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The Shower Enclosure Guide - A perfect bathing alternative
A short introduction to shower enclosures
Whether you are working within a confined bathroom space, or have the luxury of no space limitations, the shower enclosure has quickly become a staple installation for homes across the UK. Unlike the traditional bath shower set-up, a separate shower enclosure provides a valuable dedicated washing area whilst opening up a whole variety of luxury showering options for the home.
With an endless choice of styles, designs, materials and prices you can be certain that you’ll find shower enclosures that will work within your bathroom requirements. Choose from walk in showers, sliding & pivot shower doors and entire wet room options. A wealth of options available within the marketplace means that choosing a shower enclosure that suits your needs shouldn’t be too much of a daunting task.
Which shower enclosure should I choose?
Your shower enclosure design & style you choose will be dictated by the amount of free space that you have available in your bathroom. There’s simply no point in looking at large walk-in shower trays, when realistically a different design is going to work better in the space! A simple way to avoid this is to get your bathroom measurements jotted down in detail, creating a blueprint of where your new shower cubicle will be installed, along with other bathroom furniture. Be sure to include doors, windows and any other areas that are restricted such as walls with radiators.
Once you have decided where the shower enclosure will stand, you will need to allow for room for the shower doors to open. For shower cabins with sliding doors, this isn’t so much of a problem but pivot or swing shower doors will require a little more thought. You will need to ensure that you leave enough room to accommodate the shower door swing, without knocking into any other bathroom furniture.
If you’re dealing with a large space then you may want to look at incorporating a shower tray that comes complete with a drying area. Some shower trays with drying areas utilise a wooden board / duck board for the user to stand on after showering, helping to drip away any excess water.
Different types of shower enclosures
Standard "Off the shelf bathrooms"
With a large variety of shower suppliers available on both the internet and on the high street, you won’t struggle to find a supplier that can provide shower enclosures for you to take home that same day, or have delivered the next day. These flat packed bathroom solutions are available in a variety of sizes, shapes and designs so there’s a high chance that you’ll find something that works within your bathroom requirements. Some models even come complete with shower tray! Due to the nature of "off the shelf" supply, the baths and showers are often supplied at very affordable prices, making them the perfect solution for a budget bathroom.
Steam Cabin Shower Enclosures - If you’re looking to achieve the full home spa experience, then you need to look no further than the steam shower cubicle option. Complete with hydro-massage body jets, full temperature controlled steam and lighting features, a steam cabin like the one pictured above is one of the easiest ways to create your very own personal haven. Simply allocate a space for the steam shower to stand in, slot it into place, and you’re ready to go. Prices will vary depending on features you require, and the size of the steam shower you choose. With some of the major retailers offering budget models as well as luxury models, you’re bound to found something that works for your project.
Walk-In Shower - Often designed around large frameless glass panels and spacious shower trays matched with contemporary bathroom furniture, a walk in shower enclosure is guarantee to produce "wow factor." Some walk-in shower designs even disregard the need for moving parts or doors instead utilising static mounted parts that make up the layout of your bathroom. Large glass screens are used to keep "wet" areas separate from "dry" areas.
Full Wet Rooms - Even though these aren’t specifically a type of shower enclosure, they still make for a suitable alternative showering means in the bathroom. For those of you working with a smaller bathroom space, it may work better to turn the entire space into a walk-in wet room. A ceiling mounted shower partnered along with wall mounted furniture can make for an attractive grand design statement in your home.
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