Now that you’ve chosen to indulge in the many benefits of steam — relief from stress and pain, increased flexibility and circulation, improved breathing and skin tone…just to name a few — it’s time to get down to details.
Specifically, the steamhead and where to place it in a steam shower.
The steamhead is the part of your steam shower that delivers the goods, so to speak. The place where that warm blanket of steam first issues forth into your space, ready to wrap you in comfort. In other words, it’s an important part of your steam shower!
Whether you’ve chosen the subtle elegance of a flush-to-the-wall Linear SteamHead, the added aromatherapy benefit of the Aroma Glass SteamHead or Aroma Designer Finish SteamHead, one thing remains the same: where to locate the steamhead and why.
Before we dive into the specifics, here’s the most important thing to remember: the steamhead should be placed for your maximum comfort.
The steam experience is all about YOU, so more than anything else, placing the steamhead — and everything else in the steam shower, for that matter — is about how to make steam showering a daily experience in luxury.
Luckily, it’s not rocket science.
The first thing to consider is where the plumbing is going to come into the steam shower. Among the connections you’ll need is a line from the steam generator to the steam head, so consider the easiest wall for piping to reach.
Working with a qualified licensed plumber can make these up-front decisions much easier, and will help you plan your space. If you’re remodeling and drywalling, making these decisions before you close up the walls will put you ahead of the game.
>> See How To Design a Steam Shower Bathroom: Corey Klassen, CKBD Explains
Steam rises and billows outward, so you’ll want to take advantage of this natural movement, allowing room for it to gently roll up through the entire height of the shower, enveloping you in a warm cloud of relaxation as it does so.
You can accomplish this by placing the steamhead 6-12 inches above the floor (which will also keep it a comfortable distance from your feet), and on the wall opposite to the seating area (a perfect distance from your body and head).
>> See Steam Showers and the Science of Human Comfort
You’ll also want to make sure that you locate the steamhead away from your shower entrance/exit if possible. This will keep the steam inside the shower, where you can enjoy it for as long as you like.
In addition to placing the steamhead for optimum comfort, you’ll want to place it to allow for the maximum performance of your steam shower.
This means making sure that you’re placing the steamhead away from the steam shower controls. This will allow the built-in thermostat inside the control panel to accurately detect temperature, maintaining the desired level of cozy for your steam shower experience.
>> See Discover the Best Steam Shower Control Package For You
Given these guidelines, the steamhead is usually placed on the same wall as the shower head.
In an ordinary shower design, putting the steamhead and showerhead on the same wall will automatically mean you’re also using the wall opposite from the seating area and away from the exit.
This “same wall as the shower head” rule of thumb will allow you to remember where to look first when it comes to installing a steam head, and will provide you with the most spa-like experience in your steam shower.
The guidelines for placing a Linear SteamHead are exactly the same as for an iSteam SteamHead, with one notable addition: because linear steamheads are designed to blend seamlessly into your shower wall, they are most often installed in a grout line.
Their long, horizontal shape makes grout lines the perfect place to install a linear steamhead without sacrificing the beauty and design of your tile or other shower wall surface.
>> See MrSteam Launches Sleek New Linear SteamHead With Unique Flush to the Wall Design
No matter which steamhead you choose, knowing where to locate it will help you plan out your design, and will provide the extraordinary steam experience that your body and mind crave, day after day. Happy steam showering!