Shower Doors
Shower Doors 101: Everything you need to know about Shower Door installation.
2024/07/11
The Installation Company
Design Tips
When designing your bathroom space, identify an area for the shower early on. As a key function of the bathroom, its best to ensure the area is large enough to provide comfort while good ventilation will assist with dissipation of moisture. Matching the colour of shower accessories (handles and hinges) to other key elements in the bathroom create consistency and visual appeal.
Layout: Consider accessibility of the shower and ensure the location and design accommodates this. It is advisable to have a clear path of entry into the shower area. For smaller bathrooms, corner entry or pivot doors with a return panel are popular while in larger bathrooms, walk-in showers are common place. Be aware of placing a walk-in shower in a smaller spaces as water splashes are inevitable increasing the risk of slipping.
Placement: For a traditional built-up shower base, it is advisable for the glass to be positioned at ¾ of the horizontal tile as measured from the inside. This is to allow maximum space for the user and still provide sufficient water run-off. For flush, walk-in shower configurations, the glass should be placed on full, perfectly horizontal tiles. Sloped tiles which assist in drainage should be placed immediately on the inside of the glass and sloped toward the drain. To reduce splashing, ensure the shower head faces downward and is located at the furthest point from the door or entrance.
Door orientation: It is advisable for the shower door to open outward. This is to allow easy access should the user fall or pass-out during showering. It is recommended the door hinges be placed against a brick wall to provide long term stability.
Its always recommended to mount the door directly to the wall as oposed to another piece of glass. The will lead to a more stable and less maintenance installation
Choosing Materials
Fabrication: Standard or mass-produced showers are a cost-effective solution and are quicker and easier to install. These come in standard sizes and many provide for minor adjustments to fit the size of the base. Custom showers are made to order and cost more when compared to a standard shower however these can be ordered to fit larger spaces or unique shapes and areas
Glass specification: Always ensure /toughened glass is used. This glass is specifically fabricated to fracture into many small parts should it break. While this may cause only minor superficial lacerations, it is far less dangerous than non-tempered/toughened glass which tends to break into larger sections and may cause more sever wounds.
Frames: Various frameless, semi framed and full frame options are available, each with their own benefits and pitfalls. Frameless or semi framed showers provide clean lines and minimal obstruction giving the homeowner a perception of elegance and space while framed showers provide cost effective solutions
Skew walls: Few brick buildings are built perfectly straight (plumb) and as such, this may impact on the shower installation. A compensation channel may be used to absorb minor discrepancies however this has its limits. For walls that are particularly skew, be prepared to strip away the tiled surface and replaster and re-tile to achieve a consistent finish.
Type of Contractor
Appointing an appropriate Contractor is a vital to ensure a successful installation. A good Contractor will provide guidance and advice and help make the process easier. Also be sure to ask who pays for a replacement should the door break during installation. It does happen and you don’t want to be liable for the cost of two showers when you receive only one.
Consider using a Specialist shower installer over a generalist Beware of “do-it-all” A poor choice may result in having to re-do the project. Your consideration must take into account your needs, desired outcome, your involvement and technical know-how and your appetite for risk and lastly your budget.
Specialist Shower Suppliers: These businesses specialise in showers and often provide framed and frameless solutions. This is an appropriate choice for custom showers where standard shower solutions don’t meet your requirements. It is advisable to check that the prospective supplier can produce 3D designs for you to consider and sign off before placing your order. Also, verify that the supplier will perform on-site measurements before manufacture. Consider their promised lead times against your project schedule and check that they have their own installation teams which service your area.
General Contractor: Many Plumbers and general Contractors are able to install pre-fabricated showers and will do this as an add-on service to a bathroom renovation. More advanced Contractors may refer you to a specialist shower company and leave you to contract directly with them. While this is a cost-effective solution, the advantages of using a specialist in this area must be carefully considered.
As an industry standard these lead times can vary from 8 Days to 21 days depending on the selected specialist as well as the time of year.
Prices
Shower installation prices vary significantly and influenced by several factors most notably custom made or pre-fabricated, level of experience and specialisation, type of shower design, number of glass panels and removal of existing structures. Here are typical shower installation costs however these may differ by region
| Specialist (Labour only) | General Contractor (Labour only) | Materials |
Bath screen | R750 – R1 000 | R400 – R1 000 | R1 100 – R2 500 |
Pivot door | R750 – R1 100 | R600 – R1 000 | R3 000 – R4 000 |
Pivot with return panel | R1 200 – R1 500 | R1 000 – R1 500 | R3 500 – R5 000 |
Frameless | R1 500 – R2 500 | n/a | R4 000 – R12 500 |
Notes:
- Prices are indicative only and reflect averages based on our experience in the market.
- Where a Contractor is installing as part of a larger project, prices may be reduced.
- You can expect a custom shower to taken 10 to 20 working days to manufacture and install.
- For informal contractors, expect to be responsible for purchasing a replacement shower if it breaks during installation
Things to be aware of.
- Check that you have bought the correct size before opening the box as most retailers don’t allow returns if the box has been opened.
- Check that all the components are in the box prior to leaving the retail store. Most do not allow for the return of opened boxes.
- Ensure the glass is tempered/toughened.
- Shower frames require drilling into walls. Be aware of where pipes are running prior to allowing your contractor to drill.
- Silicone should only be applied to the outside of the shower frame. If your installer applies it from the inside, you will have an increased risk of leaks
- The shower may not be used for 24 hours after installation
- Showers require maintenance to extend its lifespan especially if it has moving parts (wheels and runners). Consider setting a recurring reminder for maintenance every 24 months.
5 checks to assess if your Installer knows their stuff
- They check all components are in the box before commencing work
- They carry the boxed shower to the site of installation and only then unwrap it.
- Check for pipes using a pipe detector (although not guaranteed)
- They able to deal with skew walls and advise you accordingly before installation commences. They able to make use of compensation channels.
- They use protective clothing and gloves while performing the installation
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