Feel good factor guaranteed – even when showering in the bathtub

[Translate to english:] Dusche oder Badewanne von Villeroy & Boch

Bath or shower? This is often the burning question when renovating or building bathrooms. At least if it is a big bathroom, there is usually no need to choose just one of the two due to lack of space: here, both a bath and a shower can be installed. However, with smaller bathrooms, you as the builder or owner must find a practical solution. Yet this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to compromise on design and comfort. These days, there are alternative solutions.

What are your bathroom priorities?

[Translate to english:] Frau in der Dusche
[Translate to english:] Badewanne My Nature von Villeroy & Boch
[Translate to english:] Frau in der Badewanne

A new bathroom should be a good fit for your own vision, wishes and daily routine. So before you start renovating, you should spend some time thinking about any specific requirements you may have for your bathroom. These can then be discussed with your architect or bathroom fitter. These six questions should help you:

  • How many people will be using the bathroom?
  • Do you use the bathroom in turns or sometimes simultaneously?
  • Do you prefer to bathe or shower?
  • How many times a week do you bathe or shower?
  • Is your bathroom mainly for daily hygiene or a place where you can relax and escape the daily grind?
  • What are the dimensions of your bathroom? Is there enough space for a bath and a shower, or do you need to choose between the two?
[Translate to english:] Dusche Futurion Flat von Villeroy & Boch

If you tend to shower and only rarely feel like relaxing in a bath, perhaps a spacious walk-in shower is the right choice for you. As well as looking very elegant, this type of shower has level access and is extremely convenient and easy to clean. Last but not least, these showers can offer enough space for two if you plan to shower with a partner.

Or perhaps you prefer a large bath and only briefly jump in the shower each morning for a fresh start to the day. If this sounds more like you, then a modern bath or a bath/shower combination is likely the better option. Small children also tend to prefer baths – especially when there is enough space to play to their heart’s content or to splash around with their siblings or parents!

[Translate to english:] Badewanne Avento von Villeroy & Boch

Bath? Shower? Why not both?

If you don’t want to choose between a bath and a shower, you can go for a combination of the two. A shower bath offers the best of both worlds by providing both a bathtub to relax in and a shower to quickly freshen up. Bathtubs fitted with showers are often slightly wider beneath the taps, to ensure you still have enough space.

[Translate to english:] Badewanne Memento 2.0 von Villeroy & Boch

Shower baths are also ideal for small bathrooms where there is not enough space available to install a separate bathtub and shower. Alternatively, a deep bathtub can also be installed so that two people can sit and bathe together.

A quick lesson on materials for baths and showers

When installing a new bathroom, as well as thinking about shapes and sizes, you also need to choose a material. For decades, the most common tried-and-tested materials have been steel enamel and sanitary acrylic, but other materials such as mineral cast are becoming increasingly popular. A highlight here is Quaryl®, which has been developed by Villeroy & Boch. Thanks to its impressive properties, this material particularly lends itself to ambitious designs.

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Steel enamel

Many baths today are still made using steel enamel, a sturdy and durable material that is easy to clean. Steel itself is stable and resilient, while the enamel layer provides a skin-friendly surface and protection against corrosion.

Sanitary acrylic

Sanitary acrylic is a thermoplastic material, which means it is malleable when heated. This manufacturing process allows more design freedom and the material retains heat more effectively than steel enamel. Furthermore, the acrylic surface is non-porous and pleasantly smooth, plus it is particularly easy to clean and maintain.

Mineral cast

Mineral cast is an acrylic or synthetic resin-based material that is mixed with minerals. The material is easy to shape, and is firm and stable once hardened. Its insulating properties are also an improvement on those found in metal.

[Translate to english:] Material Quaryl von Villeroy & Boch

Quaryl®

Quaryl® is a Villeroy & Boch innovation consisting of 60% finely ground quartz crystals, which are mixed with high-quality sanitary acrylic. This produces a liquid raw material that can be poured into a mould of any shape. The surface of Quaryl® creates a warm, smooth and velvety impression. Furthermore, its excellent material properties mean that it can even be used for implementing unusual designs, such as baths with particularly thin yet stable walls.

Water consumption and heating costs

When choosing between a bath and shower, there are further aspects that require consideration, such as running costs and environmental impact. The shower usually wins on this front: an average shower uses less water, and in turn less energy to heat the water. In contrast, a bath needs to be filled with a sufficient amount of warm water before you can climb in and enjoy it.

[Translate to english:] Frau unter der Dusche

However, if you treat yourself to a long shower every morning and leave the water running, you can definitely use as much, if not more water and energy than you would for a bath. Although you initially have to fill a bathtub, the taps are turned off once it is full – unless of course you have a quick rinse before drying off. However, many people prefer to use cooler water for this, because your body is warmed through after bathing.

The differences in energy costs aren’t necessarily as clear. After all, the water for both showers and baths must be heated to your desired temperature. The warmer or hotter you like it, the higher your energy consumption will be. As such, the question of whether you use more water and energy when showering or when bathing always depends on personal preferences and habits.

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Tips for saving water and energy in the bathroom

Over time, your pockets will increasingly be feeling the effects of consuming a lot (or too much) water and energy. However, it is relatively easy to reduce your energy and water usage, which benefits the environment, too. Maybe some of these tips will work for you!

  • If you turn off the shower while lathering up, for example, you’ll be saving energy and several litres of water every time you shower.
  • Ensure the preheating temperature on your boiler or the setting of your instant water heater isn’t too high – every extra degree increases energy consumption! As a general rule, if you need the cold tap running in order for showering or bathing to be a pleasant experience, then the temperature is too high.
  • Start by filling the bath with lukewarm water. Top up with hot water if necessary until the water reaches the desired temperature.