Shower enclosures are a common choice for most homeowners and are generally more popular than bathing. This is due to the ease and practicality they offer.
Shower enclosures come in a variety of sizes and there are many styles to choose from to suit any bathroom. The range of options can sometimes leave you feeling a little overwhelmed as to which is the best choice.
Whilst you’ll want to match your style and taste and these can matter a great deal for some, there are some practical points that you also need to consider. As an essential part of your bathroom, it is important that the shower enclosure you choose is the right one for you.
Whilst cost can be an important factor, sometimes it is worth paying a little bit more for a higher quality product. The size of the enclosure or panel and thickness of the glass will increase costs slightly as the more materials needed the higher the cost is likely to be.
Some brands may also be more expensive, particularly if they use best-known materials for their panels or are well known, this is worth keeping in mind.
Each bathroom is different and will need a different design and style of the shower to suit. A Shower enclosure is ideal for replacing a bath that is rarely used or a great addition to a bathroom with the space for both, providing a practical and stylish solution, especially in today’s busy life.
Firstly, you should consider where the shower enclosure is for - if it’s for a family bathroom, its likely to get more use and will need to stand up to the rigors of everyday use, if you have a young or large family it may also need to withstand the odd knock or bang too.
In this case you might consider paying a little extra for durability and higher quality. If the shower enclosure is going into an en-suite, you may be looking for a luxurious feel and space-saving options to make the most of the available room.
Next, you will need to check your measurements of the bathroom as well as the available showering space to make sure the enclosure and type of door will work for you.
With careful planning and the range of options available it’s possible to install a shower enclosure in almost any bathroom space.
Quadrant shower enclosures are amongst the most commonly seen, they are extremely practical and available in an array of shapes and sizes.
Simplistic in design they complement both the larger and more compact space and particularly, they suit rooms with unusual layouts because of their versatility.
Normally, with a curved front, quadrant enclosures are designed to fit into corners and are great for saving space as they normally have sliding doors, (although some come hinged) these do not protrude into your available floor space but do have more limited access to entering the enclosure.
Quadrant shower enclosures provide plenty of space inside for showering and are easy to maintain by wiping down after each use. If you are having a rounded or curved bathroom suite a quadrant shower enclosure would also complement your design, with framed, semi-framed, and frameless options available.
You can also decide how much of the frame you want to be visible, the frameless options are sleeker and slightly more modern looking as less frame is visible but it is worth noting that the more frame visible the more durable the enclosure would be.
If you are looking for practicality and don’t want to compromise on style, you should consider a quadrant shower enclosure, ideal for daily living and low maintenance, with many styles available they look great in any bathroom.
Offset Quadrant Shower enclosures are similar in design to quadrant enclosures but are slightly stretched, having one side longer than the other, this provides a little more showering space.
However, offset quadrant shower enclosures will take up a little more floor and room space than a quadrant enclosure but they are ideal if you have a bit more room to play with and want to make the most of the available space or if you are looking for more showering space without encroaching too much into your bathroom or en-suite.
If opting for an offset enclosure you will also need an offset shower tray. Fitting neatly into a corner and available in left- and right-hand versions, offset quadrant enclosures are normally available with only sliding or hinged doors.
Sliding doors are more aesthetically pleasing and space-saving, you would need to consider the floor space needed if opting for a hinged door to allow it to swing outwards for access to the shower enclosure.
Offset quadrant shower enclosures are available in framed and frameless versions, whilst framed will offer slightly more durability the type you choose is largely down to personal preference and the design look you are going for.
If you are looking for a larger than a standard quadrant shower enclosure without taking up unnecessary space or replacing a bath then an offset quadrant shower enclosure is certainly worth considering.
Square shower enclosures are well suited to bathroom corners, taking advantage of unused space and freeing up other areas of the room they can also help to make the bathroom space look and feel bigger.
Square shower enclosures are amongst the smallest on offer and although not as aesthetically pleasing as curved enclosures which are smoother and more appealing to the eye, they are a practical option, particularly in a smaller room or en-suite.
If you are opting for an angular or modern suite a square shower cubicle or enclosure would sit perfectly with its angular lines and straight clean edges, available in framed or frameless styles depending on your preference.
There are a number of door options for square shower enclosures – sliding, hinged, pivot, and bi-folding. These are explained later in more detail but generally hinged and pivoting doors require a little more space as these door types swing out into the floor space so it is worth checking you have this available or opting for a sliding or bi-folding door if space is restricted.
If you have a more spacious room then a Rectangular Shower Enclosure will make the most of the bathroom space available and provide a more luxurious feel.
Rectangular shower enclosures usually offer more showering space and can transform the look of your bathroom, they are easily maintained as they use large panels of glass, generally only needing a wipe-over after use and a regular deeper clean.
Rectangular shower enclosures are available in framed and frameless styles and usually have either a hinged or sliding door – if you opt for a hinged door you will need to ensure you have space for this to swing out to allow access, a sliding door will not require any extra space in the room. If you are aiming for a wetroom look, there is also the option to fit this type of enclosure with a low profile or recessed shower tray so that the glass enclosure meets the floor and lies flush with it, this would provide a sleek and modern look but still remain extremely practical.
A recessed tray may be dependent upon your current setup and how much of a re-fit you are carrying out so we do recommend consulting a registered tradesperson for advice with fitting if you are unsure if this would work for you.
A frameless shower screen is a perfect way to achieve a clean and modern look. Frameless shower screens have no or minimal metal frames to support the glass giving a simpler, sleeker look -perfect if opting for a contemporary space. They are also easier to keep clean and help make the bathroom space appear bigger because of the lack of frame and larger expanse of glass in comparison to framed shower screens.
There’s no compromise on practicality with a frameless shower screen, although they are more expensive and not quite as durable and sturdy as a framed shower screen.
A framed shower screen is more robust than its frameless counterpart because of the heavy-duty frame that supports the glass screen, they are easier to install and are often the choice for young families and larger households because they are more durable.
Framed shower screens can be slightly harder to maintain as there is more frame, water can gather and sit, if it is not cleaned regularly this can lead to mildew build up.
If you have a traditionally styled bathroom then a framed shower screen would suit more in terms of the look than frameless styles.
Walk-in shower enclosures are becoming a more popular choice, especially for those wishing to create a modern, minimal style or wet room look.
Screens are fitted directly to the floor or on top of a low-profile shower tray creating a spacious, luxurious feel with uninterrupted lines.
Wet room screens are perhaps the most sophisticated shower enclosure option and provide a designer feel to your bathroom. Best suited to the larger and more spacious room they suit both traditional and modern settings and are available in a variety of sizes.
Normally, one end is left open for access or a single screen is used to create a walk-through showering area, you can also combine more than one screen to create a bespoke area or combine a side panel or return panel to further prevent water escaping.
Walk-in shower enclosures are ideal for those with restricted mobility as there are no doors to open or close and they are very easy to maintain and clean as there are no tracks or frames for water to sit on.
Wet room screens provide a variety of options depending on the available space, layout, and look you are aiming for.
Shower doors
There is a wide selection of shower doors available, some can be fitted with panels to create a shower cubicle or fitted across walls if you are positioning your shower within an alcove. Types of shower doors normally include sliding, bi-fold, pivot and hinged.
Sliding shower doors provide a touch of luxury and are very practical. They can save room as they do not swing out into the available floor space but they are generally slightly wider overall compared to other doors as one panel is fixed to the frame whilst the others slide behind and overlap it to allow access. Sliding shower doors are well suited to a recess or a larger showering space, you would need to take their size into consideration and check your measurements, particularly if you have a smaller bathroom.
Bi-foldshower doors are super space-saving as the panels fold back into each other using top and bottom hinges, because of this folding they do not take up valuable space in your room as they normally come into the showering space slightly. They are ideal for en-suites and smaller bathrooms but will suit any size of bathroom as they come in a wide variety of sizes. Bi-fold doors also look really stylish too so you don’t need to compromise on design or practicality.
Pivot shower doors need available space in the bathroom and showering area as they rotate on a pin and swing open into the bathroom with a small amount of the inner edge projecting into the shower area also. Pivot doors provide good access and are amongst the sturdiest in shower door design, available in framed and frameless options they suit traditional and modern bathroom styles.
Hingedshower doors are the most commonly found but they do require the most bathroom space as they open outwards into the floor space for access so are more suited to spacious bathrooms. The hinged door is secured to the door panel (which is normally fixed to the wall) with a number of hinges, they are ideal for larger spaces and recessed shower enclosures and allow for easy access with their wide opening. Hinged shower doors are also available in framed and unframed versions to suit most bathroom styles.
Shower enclosures and doors are generally easy to maintain and care for if done regularly. Enclosures with more mechanical parts, frames, and seals where water can gather will be more prone to mildew build up but regular deep cleans and drying down of the enclosure after each use will help.
All in all, along with the style and design the main things to consider when choosing a shower enclosure are where it will be positioned, the available bathroom and showering space, and who will be using it. Why not see how your bathroom could look by designing yours here.
