Simple showers

All my life I have dreamed of having a shower cabin in my bathroom. Friends and acquaintances did not approve of my dream: Are you stunned, you have a wonderful cast-iron bath at home! What about these newfangled things? And one friend complained: Here in my house – a sitz bath. You can neither lie down in it, nor bathe the children, nor rinse the linen. Be glad that you have it without problems!

But their arguments did not work for me. I wash the linen in the laundry or in the washing machine, there are no children yet, and the doctor does not order to take a bath – my health does not allow. And further. By replacing my oversized bathtub with a walk-in shower, I would finally make room for the washing machine. It doesn’t fit in a tiny bathroom these days. Which is why it is standing in the corridor. Imagine a picture: a hallway, a coat hanging on a hanger, a chest of drawers with shoes – and next to it: a washing machine. But what if she doesn’t go into the kitchen either? Oh, I would have met the architect who, in a four-room apartment (albeit a small one), designed a kitchen the size of a wardrobe – 5.9 sq. M … This wardrobe of ours is not like a washing machine, but a gas stove with a refrigerator..

And my husband and mother can only have dinner on a first come, first served basis. So, after thinking a little, I came to the final conclusion that the shower cabin is ideal for me. No, I do not want to offend manufacturers and even more so the owners of bathtubs. This is a truly remarkable device. But, alas, not for all of us miserable. I will say right away: today every citizen can afford such a plumbing subtlety. I emphasize, exactly each. Looking ahead, I will say that the range of designs and prices is more than wide. But, oddly enough, it was the problem of choice that puzzled me. Among other unfamiliar details of this device, it was not clear to me which cabin to buy, what to start from. But dreams must come true.

And I fearlessly rushed in search. Without further ado, first of all I went to the nearest hardware store. The cabins were found there. But there are only three types. In addition, outwardly they were not very impressed. When I asked how these cabins are arranged, which one is better, and if better, then how exactly, a girl called a sales assistant just shrugged her shoulders. And the price! The hand did not rise to give such money, and it is not clear why. Well, if you want, go to larger stores, – the saleswoman tried listlessly to advise and, after a pause, added afterwards: Or to the fair. – Aha! – I tried to cheer up. – Have to search.

Closer to home was the Expostroy exhibition on Nakhimovsky. I went there and I cannot say that the range of shower cabins that I saw there surpassed my expectations. But one could already choose from something. Personally, I had several wishes. First, the cockpit should not be very large. But, as it turned out, not every model will fit in my tiny bathroom. For example, shower cabins with built-in saunas, baths and hydromassages are completely unsuitable for me. So, you need to look for something more compact, simpler and cheaper. But good quality is desirable. So, I was walking through the exhibition hall and suddenly I saw: there was a bath. But with flaps. Here it is! – I was delighted. – Perfect option. And then you don’t have to give up the bath. You never know, suddenly it really comes in handy. And the washing machine, God bless her, let it stand in the corridor.

I rushed to the seller.

– How much does this cabin cost? – I asked.

He frowned and gave me a puzzled look: – What are you, girl, this is an ordinary bath. It’s just that the doors are sold in the form of an accordion instead of the usual curtain. And the cabin is something you can’t take a bath in while lying down, ” my knowledgeable interlocutor said edifyingly..

So what happens? It turns out that the presence of doors does not yet prove that it is a shower cabin in front of you. Then let’s move on.

This design has swing doors

Sellers vied with each other to offer their products, convincing me that, they say, their showers are the best. And their doors are the most comfortable, and the pallets are just wonderful. However, to my request: they say, what will you prove – no convincing arguments followed. How, then, can you tell a good cabin from a bad one? Nobody knew that. Well, as the leader of communism said in his time, then we will go the other way..

I decided to firmly understand: how to choose the right cabin and what are the alternative options for arranging my bathroom in principle?

– I want a shower, a small bathroom, even less money, ” I blurted out in my usual patter, having appeared in the next salon.

The answer came immediately: – If the bathroom is small, buy a shower enclosure.

– Which corner? – I did not understand. And only after that she looked at her counterpart. The manager turned out to be a very nice young man. (Just my type, tall blond: I got distracted though.)

And then it finally became clear that the actual shower stall is called a finished product. In the sense that in addition to the doors itself, it has a sidewall and a rear wall. Such a structure can be placed anywhere (provided that there is a water outlet), connected and used for a sweet soul. But it is clear that hardly anyone will install a booth in the middle of the bathroom. Still, it is usually installed in the corner of the room. Therefore, it is quite possible to buy a pallet with sashes. So, such models are more correctly called a shower enclosure. And this is, in principle, the most elementary version of the shower cabin. Although not always the cheapest.

Shower cubicle with sliding doors and corner tray

– A shower enclosure is a tray of a certain shape and a door, – the manager tirelessly enlightened me. – You can buy them both together and separately. The door, in turn, can consist of either several sectors, or of two corner leaves. Of course, the corner can be placed against a wall already tiled. This may be of interest to those who redevelop the bathroom. If there is a free corner in the room, you can use it: you made waterproofing, hung a mixer, installed a corner – and please, you can use.

– But I’ve seen transparent and matte doors. I want to understand how they differ, and most importantly – which ones are better? – I persisted.

– Corner doors are made of acrylic or glass, my consultant answered. – Moreover, glass is more expensive because it is made of impact-resistant glass. Acrylic doors can be transparent, matte, colored, or patterned. And accordingly, they are sliding and swinging. A sliding door, again, can consist of either two leaves or three. When opening, in the first case, one half runs over the other, and in the second, two-thirds close one.

In any case, with sliding doors, some part of the passage will be closed. But, naturally, not so much that it was impossible to get out of the cab. So there is no way to say for sure which version of the doors is better. Besides, as it turned out, acrylic doors differ, to put it not very elegantly, in the way they drive to the side. There are two options: on casters or on hooks. In fact, whatever the store tells you, know that the hook system is not the best. And the doors will not drive so smoothly, and it breaks more often. Of course, roller doors are much more convenient.

But there is one more important thing that I learned about..

– In order for everything to work properly, first of all, pay attention to the frame, – the seller specified..

– It doesn’t have to be soft.

– In what sense – soft? – I was alerted.

– Well, your shower stall should not shake, that is, sway.

– From the wind, or what? – I joked.

– No, just swing, – the manager did not appreciate my humor. – It’s very easy to check. And, measuring me with a not very affectionate look, he added:

Shower cubicle with sliding doors and square base

– Even you. Do this. Arriving at the store, go to the already assembled model, grab the edges of the doors with both hands and try to swing it. If you fail, then the frame is hard, good. And due to a poor frame, cracks may appear on the plastic doors.

Finally, we moved on to discussing pallets. They are acrylic, ceramic and enamelled steel. They are also smooth and grooved. I was told that it is better to buy corrugated ones: the bottom of the pallet is covered with such crosses, or <rays> (they diverge from the siphon in all directions). This drawing was made not at all for beauty, but in order to get an anti-slip coating. Why this is needed, and so it is clear: while taking a shower and standing in soapy water on a smooth tray, you can easily fall. But I also advise you to buy sash and sanitary ware with anti-plug coating. This is such a special water-repellent coating, water does not stay on it, but quickly flows down. Also a very important detail: the booth will not be too humid and stuffy..

– And which one, for example, would you personally choose? – I interrupted the interlocutor.

– I mean, from what material? ”“ Perhaps acrylic, ”he answered without hesitation. – Ceramics and metal are cold materials, so you have to warm up the room before taking a shower. I mean, of course, the shower cubicle. And acrylic will warm up instantly as soon as we turn on the hot water. – After these words, my interlocutor for some reason became sad and thought about something. Maybe our shower theme inspired him with something personal?

– Mmm-yes: But you know, young lady, the material and the drawing are not the most important thing yet, – suddenly my interlocutor was saddened again. – The cockpit still needs to fit. This turn of the topic was rather unexpected..

Shower cubicle attached to the bathroom

No, I certainly am not 90 x 60 x 90. In the sense that I am not Cindy, I am Crawford, and I am not a leggy, thin as a hanger, a supermodel. But not to the same extent that the shower stall does not fit. I frowned. The devil pulled me about these stupid cabins to pester him, – I was offended, – and she would have figured it out without this young smart guy. Just think, Leonardo DiCaprio was found! The manager, apparently, understood his mistake and, blushing, said:

– No, you, girl, misunderstood me. It’s just that angular pallets are not the most successful sizes. For example, I could not wash in a booth, the sides of which are 70-80 cm. That is, you can stand in it. But after all, taking a shower, we also use a washcloth to turn around, raise our hands. So, in this case, personally, I will constantly bump into the sash.

– Okay, – I said already amicably, – how do you think I should check this in the store? With a washcloth or something, come and with a basin?

– Of course not. Do a field test at home: imagine washing yourself, spread your arms out to the sides – and have someone measure how much space you occupy. This is the width your future shower stall should be, and it is better if with a margin. And another thing: when buying a cabin, grab a plan of your bathroom with the exact dimensions. Then the seller will not only tell you how much space the selected shower stall will take, but also advise which sash is better to choose and how much space they, in turn, will take when opened. By the way, manufacturing firms, as a rule, make pallets and doors for them. But this does not mean at all that you need to buy both the sash and the pallet of the same company. Therefore, some reputable manufacturers provide a complete list of which doors fit which pallets from other companies. When you go to buy, ask the seller for such a list – it will be very useful.

– Clear. But the mixer, for example, is included in the kit.?

– No, the mixer must be purchased separately. Except, of course, more expensive options, there it is already built in in advance. But you asked for a cheaper cabin? So, I repeat, you will buy separately.

And then I remembered how my husband, swearing, fitted the pipe to the dishwasher. And she asked about the pipes: I thought that they would probably have to be altered somehow for my purchase. Fortunately, it turned out that you didn’t have to do anything super complicated. The seller explained that now a lot of all kinds of flexible hoses are sold everywhere, they can be dragged in 4-5 meters from where and wherever you want. You can leave. And here my interlocutor asked a question for filling:

– Are you going to do a redevelopment by any chance? Well there, combine a bathroom with a toilet…

– What? – I was alerted.

– No, nothing. In fact, you don’t have to buy a shower stall. And just build.

This was clearly not part of my plans, but I simply could not help hearing about such miracles. It turns out that you can build a cabin, as they say, inside and out. That is, lay out the required area with tiles, build a siphon into the floor into which water will drain, make two walls (after all, it is assumed that you have a third one) from any wall material (drywall or brick), also tile them, make a side and hang shower mixer.

Shower door opening schemes

Then you only have to buy a frameless swing door. By the way, I forgot to say: the frame will have to be washed from time to time, otherwise dust, the remains of soap suds and other debris will cram into it. So, a swing door is much more convenient in this sense. On the sides of the door there are special rubber strips that ensure complete tightness.

The only thing that will have to be done more or less regularly is to change the rubber gaskets every five to ten years. Therefore, I warn you: if the seller tells you that, they say, the warranty period for their gaskets is 30 years, do not believe it. No soft material in a humid environment can last more than ten years in a normal state. However, all that has been said does not mean at all that in a few years the rubber will become completely unusable. And if her condition suits you perfectly, please do not change.

There is another option. You can do without these building tricks. The technology is simple: again, select a corner in the bathroom and install one blank glass wall and one door in it. Naturally, in this case, the floor also needs to be prepared: lay it out with tiles, build in a ladder (if it was not in the corner before). In this case, the sideboard can not be done at all – both the sash and the door for such a shower stall are made quite tightly.

Shower tray options

And finally, you can make it even easier. In the same corner (i.e., where there are already two blank tiled walls), you can make two doors that open towards each other. Moreover, they can be both swing type and sliding on rollers..

Here my DiCaprio was distracted, but, however, almost everything was already clear to me.

Thank! – I only had time to tell him after. It’s my pleasure! Come again! – I think he said. Or maybe it seemed to me. No, he seems to be nothing, really cute, – I thought, shaking in the trolleybus on the way home. – But why am I? That’s not the point at all. The point is really different.

The main thing that I understood: all these options are for me or for people like me, whose main goal and task is to build a simple shower cabin in my bathroom, without any special undertakings and costs. Just in case, I remind you that when buying an ordinary shower stall:

• pay attention to the shape and size, as well as the coating of the pallet;
• check the strength of the sash frame;
• take with you a plan of the bathroom with the exact dimensions and consult with the manager which shower cabin you should choose.

And after that – feel free to buy. It is clear that owners of spacious bathrooms are more likely to find large multifunctional cabins. But we will talk about this next time. The editors would like to thank the shop-salon “Konzept – German plumbing” for help in organizing the filming

Ekaterina Achkasova