Please be more specific about your concerns. We have a shower that is 56" X 80" (with about a foot of the length taken up with a bench),and we never thought it was too large or had any problems with it. If you are going with a 76" length, you just want to make sure the width is enough to make the floor nicely proportioned: at least 48" or so.

The only issue I can see is that you would need to make sure you have the right support for the size of the glass panels you would use. Whoever you go to to purchase the shower door and panels should know how thick the glass needs to be and how to mount it securely. There are different options to anchor the panels to the wall.

My shower now is 3' x 6' and it's just fine. I wouldn't make your width 4' unless you're all huge people.

Despite my suggestion to make it 48" wide, cpartist's suggestion is just as valid, if not more so. My thought was simply that with a 13' wide bathroom you could possibly make the shower wider. The bottom line is that there is nothing wrong with a 76" shower, and you should make the shower any width that seems most comfortable and is proportionately balanced looking.

The only thing I can add is that whatever the size of your shower be sure the setup of of a hand shower and hose length allows for easy cleaning. Also I would also consider a second shower head for any shower over 6 feet.

For the average person any shower that is 4-5 feet long by 32"-36" wide will be plenty roomy. Anything bigger is "bells and whistles". If you don't mind cleaning it then go for it.

Luckily this will be in the master bath in our house in the mountains...we go there every other weekend for 3 or 4 days, so cleaning it won't be as big a job as if we lived there full time!

We have a rainhead in the center of the shower coming from the ceiling and a hand held on a bar at one end and it works great. I tend to prefer the hand held and DH prefers the rain head.

mark_rachel : I have read several comments about how showers that large tend not to be warm. This is my major concern since the shower will be on an exterior wall in our house in the mountains where temperatures are often below freezing in the winter.

Don't make it too wide & you can always take the glass up to the ceiling to keep the steam in. As long as it's Enclosed it should be fine. Heated floors would help. Are you redoing the floors as well?

I think I remember your bathroom floorplan from a previous thread, but I can't find it. Have you considered rotating the shower 90 degrees? I'm thinking there are a few benefits to this layout:

plumbing can be on an interior wall to possibly help with insulation from freezing temps.

Shower is private.

Nice window with free standing bench would create a nice focal point for the bathroom

Area outside the shower by the window creates a nice, small dressing area.

I think 3'x4' showers are a nice, standard size. And --it's not the trend, but-- If the shower is rotated and not the focal point of the room you could save a lot of money by putting in a shower stall like THIS. We chose a Fiber Fab shower for our recent renovation and are very happy with it; easy clean, NO maintenance and money in my pocket. However, it may not be appropriate for your property and I know I'm much more function over fashion than the average gal.

arrowheadlover-

I've heard of this concern about large showers being colder, but that is not my experience. Our 56" X 80" shower is open (no door) and we keep our house at 67F in the winter. As soon as the shower gets warm enough to step into, the surrounding air is heated. In the shower we are standing under a stream of warm water, with warm mist swirling around.

It really shouldn't matter much what the temperature is outside: how you feel is a function of the ambient temperature inside. In the shower, the ambient temperature is basically a function of the temperature of the air in the bathroom raised by heat supplied by the shower water. Unless you like to shower in January with the window open in the bathroom, or you keep the house unusually cool, you should be fine regardless of what the outside temperature is.

FWIW, I had a no-door shower in mild San Francisco, about 6' X 4', and I was always cold until I had a door installed.

I'm sure it varies based on the person and on the geometry of the bathroom. For example, where the fan is located and how powerful it is could contribute to a shower feeling cold.

I imagine those are all factors. If I were going to plan a doorless shower, I'd also make sure it's configured so you can install a door if you change your mind.