is it a stupid idea to add a ceiling access panel on the bathroom ceiling above the shower valve /drain area for future plumbing access? Is a plastic one ok or metal ones are better?
Add a ceiling access panel above shower valve area for future plumbing access
access-panel
Related Solutions
Why not use a simple blank electrical box cover?
They also come in round versions (about 5 inches) to cover electrical ceiling boxes.
You could hold it up using thin bolts through the eyelets with nuts locking on a small offset piece of plastic on each end that could rotate outward above the drywall to hold it in place.
A tile guy I've been working with gave me a great pro tip recently: do all the plumbing in a shower in a vertical straight line, and use a single vertical line of accent tiles to cover them up, going floor-to-ceiling. This way, if you ever need to bust up tiles and access the pipes behind them, you only have to re-do that single line of tiles, not the whole shower.
Best Answer
Access panels installed in hidden locations like under cabinets or in a closet can be a great idea, but I wouldn't put one in a visible location until its needed. There are repair panels that are made to be easy to install in a drywall hole cut in drywall. You may never need it, so looking a that panel until you do seems extreme.
Plastic would be better in a damp location because metal will almost always rust over time even if it starts with what seems like a very good painted finish. Even if you don't mind the look of the panel the next owner is going to be very suspicious of why the panel is there, and they will not like the look of it.