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What about a window in the Shower!?

| Posted in General Discussion on February 4, 1999 02:05am

*
One one of my current projects is remodeling a bathroom in a small cottage style home that has a Bedford Stone exterior and plaster interior. The house was built in 1948 and has one small bathroom with an iron tub with a shower head. The previous owner was an elderly woman who took baths. The walls are plaster and the current owners would like to redecorate and update the restroom and yet still maintain it’s simple charm. the window creates a problem in that it cannot be removed due to the fact that from the outside you could never match the stone? What are some creative options regarding a window in the shower? Is tile and issue? The window is trimmed out. It has been replaced in the last five years with a wooden Anderson Window?

Scott W. Whitten-Anchored & Co.

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  1. Guest_ | Jan 28, 1999 10:13pm | #1

    *
    Give us some more information on what the desired end result is. Is the tub a clawfoot or standard "wall mount". Do they want go with a tile surround? If they want to do tile, the window does not present anymore than careful and effective flashing and waterproofing.

    Dave

    1. Guest_ | Jan 29, 1999 01:58am | #2

      *A window in the shower goes a long way in enhancing the charm of the room. I have seen many windows in such a location and the result is alway stupendous. Only one caveat would I add here: be careful with what woods are used to trim out at the window. Those woods with heavy tannins or natural oils tend to bleed when in a high humidity, interior environment. Thus, avoid redwood, oak, etc. You can use oil-base paint to 'prep' the wood for use in shower.

  2. Russell_Seaton | Jan 29, 1999 04:33am | #3

    *
    No real advice other than I hate windows in bathroom showers. Very common in houses up till the late 1970s. All ranges from cheap starter to upper middle. Cheap builders or poor code allowing a window to serve as proper bathroom ventilation instead of a fan and duct. Hate them. Took mine out of a 1975 starter house in Iowa. I had the "luxury" of residing the entire house.

    With proper flashing and paint they will last awhile. But water will get in and they will have to be replaced every 10-15 years or so. Just make sure you explain this to the client and they understand windows and showers will not work together very long.

  3. Guest_ | Jan 29, 1999 05:16am | #4

    *
    There are some companies out there that make glass block window units. I don't know their names but have seen them on jobs. Pretty slick looking. I have two window in our shower/tub/steam enclosure, one half round up top and a homemade glass block unit down low. Don't know why but it just happened that way. I know the guy who tiled it said he would put a half round in his next enclosure! The steam really puts a lot of stress on them but they are holding up well.

    1. Guest_ | Jan 29, 1999 07:58am | #5

      *We had to put one in 2 years ago in an Architect designed bathroom addition. After losing the "no window in the shower" argument, we ended up having the painters use epoxy paint on the inside. It made quite a nice finish. What a smell though!

      1. Guest_ | Jan 29, 1999 10:11am | #6

        *You mentioned that the iron tub was a combination tub/shower. We assume you are not talking about a clawfoot tub with wrap-around shower curtain.I've designed homes with a window over the tub/shower combo, but kept the window sill at 6'-0" above finished floor. Code (UBC) requires smooth hard non-absorbent surface to that elevation.Any windows in a shower area should be of approved plastic or fully tempered laminated glass. They have new units that open and imitate the look of glass block, although the block are actually plastic. I'd be very concerned about a wood window sill in a shower area subject to spray. There also are aluminum frames on the market now, that take glass block for shower windows and eliminate the trim problems one has trying to insert glass block into a frame wall.

        1. Guest_ | Jan 29, 1999 10:50am | #7

          *We agree that having a window in a shower is a great idea, if you can get past the rot issue. Great light and ventilation for the morning shower, very uplifting. The worst thing is a windowless bathroom with a loud fan -- less hospitable than a closet, and too often too damp.This house originally had a double-hung next to the shower, which probably rotted out and was replaced by former owner with UG-LY glass block and mortar. Demo'd that and build fixed pane frame of pressure-treated wood. Not real fond of vinyl -- looks cheap -- and using it begs the REALLY important question -- will water find its way into the framing???Used a double sill -- one outside and one inside, meeting each other at outside pane of dry-mounted thick tempered double glazing. Grab bar across window to protect occupant. Inside treated bottom stop has weep holes, caulked to glass. Primed (wish I'd used oil-based now) and gloss painted. Oh yeah, rough opening wrapped with Weatherwatch sloping to outside just in case... caulked, foam sealed. Will add an operable sash to top of frame, above waterline, when I get around to it.I hope it holds up! Or it will be a learning experience. But keep the window, somehow.

          1. Guest_ | Jan 29, 1999 05:21pm | #8

            *Just took a shower in the house I grew up in. (In Bedford by the way, is that where Bedford Stone comes from?) The same double hung, wood frame with true divided lites has been there since the house was built in '38. No rot, not even any peeling paint. I'm sure it was originally primed and painted with oil-base.It is at the far end of the tub away from the shower head and sill is at about mid chest height (so well above tub rim). Not much direct spray but plenty of steam exposure.So with all the modern choices of aluminum or vinyl or vinyl clad frames, epoxy paints, etc., etc. there is definitely a workable solution.I've also seen glass right down to the tub deck (look at the view while you soak). The best were custom framed (or at least trimmed) in teak and left unpainted.

  4. Martha_Glisson | Jan 31, 1999 01:07am | #9

    *
    Our former house had a 30" h sliding aluminum frame window in the shower (it was our architect's idea). The tile extended right up to the frame, which was black anodized. Worked fine even in a family of perpetual shower-takers. Just cleaned it occasionally with Windex.

    1. Bob_Rokeby | Jan 31, 1999 07:23am | #10

      *I had 2-50's duplexes with windows in the bathrooms with limestone and verticle pine siding which would have been impossible to match. When we installed showers, I removed the interior sashes and painted the inside of the storm window black. I then installed plywood, blocking, insulation and drywall in the opening and finished it. We used a fibergalss tub liner which covered most of the window area. Never had any problems with the solution.

      1. NJkwan | Jan 31, 1999 01:30pm | #11

        *If you don't plan to change the window, can you at least get rid of the casing and if you can tile this area as well as into the jamb? If you tile, pitch the sill steeply inward so water will never collect. After painting window sash and moldings, caulk where wood meets the glass with clear caulk. I also saw many bathrooms with clear curtain or miniblinds against the water spray, but these were never attractive.

        1. Stephen_Cantone | Feb 03, 1999 07:17am | #12

          *On a recent bath remodel , we couldn't talk the owner out of losing the window in the shower wall. This was the only exterior wall in the room, so it was the only place to put any kind of window ,for natural light more than ventilation. We had experienced rotted shower windows in the past, and didn't relish the idea of installing this one .However, we decided to make it as bullet proof as possible. The jamb was made from 1x teak, and then installed in the opening. We had a mason fill in the jamb with glass block and mortar. The stops on the inside of the window were made from scrap pieces of Corian we had at the shop. Ceramic tile covered the rest of the interior wall, butting right into the Corian and grouted . Luckily, the exterior was cedar shingle. so patching wasn't a problem. The finished product was clean, neat, and most of all, watertight. Good luck.

  5. Guest_ | Feb 03, 1999 11:59am | #13

    *
    A curtain over the window is a good easy solution to aid in keeping water off it for the most part. Of course this will have to be a plastic curtain like your shower curtains are made of. Also you may want tempered glass in that window so that a slip in the shower doesnt turn into something far more nasty.

    Pete Draganic

  6. stan_ | Feb 04, 1999 02:05am | #14

    *
    I had a simmular situation, I replaced the window with a quality vinyl window and ripped down a vinyl fence rail and used it as an extention jambs, except for the bottom which I left the full 6" for a sill, which became quite handy for holding shampoo ect. I extended the jambs out to the thicknes of the finished walls and siliconed all around turned out great and only had about 10 dollars in the whole job, less the window of course

  7. Scott_W._Whitten | Feb 04, 1999 02:05am | #15

    *
    One one of my current projects is remodeling a bathroom in a small cottage style home that has a Bedford Stone exterior and plaster interior. The house was built in 1948 and has one small bathroom with an iron tub with a shower head. The previous owner was an elderly woman who took baths. The walls are plaster and the current owners would like to redecorate and update the restroom and yet still maintain it's simple charm. the window creates a problem in that it cannot be removed due to the fact that from the outside you could never match the stone? What are some creative options regarding a window in the shower? Is tile and issue? The window is trimmed out. It has been replaced in the last five years with a wooden Anderson Window?

    Scott W. Whitten-Anchored & Co.

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