Storage is an important feature in a shower or bath, but many original designs overlook providing storage options. This leaves a homeowner to implement their own storage solutions. Many temporary and permanent options are available with options for affordability, simple installation, appearance, and functionality.
What Types of Shower Storage Are Available
There are many commercially available storage solutions for showers as well as DIY solutions and custom options. Some of the most often seen include:
- Baskets and Floor Racks – These sit directly on the floor and often come in plastics, coated metals, stainless steel, and wood. They provide ample space but also take up floor area and can be a trip hazard.
- Hanging Racks – A hanging rack is often suspended from the shower door or curtain rod. They also come in a variety of materials and may last for years before deteriorating or rusting, but they are easy to put in place.
- Suction Shelves and Racks – Storage solutions can use suction cups to affix them to a tiled wall. Although they are easy to install, many are notorious for falling down and scattering toiletries across the shower floor.
- Shower Caddies – Caddies may hang from a shower head or be suspended by a tension rod between the ceiling and floor. Again, quality is generally based on cost.
- Wall Mounted Shelves – A permanent option, shelves are bolted into the wall. These often look better than other options but require care when installing to avoid breaking tiles. Limited material options may also make it difficult to match to existing tile.
Many of these solutions are temporary in nature and can be installed without any additional remodeling needed. This results in a less attractive appearance usually as the shelves stand out rather than blend in. Whenever a permanent solution is desired, all of these options are less effective than a shower niche.
The Advantage of a Shower Niche
A shower niche is made from glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC), and is a permanent installation. They are installed by a contractor during a bathroom remodel and have a bonding surface to which tile, mosaic, or stone can be applied.
Recessed shelves combine all of the superior characteristics of other shower storage methods with an attractive appearance. Their clean look fits in well with contemporary and minimalist styles and reduces the clutter of additional shelving or racks. Shower niches are also:
- Cost Effective – Our GFRC shower niches are comparable in price to many of the other non-permanent and less attractive storage options.
- Easy to Install – A shower niche can be put in place by any contractor without changes to the wall structure. This makes installation fast and affordable as well.
- Customizable Appearance – GFRC recessed shelves come unfinished with a bonding surface. They can be finished after installation with the same tile used in your shower or a contrasting colored tile.
- Waterproof and Long Lasting – GFRC is naturally waterproof and the niches are built with slanted edges to promote drainage. Unlike other materials, they will not rust, corrode, crack, or warp over time.
- Value Addition – As an attractive and permanent feature, a shower niche adds value to the property where it is installed, more than offsetting the price.
GC Products offers a range of shower niches through our Ledge Products brand. These prefabricated shower niches are available in a range of sizes to fit many different showers and bathrooms, all at affordable wholesale costs.
We can also create custom designed shower niches at reasonable prices and with rapid turnaround if your property requires something different. Call us today to place an order or discuss the options available with GFRC shower niches.