Walkergate, Pontefract 
Help & Advice: Choosing a Shower Enclosure
Shower enclosures are fast becoming a regular addition to many bathrooms. As a large and important part of your bathroom it is important that you choose carefully so your enclosure will stand the test of time. Here im going to explain a bit about the enclosures on the market to make sure you choose the right one for your bathroom.
Things to consider:
The Finish of the Enclosure - This means the overall look, feel and build quality. Here i am going to explain about the important features of quality.
1. The Brand - Branded shower enclosures are always of higher quality than unbranded. Using reputable brands will give you piece of mind, especially with the after service. Branded enclosures will also use a higher quality glass and a chrome finish that will last the test of time. Choosing branded products will usually include concealed fixings, higher quality rollers/hinges and usually have stay clean glass, which will make cleaning a lot easier.
2. The Glass Thickness - Toughened safety glass is a must and the thicker the better. We always recommend a glass of at least 6mm.
3. Concealed Fixings - Fixings hidden away give a much better appearance to the enclosure.
4. Stay Clean Glass - A protective shield on the glass that makes cleaning easier. It fights limescale and will keep the glass shining for years to come.
Type of Enclosure - What you can choose from:
Pivot Door - Pivot shower doors are popular because some people prefer the action of a hinge or pivot rather than that of a sliding door. Sliding doors may suffer from sticking or objects becoming trapped in the mechanism, a pivot door does not suffer any of these problems. It is important to understand that by it’s very nature a pivot door will need room to open into, it is not possible for the door to open inwards as it would block off the shower from the user.
Sliding Door - As the name would suggest the entrance to the shower is achieved by sliding the door. This can be a single sliding door or a double sliding door. The door can be setup to slide either left to right or right to left and slide along either rails or rollers. It is important to get a door which allows easy access to cleaning around the roller or rail. Be sure to purchase a door where spares can be bought as they are susceptible to general wear and tear and may need replacing after a few years. This is a popular type of door as it can be fitted into a bathroom with limited space because the door does not need to protrude out from the enclosure.
Quadrant - Quadrant enclosures are suited to “corner installations” and have two straight edges and a curved front. Quadrants can have equal sides or be offset ie with one side longer than another. The diagrams below show both of these quadrant types. The doors are always sliding but can be either single or double doors depending on the size of the quadrant.
Hinged Door - The hinge is usually fixed through the glass itself enabling frameless designs to be utilized. These enclosures are ideal for rooms with open areas as the door will swing outwards, so its important not to use it in a bathroom that is small and compact.
Bi-Fold Door - ideal for bathrooms with limited space as the door doesn't open outwards. The door can be used in an enclosure or a recess.
Corner Entry - Corner entry doors are used when space either side of the cubicle is limited. The shower doors slide back from the corner on rollers contained inside the frame. The four panels that make up the enclosure tend to be framed so they do not feel as open as some of the frame-less shower doors that are available. This type of enclosure cannot be used in a recess.
Shower enclosures are fast becoming a regular addition to many bathrooms. As a large and important part of your bathroom it is important that you choose carefully so your enclosure will stand the test of time. Here im going to explain a bit about the enclosures on the market to make sure you choose the right one for your bathroom.
Things to consider:
The Finish of the Enclosure - This means the overall look, feel and build quality. Here i am going to explain about the important features of quality.
1. The Brand - Branded shower enclosures are always of higher quality than unbranded. Using reputable brands will give you piece of mind, especially with the after service. Branded enclosures will also use a higher quality glass and a chrome finish that will last the test of time. Choosing branded products will usually include concealed fixings, higher quality rollers/hinges and usually have stay clean glass, which will make cleaning a lot easier.
2. The Glass Thickness - Toughened safety glass is a must and the thicker the better. We always recommend a glass of at least 6mm.
3. Concealed Fixings - Fixings hidden away give a much better appearance to the enclosure.
4. Stay Clean Glass - A protective shield on the glass that makes cleaning easier. It fights limescale and will keep the glass shining for years to come.
Type of Enclosure - What you can choose from:
Pivot Door - Pivot shower doors are popular because some people prefer the action of a hinge or pivot rather than that of a sliding door. Sliding doors may suffer from sticking or objects becoming trapped in the mechanism, a pivot door does not suffer any of these problems. It is important to understand that by it’s very nature a pivot door will need room to open into, it is not possible for the door to open inwards as it would block off the shower from the user.
Sliding Door - As the name would suggest the entrance to the shower is achieved by sliding the door. This can be a single sliding door or a double sliding door. The door can be setup to slide either left to right or right to left and slide along either rails or rollers. It is important to get a door which allows easy access to cleaning around the roller or rail. Be sure to purchase a door where spares can be bought as they are susceptible to general wear and tear and may need replacing after a few years. This is a popular type of door as it can be fitted into a bathroom with limited space because the door does not need to protrude out from the enclosure.
Quadrant - Quadrant enclosures are suited to “corner installations” and have two straight edges and a curved front. Quadrants can have equal sides or be offset ie with one side longer than another. The diagrams below show both of these quadrant types. The doors are always sliding but can be either single or double doors depending on the size of the quadrant.
Hinged Door - The hinge is usually fixed through the glass itself enabling frameless designs to be utilized. These enclosures are ideal for rooms with open areas as the door will swing outwards, so its important not to use it in a bathroom that is small and compact.
Bi-Fold Door - ideal for bathrooms with limited space as the door doesn't open outwards. The door can be used in an enclosure or a recess.
Corner Entry - Corner entry doors are used when space either side of the cubicle is limited. The shower doors slide back from the corner on rollers contained inside the frame. The four panels that make up the enclosure tend to be framed so they do not feel as open as some of the frame-less shower doors that are available. This type of enclosure cannot be used in a recess.
The gallery below shows each type of enclosure
