This article is appropriate for the following groups:
People who:
The shower area in the bathroom is more than 0.9m × 0.9m;
Have enough budget;
A long-term use.
If you do not meet the above requirements, you'd better choose shower curtains. The shower curtains are suitable for small shower areas. It costs less. And it needs to be replaced every 2 to 3 years for worn-out.
Look for An Appropriate Shape
Shower enclosures have several kinds of shapes. Each fits different bathroom configurations. According to the shape, the shower enclosure can be divided into several styles, such as one-line, arc-shaped, diamond-shaped, and L-shaped.
one-line
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One-line
The one-line shower enclosure is suitable for a large shower area, with a minimum width of 0.9m. The glass door is embedded in the wall, and the other three are just walls. Because it only needs to inlay glass doors in one faucet, the cost is usually low. The one-line shower enclosure has a relatively good thermal insulation performance. Owners can install towels, niches, and other accessories to place shampoo and shower gel on walls.
Most families' shower areas are deep in the bathroom, occupying an entire wall. Using a one-line shower bathroom can divide the wet and dry areas in half.
oblong(L) square
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Rectangular-shaped
Rectangular shape includes oblong shape (L shape) and square shape. If your shower area cannot occupy the whole wall, you can take a look at rectangular-shaped shower enclosures. It usually occupies a corner. And, of course, it should also meet the space of 0.9m*0.9m. Such a structure can combine with toilets, washbasins, etc., to create a compact bathroom layout. Also, the spacious environment and light transmission on both sides can bring you a more comfortable experience.
diamond-shaped
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Diamond-shaped
If your bathroom has a limited area, a square angle next to the toilet is too cramped. You can cut off the angle into a diamond shape. In this way, the external passage of the shower enclosure can be much looser, and there is room to open the door.
Like the rectangular shape, you can also adopt the diamond shape to build a compact arrangement.
arc-shaped
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Arc-shaped
The arc-shaped is also a variant of the square-shaped. If there are children or the elderly in the family, the arc-shaped is a relatively safe choice. In this way, they will not slam into the sharp right-angled glass door. The chance of their injury will be greatly reduced.
In addition, you need to pay great attention to the size of the arc-shaped shower enclosure. The minimum cannot be less than 0.85m × 0.85m. Otherwise, it is like being trapped in a cage.
The above are the basic shapes of shower enclosures on the market.
The way to open doors is important
Shower enclosures mainly have two types, swing doors, and sliding doors. Some people also prefer walk-in shower enclosures, which have no doors.
The main task here is the swing door and sliding door.
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Swing door
Swing doors include hinged doors and pivot doors. As the name implies, the name is associated with the hardware accessories for glass doors. The moving accessory used in hinged doors is hinges. Relative movement can be achieved by accessories connected by relatively fixed hinges. In general, hinged doors can only be opened outward. However, the pivot door is different. Glass doors with pivot parts can rotate around the central axis without being bound by external factors. So, we can either pull outward or push the door inward. But we do not recommend to push the door inward. Because most of the shower areas are not large enough, it will be inconvenient to close the door after people walk in.
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Sliding door
The sliding door consists of pushing to both sides and pushing to one side.
The sliding door is more space-efficient than the swing one. If your bathroom looks too crowded after opening the glass door, you can adopt a sliding-door shower enclosure. It requires sliding rails to achieve sliding, which leads to another drawback. The gap of the slide rail is small, and the structure is slightly complicated, so it is very inconvenient to clean it.
Different materials, different feelings
The whole metal frame of the shower enclosure is generally aluminum alloy or stainless steel. The surface of the aluminum alloy has an oxide film, similar to the matte treatment. Because of the easy machinability of aluminum alloy, its appearance is relatively smooth and the price is relatively low. However, once the surface of the aluminum alloy is oxidized, it is easy to be scratched off. The exposed aluminum is then prone to form new alumina. Over time, the surface of the frame will become potholed, and there is no way to eliminate it.
The price of stainless-steel frames is more expensive than that of aluminum alloys, and it is not easy to resist dirt. However, the surface of stainless steel will be brushed and polished, which is more durable than aluminum alloy.
Must good-qualified glass
Every merchant will say that their glass is tempered explosion-proof glass, but their quality is also uneven. We can determine the quality by whether the glass is transparent, whether there are bubbles or specks inside, and whether there is a certification mark. In Europe, this certification is CE, while in the USA ANSI and China 3C. Occasionally, we see the news of tempered glass self-explosion online. We should choose a quality-assured shower enclosure or from large brands, as the probability of tempered glass self-explosion is low. It should be noted that even the best glass has a 2‰ to 3‰ chance of exploding. Glass from standard brands comes with explosion-proof film. Even if the glass explodes, it will also stick to the explosion-proof film and will not splash everywhere. For the glass of the shower enclosure, the thickness should be selected from more than 6 mm to about 12 mm. In a family, adopting 6mm or 8mm is already OK.
hinges
wheels
Necessary hardware accessories
Hardware accessories have many types, so I will not list them all here.
For sliding-door shower enclosures, hardware is especially important. Since the glass door has no track to support it like the sliding door, if the quality of the hardware accessories is poor, over time, the glass door is very likely to sag and affect its subsequent usage. Some shower enclosures eliminate the metal frame, looking extremely simple and elegant. In fact, the quality and craftsmanship of hardware connections are extremely high. If you don't have a high budget to buy a minimalist shower enclosure from a big brand, choose a normal shower enclosure with metal frames. Before choosing your shower enclosure, you'd better go to see merchants' samples on the spot. Remember to observe the quality of their hardware.
Writing here, I have almost poured my element knowledge into you.
If you want to learn more about shower enclosures, how about seeking help from a professional near you?
Hope this article can help you and your family.
