enter since it’s closer to the ground. If all this is left unchecked, this could also reduce the resale value of a dwelling and increasing any existing repair costs.
Examples of Bathrooms Without a Shower Curb
There are some overseas bathrooms that are designed as a 3-in-1 bathroom. There is no shower curb to separate one space from the other. This is meant to reserve space as some countries are highly populated with limited space. As a result, a toilet may be placed in the shower with the sink inches away. Instead of having a shower curb, the drain is located in the center of the small space. In these instances, a more durable building material is sometimes incorporated into a bath. Other times, not so but this is all determined on the budget of the build as well as where it is.
Not everyone, especially Westerners are fond of having a 3-in-1 bathroom. In fact, some even prefer that the toilet has it’s own room and in most cases, the shower too!
The Advantages of Shower Curbs
The shower curb not only serves as a dam, it also acts as a separator, rightfully distinguishing the shower from the rest of the bathroom. It actually serves as a threshold separating one damp floor from a dry area. Like any other threshold, it will receive a lot of wear and tear. Being in a damp area, it is more susceptible to rot.
Types of Material Used for Bathrooms
The following type of material is typically used for bathroom builds. As some of these could very well last for infinity, they have some disadvantages while others may need replaced just because they look old and worn.
- Fiberglass – The least expensive, but will crack and fade over a period of time.
- Porcelain – Also inexpensive, but a bit heavier and can rust and chip underneath the surface after awhile.
- Acrylic – Basically a reinforced piece of fiberglass, but stronger in durability.
- Cast iron – This is about as durable as one can get for a lasting material. However, cast iron is typically used for tubs, not showers.
Better Materials for Shower Curbs
If you want the peace of mind knowing that no complaints of water damage caused from the leakage of a cheap shower curb will come back to haunt you, considering investing in building materials that will last. Here is a short list of a few stronger and more durable building material that one might want to incorporate into their building projects:
- Stone – That’s it! We’re basically talking about a rock here, so aside from the diamond, there’s no other type of building material that has proven to stand the test of time in regards to its durability. Stone is also a versatile mineral that has several types of classifications that are then separated into their own categories. This is because it is an organic substance that is formed based on certain properties that may include other stones, land or marine fossils.
Here are some examples of different types of stone that can be made into a beautiful long-lasting shower curb:
- Granite
- Marble
- Limestone
- Travertine
To learn more about these types of stones for shower curbs, visit Stonexchange website, a manufacturer and wholesaler of marble windowsills and thresholds.
More About Stonexchange
Stonexchange is a natural stone accessory company located in Miami, Florida that specializes in the mass distribution of thresholds and windowsills. We have an abundant array of thresholds in different types of stone and colors that are in high demand in today’s market. We also distribute natural stone soap shelves and shower seats. Our company also delivers throughout the United States as well as overseas.
So, don’t overlook the small things and let the details destroy your reputation as a master builder or contractor. If you are interested in learning more about the kinds of natural stone that we stock and would like to place an order for thresholds, call us today at 1-305-731-2400 or contact us online.