02 October 2005

Uncle!!!

I give. I desperately need an answer. This has bothered me for at least 15 years, and I'm at my wits' end. Why won't European's fully enclose the shower? This isn't a Peter Mayle "oh how quaint" observation. This is cold, hard questioning. If there's a cultural explanation, please clue me in. Until then, I have to consider it...well...lazy, at best.

I've seen many variations, but the most common version of shower interruptis is illustrated here:
This is clearly not a bathroom thrown together quickly and on a budget. Someone spent money and time building it. Yet, the shower door ends three feet too early.

Some take the approach that no water shield is needed at all, and build a bathroom that is all tile, with a drain in the floor. In those cases, at least the thinking is transparent.

But one...more...panel... that's all it would take to actually stop the water from spraying on the lovingly polished marble countertop. Why? For all that is human...WHY?

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Here in Argentina, where we try to out-Europe the Europeans, the shower doors are even two inches shorter. I think it may be a codicil in an under-the-table side letter between the masons, carpenters and shower door manufacturers: the lack of glass leads to water damage, which creates more work for the carpenters and masons unions. They, in turn, kick back 3.274% of revenue to the shower door company. And everyone, almost, is happy.

Andrew said...

Shhh! Does "omerta" not translate?!

Anonymous said...

In have the same problem in the Netherlands. For once, this is not just a German thing... :-)