I would like to start out by saying that I envy anyone who has a steam shower in their home–and for good reason! Having the ability to indulge  in a therapeutic steam shower on a daily basis is a luxury that most of us do not have. A quick shower can provide you with a complete detox during which you will instantly feel relaxed and rejuvenated. So how to you go about integrating steam into your bathroom design? First, you need to figure out how to size a steam generator. Designing a bathroom with the ultimate steam experience involves getting this step right, and I certainly wouldn’t want to see you waste a ton of money and time by not planning properly. So here are a few things to consider:

1. Materials

When a shower fills up with thick layers of hot steam, it reacts with the surrounding walls, ceilings and the ambient temperature in the room. Different surfaces react differently to steam, therefore the materials you choose to build your steam shower can have a great effect on how well it performs. Your generator must be sized to account for these differences.

contemporary-bathroom_generator_2.13

source: Laura Abrams Design via Houzz

Tip: Porous materials like stone and tile absorb steam and require a larger generator that can account for this loss of heat. Wouldn’t you hate to step into this beautiful shower expecting some intense steam only to get a little bit of mist?

Steampic

source: Aquapeutics via Houzz

Tip: If the area surrounding the shower is made up of materials like acrylic or fiberglass you most likely want to go with a generator that is smaller than what is suggested by standard sizing guidelines.

2. Dimensions

When it comes to your steam shower size matters! Take into account the height of your ceiling and the size (in volume) of the shower enclosure. Choosing the wrong generator may result in you potentially wasting a bunch of energy or having a shower that does not function properly.

Tip: Bathrooms with high ceilings (anything over 96 inches) require a larger generator. In this design the ceilings are over nine feet! I would definitely be spending a lot of time in here if this was my bathroom.

Tip: This shower would only require a small generator. We like that the designer outfitted this small bathroom with lots of style and small touches of luxury.

Sizing a steam generator can be a little bit complicated but Mr. Steam has created a virtual calculator that makes this process much easier. Simply input all of your measurements and materials to get a recommendation for a steam generator that’s a perfect fit! You’re now one step closer to being able to relax and detoxify in style!