Choosing a shower cubicle

When renovating bathrooms, bathtubs are often replaced by shower cabins. They take up less space, which allows you to free up space for household appliances, especially in a small bathroom. To choose a shower cabin will have to learn to understand some of the subtleties. And armed with knowledge, you will make the right choice and will not regret the choice.

Types of shower cabins

Shower cabins can be divided into two main types open and closed are:

• Open models. An open box without a ceiling, built into some space.
• Closed. Models with a solid, sealed construction.
• Combination. These models instead of a pallet have a bathtub.

Based on this, shower cabins can be in different configurations:

• Shower corner. Usually it is a tray and doors. Doors and a watering can are mounted directly on the wall. This is an economy option, but very even functional and convenient. There are variants of shower corners with walls made of plastic, but in any case there is no roof. Therefore, such installations are also called “open shower cabins”.
• Shower box or shower cabin of the closed type. This is a completely isolated space with its own stacks and ceiling. Such installations usually have a large number of additional functions, except those related to water, different showers, water massage, sauna, there can be a lot of others – built-in radio, telephone. For the most part, these are quite expensive devices, although there are also simple models without unnecessary frills.

• A big plus of combined devices in convenience. You can take a shower or a bath.

Each of the options has its own pros and cons. For example, choosing a hydrobox (closed shower cabin), if desired, you can move it to another place or even a room. It is only necessary to disconnect it from the communications. When installing open cabins, all parts are fixed directly to the walls or to the floor, so it is impossible to move them. But shower corners cost much less, can have very modest dimensions. Therefore, it is impossible to say what is better than an open or closed shower cabin, they are simply different.

Trays

The tray in the shower cabin is one of the two mandatory components. The size of the tray sets the dimensions of the shower cabin, and its quality determines the level of comfort when using it. In principle, there are cabins without a tray at all, if the floor is equipped with a drain. Then just put walls that do not let splashes fly, and all the water goes down the drain. Such shower cabins can be made only in the process of major repairs and the drain is embedded immediately in the floor screed.

Acrylic or composite

For the manufacture of shower trays use mainly sanitary acrylic. To make the product more durable it is made reinforced, and acrylic is poured with a fiberglass mesh. Sometimes the reinforcing layers can be two, three or even four. Such shower trays, of course, are reliable and durable, but they are expensive. Firstly, sanitary acrylic itself is expensive. Secondly, multi-layer reinforcement requires a significant amount of time, which also affects the cost. So it turns out that some shower corners with a bathtub made of acrylic cost a solid amount of money. But they serve for a long time.

To save money, some manufacturers make their products from ABS plastic. Outwardly, it is very similar to acrylic, but has a high hygroscopicity, so normal companies do not use it. Cheap Chinese shower cabins are made of ABS plastic. To moisture in such trays are not absorbed, the top layer is poured from acrylic, but its thickness is about 0.5 mm. Such pallets are called composite and if you in the description says that the pallet is composite (suddenly an honest manufacturer got) – safely pass by. Wipes thin layer of acrylic very quickly as a result of the tray begins to leak and you will have to change it.

Steel bathtubs are durable with careful use and light. The disadvantages include chipping on impact or flaking enamel with poor fixing, as well as a lot of noise of falling water.

When choosing a shower cabin, pay attention to the mounting system of the shower tray. Usually it is a metal frame with legs. The frame is fastened to the tray with self-tapping screws, the more fastening points, the less likely that the tray will sag. At the attachment points on the back of the pallet should be thickened, so that self-tapping screws were where to screw in. And in general, the frame itself should be strong and reliable it is on it is all the load and constant – the weight of the walls and doors, and variable – the weight of a person washing.

If necessary, blasted tray can be replaced, and not only on a similar acrylic, but on any that fits the size. In this case, the choice is quite wide, you can take a tray made of cast iron or ceramic. This is what concerns factory-made products, but there are also homemade. The pallet can be made independently, from bricks, and then faced with tiles, which was written about on the pages of the site

Depth

In addition, the material of the shower trays differ in depth. To choose a shower cabin on this parameter is not difficult. If you do not have a bathtub, you are likely to be more suitable for a deep container with a height of the sides of about 50 cm (there are also higher). If the dimensions are also suitable, the tray can be used as a bathtub.

If half a meter will be too deep, choose a medium version with sides 20-30 cm high. You won’t be able to laze around like in a bathtub, but you will be able to bathe your child.

Shower cabins with a low tray are good if you have a bathtub or you do not like such procedures. This is the most economical option and installation is easier. How to install a shower cabin read here.

Sizes and shapes of shower cabins

The shape of shower cabins can be:

• square;
• rectangular;
• trapezoidal;
• in the form of a sector of a circle.

These are standard variants, but there are also unique complex shapes. These models belong to the category of “premium” class, for them you need to pay a decent amount of money.

It is not difficult to choose a shower cabin by size, basically everything depends on the available space. If we are talking about a standard apartment, they are not happy with the size of bathrooms. Even after combining the toilet and bathroom, the room remains small. Therefore, both shape and size are selected based on the available conditions. Most often the shower cabin is placed in the corner. In this case, the best option is a rounded front wall. But it should be taken into account that rounded doors are more expensive, which means that the shower cabin itself will be more expensive.

The smallest shower cabin has dimensions of 80*80 cm. But note that a slender person can hardly turn around in such a space. You can not wave your hands much, sit down is also a problem. You can feel more or less free if the walls of the shower cabin have a length of at least 90-100 cm, well and quite well at a distance of more than a meter. So, if there is an opportunity to choose a shower cabin for comfort, take with sides of at least a meter.

The height of shower cabins is designed for different ceilings. It can be from 170 cm to 250 cm. Only take into account that if you are going to put a shower cabin of closed type, the height of the ceilings should be at least 15-20 cm more. Tropical showers and ventilation are connected from above, and for them it is necessary to lay communications, and also to work in some way it is necessary.

Doors of shower cabins

Most often the doors of shower cabins are made of glass, less often of plastic. They differ in the way of opening, there are sliding and swinging. Swinging, the hardware should be of high quality, the way of opening – inside the cabin or outside.

Sliding or swinging

Sliding doors take up almost no space, but the mechanism should be chosen carefully. It is best if the “wheels” on which the sliding doors ride are located both above and below. In this case, it is less likely that they will slip off the guides, and this can happen if the canvas is simply hinged on the upper guide.

And attention should also be paid to the presence and quality of seals responsible for tightness at the joints, so this is a very important detail. They should be made of elastic rubber, there should be no creases, cracks on them.

Plastic or glass

Glass doors for shower cabins are made of tempered glass, so it is difficult to break them. Visually, such cabins look good, they are easy to fit into any interior – they are neutral, almost weightless and unnoticeable. The disadvantage is the difficulty of cleaning, as well as the high price.

Plastic doors are a more economical option. But there are many different textures and colors, so that pick up the finish for any interior. Another positive thing is that plastic can be opaque, as transparent doors in the shower cabin do not please everyone.

Modes and additional functions

When choosing a shower cabin, you still have to decide on the functions that it can perform. The simplest models have an ordinary shower head and a mixer. More complex ones have many different functions:

• Whirlpool. A popular option, which is provided by jets built into the walls. The option itself may be good, but it does not always work. To get a normal massage effect, the water pressure must be high, depending on the mode 2-3 atm or 4-5 atm. The second point is the quality of our water. The nozzles have small holes, if the water is hard or contains a lot of iron, the nozzles are clogged. It is difficult to clean them, it is necessary to change them.

• Contrast or tropical shower. This is a watering can, fixed at the top, through which alternating hot and cold water is supplied.

  

• With the function of a sauna or Turkish bath (hamam), there are models with infrared radiators. Not a bad option, but in this case a separate supply line is required. If it is a sauna or hammam, it must be allocated a solid power, which is also not always possible.

  

• Illumination or chromotherapy. According to a certain scheme, the colors change, which has a positive effect on the mental state.

  

• Telephone and radio. Radio has long been available even in cheap Chinese cabins. Whether you need these options or can live without them, you decide for yourself.

To choose a shower cabin you will have to decide whether you will have only a shower or some other functions. Only when choosing the functionality, think well how much you need them. Each option is a solid increase in price, and most of them are simply not used. In general, when choosing read the description in the passport on the shower, and if the budget is limited, it is better to take a cabin only with a shower, but of good quality.

What firm to choose

What firm to choose a shower cabin is no less important question if you want it to serve you for a long time and without complaints. Both in Europe and in Asia there are firms specializing in the production of such products. Hueppe, CRW and Hyber are popular among German manufacturers of shower cabins. In Italy – Jacuzzi and Cerutti. Excellent quality will be at the Finnish company Ido. These are expensive options.

Having an average income safely focus on the Czech Luxus, Polish Cersanit. A good choice will be an excellent and affordable Chinese brand Appollo.

Inexpensive budget options can be found among the Czech models Luxus, as well as Chinese Appollo and Aquamarine. In this case, just pay attention to the quality of components.