Creating a Steam Shower in Home Designer

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

Is there a way to create a steam shower in my Home Designer software?

ANSWER

In Home Designer Pro and Home Designer Architectural, custom wall types can be defined to create rooms or areas like a steam shower. In this article we will show you how to define a vapor-resistant wall type, and how to design this style of shower.

To define the wall types

A vapor-resistant wall needs to at least meet the following criteria in the most common cases;

• A surface layer of tile.
• A layer of thinset mortar.
• Cement Backer Board with mesh taped seams.
• Vapor barrier.
• Stud framing.
• Drywall.

1. Click Build> Wall> Define Wall Types from the menu.
   
   
   
2. In the Wall Type Definitions dialog that displays, click the New button to create a new wall type.
   
   
   
3. Name this wall Steam Shower - Interior, add five additional layers by selecting the Insert Below button, and define the wall as follows:
   
   
   
   
   • Exterior Layers
     
     
     • Layer 1: Drywall - 1/2".
     
     
   • Main Layers
     
     
     • Layer 2: Fir Framing - 5 1/2"
     
     
   • Interior Layers
     
     
     • Layer 3: Vapor Barrier - 1/16"
       
     • Layer 4: Backerboard - 1/4"
       
     • Layer 5: Thinset Mortar - 1/4"
       
     • Layer 6: Tile of your choosing - 1/4"
       
   
   
   
   
4. Repeat the process to create a second wall type. This wall type however, will be called Steam Shower - Exterior and the Exterior Layers section will have a siding material layer, along with an OSB layer, instead of drywall.

You are now ready to draw your bathroom and steam shower. In this example, we will start with the standard default wall tools, then change the bathroom walls to use the new vapor-resistant wall type(s) mentioned above.

To draw a steam shower

1. Select Build> Wall> Straight Exterior Wall and/or Straight Interior Wall  from the menu, then draw an area to represent the bathroom.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Using the Select Objects tool, select the room and click the Open Object edit tool.
   
   
   
3. On the General panel of the Room Specification dialog that displays, change the Room Type to Bath, then click OK.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Next, navigate to Build> Wall> Straight Glass Wall or Straight Glass Pony Wall  from the menu, and add two additional walls in the corner to form the area that will serve as the steam shower.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Navigate to Build> Door> Shower Door  and click along one of the glass shower walls to place a shower door.
   
   

   Select and open the Glass Shower Door to specification to make size modifications, change the applied hardware, adjust arch properties, or to alter other characteristics such as the type of glass that is used.
   

   
   
6. Select the left, vertical wall using the Select Objects  tool, click on the Break  edit button, then click once where the glass shower wall intersects the exterior wall. A break line will be created separating the wall in to two separate segments.
   
   In Home Designer 2020 and prior versions, navigate to Build> Wall> Break Wall  instead, then click on the wall intersection you'd like to break.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Place an additional break point on the top horizontal wall where the glass shower wall intersects.
   
   
   
8. Next, select the left, vertical wall segment that is part of the shower, Open  it to specification, and on the General panel of the Wall Specification dialog, change the Wall Type to the Steam Shower - Exterior wall type that was created earlier in this article. This can be changed on the Wall Types panel in Home Designer Pro.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Perform the same procedure to change the top horizontal wall that's part of the shower to use the Steam Shower - Interior wall type. Do this only for walls that will be shared with other rooms in the structure.
   
   Your plan may now look similar to the image below.
   
   
   
   

We are now ready to adjust the floor and ceiling properties of the steam shower.

To define the floor and ceiling