If you are a person who needs a wheelchair accessible shower, you might have been a little discouraged if you are in the process of house shopping. Not all homes come with an ADA shower, so in all likelihood you may find yourself having to remodel the bathroom in order to create a wheelchair accessible shower. One of the key components to accessible showers is that they are barrier free showers, and it is possible and cost effective to install this type of roll in shower if you use a linear drain in the floor.

A linear drain used in the ADA shower is a flat drain in the shape of a long narrow rectangle that fits into a trench or channel below the floor of the shower. Waterproofing in the form of a rubbery flange is placed around the drain, and then little metal spacers are used to adjust the height of the linear drain so that the final result is that the linear drain is flush to the surrounding floor area. A traditional round floor drain, on the other hand, requires that a round slope be built around the drain so that the water runs into it. While the round drain needs to be placed in the center of the shower pan so that no water leaks out when it is in use, there is a great deal more flexibility in the placement of your linear drain. When the linear drain is placed at the door to the shower, because it is flat it creates a roll in shower. This is not the case with round drains, that require edges around the shower pan to keep the water inside. Furthermore, while only small bathroom tiles can be used around a round floor drain, with a linear drain large tile pieces or stone can be placed attractively, and the drain still functions perfectly.

The linear drain used to make accessible showers is more affordable to install than a traditional round floor drain. This is because it takes much longer to build a slope to the shower floor with the multiple planes required of the round drain. That time in construction labor costs adds up quickly. The ADA shower that uses a linear drain needs only one slope to be built into the shower floor, and the time in labor to install the wheelchair accessible shower floor drain can be done in under two hours, saving you money.

Barrier free showers are also beautiful. These accessible showers do not even need any doors around them to keep water in the shower area. For a sleek and spacious look, accessible showers are the affordable answer for those who need a fully functional bathing area in the home.