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AUGUST 2019 | 31 Bathtubs & Showers SmartRain spray for an energizing, yet relaxing effect, to a broad Rain spray for full body coverage. Exclusive Grohe DreamSpray technology maintains the pre- cision of the spray pattern by distributing water evenly to all nozzles, to further enhance the showering experience. Available in 2.5-gallons per minute (gpm) and water-efficient 1.75-gpm flow rate models, the Euphoria 260 showerhead is EPA WaterSense-certified. S H O W E R D O O R S As Maax celebrates its 50th anniversary, they are also celebrating the launch of the new Vela door, a stylish sliding shower door concept highlighted by a range of available finish combinations for its designer-style rollers, handles, and towel bars. The first product on the market with such a complete range of choices, Vela offers three monochrome finishes and four mix-finish options, providing more trendy and edgy styles at a moderate price point. Matte Black is one of the fastest growing finish trends in the last decade, while recent years have seen an increased popularity for brushed gold, a trend particu- larly noticeable in the faucets market. This project initially started with a desire to offer a door that would combine both the flair of the gold and the dramatic touch of the matte black. "We wanted to give customers the option to get more style out of their shower door, while still being flexible enough to remain more traditional in the other bathroom products' fixtures," says Aude Simard, product director, doors and shower kits. "From there, we naturally transitioned to other mix-finishes." Maax also launched the Nebula door, a trendy barn door offered in matte black, chrome, and brushed nickel. "For this door, we went for a more industrial style with the minimalist header, the slimmest in our current door offering," says Simard. The combination of rustic and contemporary styles creates a shower door that boasts a unique presence in a bathroom, amplified by the 18-inch handle's additional dash of chic. A C C E S S O R I E S To enhance design and performance, Schluter Systems has introduced two prod- ucts, brushed stainless steel shower shelves and a horizontal drain outlet. "A shelf is a near necessity in a shower," says Tod Valickis, product manager. "The most common solution is for the installer to construct a shelf using a tile covering that matches or accents the shower tiles. These tile shelves can be challenging and time consuming to install. Schluter has developed a line of five brushed stainless steel shower shelves that are fast and easy to install and enhance shower design." Made with 5∕32-inch thick stain- less steel, the sturdy shelves require no special tools for installation. They fit neatly between rows of tile and do not require any materials or fasteners to penetrate the water- proofing membrane on the walls. Relocating a drain for a shower can be extremely challenging and expensive in many renovation situations. Slab-on-grade construc- tion, basements, and buildings with suspended concrete are just a few examples. To overcome these challenges Schluter Systems has developed the Schluter-Kerdi- Drain-H with a two-inch horizontal outlet. The horizontal outlet allows the drain to be connected to an existing drain pipe and P-trap away from the new drain location, which can significantly reduce the cost of the project. In situations where there is no access to the space below the floor, the horizontal drain outlet can bring an otherwise impossible project into the realm of possibility. "There are so many different situations where the desired location of a shower drain is either very restricted or really expensive to accomplish," says Valickis. "The horizontal drain configuration allows the placement of the drain over the obstruction by running the drain pipe horizontally to a convenient location for the P-trap. This is proving to be a simple solution in many projects." A Brushed stainless steel shower shelves from Schluter Systems.

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