Assembling a shower cabin with your own hands

Recommendation points

• Pallet design
• The presence of walls
• Optional equipment
• How to install a shower cabin yourself. Operating procedure
• Pallet assembly
• Preparation and installation of walls
• Portal installation
• Shower cabins prices

This article proposes to consider the process of assembling and installing an acrylic bowl, walls and fittings of a shower stall. We have provided detailed instructions and video tutorials for beginners. The article is a tutorial for assembling a standard hydrobox with side walls and additional equipment..

The shower cabin is becoming more and more popular due to the lack of free space in the apartment bathrooms and its versatility. Installing a shower cabin with your own hands is not difficult for someone who has basic skills in working with a conventional tool. This work can be performed at different stages – for example, only installation, connection, laying of water supply and sewerage, or all together.

These products have several degrees of difference, on which their price primarily depends. Below are their signs.

Pallet design

The pallet can be either built into the floor or outside. In real practice, 70% of installed pallets in apartments are outdoor.

The presence of walls

Economy shower cabins do not have factory back and side walls – their function is performed by bathroom walls, finished with waterproof material. Their installation is the simplest, you just need to install the pallet and fix the door profile. For these products, installing a shower cabin with your own hands does not present any particular difficulties..

Models with walls are an independent structure made in the same style. They are more expensive due to the larger number of elements. In addition, their installation is more complicated and requires precision and accuracy..

Optional equipment

Factory backsplash gives the advantage of protecting the walls of the room as well as the bosom in which the auxiliary ducts and devices can be placed. The most advanced models are equipped with massage jets, various shower devices, fittings and electronic controls. Such cabins are called “hydroboxes” and they occupy the top positions in price.

How to install a shower cabin yourself. Operating procedure

The path from a set of parts in a cardboard box to a working device (device) consists of several stages.

“Stage zero” – preparation. The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Determining Available Sizes and Pallet Area.
2. Determination of water supply and drainage points.
3. Selection of a model that meets real requirements (pallet size, range of functions).
4. Additional installation of water supply and sewerage systems for the selected model.
5. Leveling and sealing of the pallet installation site (if necessary), water supply and sewerage connections must be accessible after installation.

The choice of model is extremely important. To make sure you get exactly what you need, try to find a real working sample and test it..

After clarifying the liner and purchasing the product, you can proceed directly to the installation. The instructions for assembling the shower stall, which are necessarily attached to each product, will help you with this..

Video on self-assembly and installation of a shower cabin:

Pallet assembly

Most of the standard pallets in the middle price range have the following characteristics:

1. Corner construction.
2. Acrylic bowl on a metal profile frame.
3. Separate panels covering the inside of the pallet.
4. Height 450-550 mm.

The main elements of all pallets are the same regardless of other parts (walls, doors), therefore the assembly of the pallet is a standard procedure..

Operating procedure:

1. Place the acrylic bowl upside down next to the installation site.

2. Set the bowl screen to the design position (under the bowl rim).

3. Fix the screen pads on the self-tapping screws – the panel should be held without backlash and gaps.

Note.In places where other elements are attached to the bowl, there are always thickenings (for a self-tapping screw) or embedded parts. This is necessarily indicated in the instructions.

4. Try on the metal frame. Its ribs must match the nubs at the bottom of the bowl..

5. Pass the threaded rod (O 14, included) through the mounting holes and screw it all the way into the seats. Install the stop nuts and adjust the gap between the frame and the bottom 15-20 mm.

6. Apply silicone sealant to the places where the profile contacts the acrylic and press the frame tightly against the bowl with locknuts. Install studs in free consoles.

Attention! The tightening torque is not critical. Try not to rip out the embedded parts.

7. Install plastic screen stops on the front row of pins. Sometimes they are pressed with self-tapping screws.

8. Screw the legs.

9. Install the siphon and drain fittings.

Attention! Use silicone and reel. The connection must be very reliable, since the place of possible leakage is outside the visual access zone.

10. We install the pallet in the place of constant use, and make fine adjustment of stability (we twist the legs).

11. We connect and test the sewer.

Any walls of suitable size can be installed on such a pallet..

Preparation and installation of walls

Before installation, make sure that the equipment matches the documents. If you decide to assemble a shower cabin with your own hands, you will have to study every step. The assembly of wall parts is a crucial stage, since possible troubles will be hidden from view. All connections of pipes and wires (if any) must be performed strictly according to the instructions.

Attention! Do not rely on intuition when assembling economy segment products. Consult experienced craftsmen who know how to assemble your shower enclosure. Videos and forums on the Internet are also very useful and visual.

Video – how to assemble the back panel of the shower stall:

After preliminary installation of the equipment, the walls should simply be installed in the seats. Sometimes they have factory holes, sometimes they don’t..

We push the finished structure into the corner until it stops and put the upper sinus plugs. This should be done carefully. Then you need to adjust the legs again in place. Test the pallet for stability.

Portal installation

The frame with the profile along which the doors go can be independent, or it can lean against the wall of the room. Regardless of the design, the assembly principle is approximately the same:

1. Assemble the frame or install the top and bottom rails.
2. Alert doors – hang fittings, rollers.
3. Install fixed walls (if any).
4. If there is a side profile, install it through silicone.
5. Put doors in design position.
6. Check travel, adjust guides.
7. Add waterproof silicone fittings – valves, aprons, plugs.

After all these operations, if they are performed correctly, you can connect the water and use the shower.

Shower cabins prices

It is very difficult to predict the exact price of a model with certain properties. The quality of the materials is critical, which directly affects the durability.

So, for example, a shower cabin made of high-quality thick plastic with one function (shower) produced by the EU will cost the same as a Chinese hydrobox of the maximum configuration – from 15 to 50 thousand rubles.

Note:shower cabins, which are in the lower price category, have a real service life – no more than 10 years with daily operation by two people. Keep this in mind when choosing and using your shower enclosure.

More complex models with many adjustments, a large bowl, a Jacuzzi will cost 50–150 thousand rubles. (depending on the manufacturer). In the price category 150-250 thousand rubles. there are reliable products with an exclusive design or even made to order.

The technological effectiveness of hydroboxes is simply amazing – there are models with the function of an infrared sauna or even a Turkish bath. Their price starts from 300 thousand rubles.