What Is a Steam Shower and How Do They Work?
A steam shower could be a hot addition to your bathroom that adds value
Highlights
Steam shower installation costs between $4,000 and $14,000
A steam shower can provide an ROI of up to 30%
Health benefits include cardiovascular, stress reduction, and more
There are kits that you can purchase which come with a generator and some of the materials
Hiring a contractor to install is recommended over DIYing
Yes, you could pack up and head to the gym to take a steam shower—but then you might feel pressured to work out when you just need to relax. But what if you brought the steam room to your home? Learn what a steam shower is, what the installation process is like, and most importantly, whether it’s a worthwhile investment.
What Is a Steam Shower?
A steam shower is a moisture-sealed shower stall without a bathtub that traps steam without running hot water. This is accomplished by running a steam generator, which can be purchased alone or along with a steam shower kit.
Usually, the steam generator is stashed in a closet, in the attic, or in cases where the home has been built with the shower, under the house. If you’re converting a tub to a walk-in shower, it’s worth considering including a steam shower.
How Does a Steam Shower Work?
Steam rooms are often found at spas, and a steam shower is a way to bring the benefits of a steam room into your very own home. A steam shower works by creating an airtight space that fills with steam. As the steam generator heats up water vapor, it creates the steam and releases it into the shower, enveloping you and offering many health benefits.
Benefits of Steam Showers
Human beings have been enjoying the benefits of steam rooms since as early as the Neolithic period 12,000 years ago. Of course, they have been updated a tad since then.
Adding a steam shower is a great bathroom remodel idea because it offers a number of benefits in the comfort of your own home.
Aesthetic Benefits
Although they’re called “showers,” a steam shower is not used to lather, rinse, and repeat. But sitting in a steam-filled enclosure comes with a whole host of benefits.
Often used by aestheticians during facials, steam can help with skin purifying. Because you tend to sweat in a steam shower, dirt, dead skin cells, and bacteria get pushed out of your skin, helping your pores clear out.
Health Perks
Aside from possible aesthetic perks, steam bathing can offer a whole host of other health benefits, including improved circulation, reduced risk of stroke, cardiovascular problems, and high blood pressure, reduction in headaches and neurocognitive problems, and more.
Steam is also good for relieving a stuffy or runny nose due to allergies or viruses. It is also suggested for relief from muscle pain from exercising, strain, or arthritis.
Stress Reduction
Steam showers are designed to be relaxing, and if yours is equipped, adding essential oils can be a nice boost to a regular steam. Be sure to check if your system has an aromatherapy component before adding essential oils to your water, since they can damage the system if it’s not designed to handle them.
Reduces Water Usage
As opposed to a traditional shower where the water has to run to produce its relaxing warmth, a steam shower simply releases steam, which ultimately reduces water usage. Before using the steam shower, you can take a quick shower to wash up. Then, you can turn on the steam shower and bask in its warmth while it opens your pores, lowers your stress, and aids in blood flow.
A steam shower uses about 2 gallons of water as opposed to a conventional shower that can use 20 gallons or more. After you’ve relaxed and had the steam do its thing, you can turn on the water and do a quick rinse.
What Are the Downsides to a Steam Shower?
Steam showers are expensive to install and can increase walk-in shower costs—aside from the shower itself, you have to make sure you have good ventilation in the bathroom. If you don’t have the design just right, steam showers can cause mildew and other moisture problems like mold that are difficult and costly to get rid of.
Also, if you’re not going to use it often enough, you’re probably better off putting your money elsewhere and just visiting a spa to get your steam fix.
Cost to Install a Steam Shower
The average cost to install a steam shower, including the kit and labor, is about $4,300. If you’re looking to have a custom steam shower installed, that runs between $4,000 and $14,000 and can be a significant portion of your bathroom remodel cost. The price will vary depending on the type of materials your contractor uses, the thickness of the glass, and the steam generator you choose.
Steam generators that hold a higher volume of water require more power and cost more. Most steam showers provide an ROI of up to 30% when or if you decide to sell your home.
Converting Your Shower Stall to a Steam Shower
If you’re planning to install a steam shower in an existing glass stall shower, your contractor will still need to put in some work. And the other materials in your shower matter—if you have walls that are made of concrete, glass block, marble, or granite, heat will dissipate more quickly because those are more porous materials than acrylic, ceramic, or porcelain tiles. You should also compare costs of acrylic, stone, glass, cast iron, and solid surface showers to see which will best fit into your budget.
You’ll also need to have tiles put on the ceiling where it will be exposed to steam to prevent moisture from escaping and to retain the heat.
Who Should I Hire to Install a Steam Shower?
If you decide to buy a steam shower kit, which comes with a generator, fittings, and heads, you’ll still need to hire a plumber and an electrician. Electrical work is dangerous, and a plumbing mistake can be very costly. Getting a professional involved in the installation or tub to shower conversion can ensure that it’s done properly.
A local shower installer who specializes in bathrooms or tiles and who is licensed, bonded, and insured is your best bet for installation.
Stephanie Mickelson and Amy Pawlukiewicz contributed to this piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
Steam showers can be used as regular showers by activating the steam controls before or after you wash. Using your steam shower as a regular shower will reduce energy costs because the steam generator is usually off while the showerhead is on.
The major difference between a steam shower and a sauna is that a sauna generates dry heat and a steam shower generates heat from steam, creating nearly 100% humidity. Because of the moisture involved, a steam shower can feel as warm as a sauna even though its temperature is lower, between 90 and 120 degrees.
Both saunas and steam rooms have some health benefits as well as a good return on investment. While there’s more research on saunas than steam rooms and fewer reported risks with steam rooms, the latter tend to be better for relieving joint inflammation and reducing stress.