Greg Wells, Bestbath’s director of marketing and communications explains the differences between a beveled threshold and a traditional (or bullnose) threshold.

The following is a transcript of the video “Bestbath – Shower Sliders” :

Hi, this is Greg with Bestbath. Today we’re going to discuss shower thresholds. Now the threshold is what you step over to get into the shower. We’re all familiar with a curbed shower. So the curb is typically more of your residential curb, where you step over that and into the shower. At Bestbath, we have a number of different options. We have barrier-free options. And a barrier-free is a very low threshold, where you can roll over. It’s a zero entry, an ADA, and ANSI B compliant unit. So it’s very easy access.

At Bestbath, we have two different types of thresholds. We have our traditional threshold, which is very similar to a bullnose. We also offer our beveled threshold, which is at a slight angle. Does the same thing, it’s just a different look. So if you can see and compare the two of ’em, you can see that the profiles on these pans are slightly different.

Now, which one of these thresholds is appropriate for me? So let’s go over a couple of things that will help you decide. It’s very important to know what type of material is on the floor outside of the shower. Is it a tile floor or is it linoleum? That makes the difference, because you can vary the threshold heights. Essentially, what you can do is, on this one, this is a half inch height. We can also extend the bottom of the pan to make this threshold taller. And let me demonstrate that, and I will hold these up to a piece of tile and vinyl.

If you look at the vinyl, and you bring it up to the vinyl, it has that bump there. That gap needs to be approximately a half inch or less to allow for easy access. Now if you look at the beveled, the bevel’s much lower initially, and then you roll over the bevel, or step over the bevel, it allows a nice smooth entry into the shower, makes it a little bit easier access when you’re on vinyl. But again, keep in mind, this is really about aesthetics and what you wanna use. Essentially, they work the same, and you can have access to the shower.

Now let’s compare that to a piece of tile. For the traditional shower pan, when you’re using the tile, as that lines up, you can see it’s a much smoother entry. Also bear in mind that you will have some thinset under the tile, also lifting it a little higher, which would be an even smoother surface. Tile thickness may vary, so it’s important to determine what tile you’re using outside of the shower to ensure you get the right shower pan. Now on the bevel, if you line the bevel up, you can see that there’s a gap here. You don’t want that gap, so you’d have to get a shower pan that’s beveled that’s higher that would allow that bevel to match the top of the tile, for easy smooth entry into the shower.

As you can see, there’s a number of different factors that you must consider when purchasing your shower pan. If you have any questions, reach out to us, we’re here to help.