How to choose a bathroom door for a shower niche

Door materials

Various materials are used based on:

shower functions;
style and design;
individual preferences of the owner;

Plastic

The advantage of plastic is the price of the product. It is lower than all other materials, which attracts a buyer with a modest budget. Plastic doors are purchased in temporarily built showers. The products are light in design. They are easy to mount without requiring special installation skills.

The disadvantage of plastic is the rapid loss of appearance. There are traces of water drips and salt deposits on it. You need to wipe the door regularly, after each shower. Poor-quality plastic, during operation, exfoliates. A product made of such material is best purchased transparent. In colored plastic, the pigment burns out, leading to a dilapidated appearance of the door.

Glass

Glass is the most popular material for installing shower doors. The advantages of glass are:

reliability;
ease of cleaning;
safety;
the possibility of manufacturing various forms;

mainly produced products with a thickness of 6-8 mm. It's the perfect combination of protection and weight. Glass curtains for bathrooms can be of various tones and types. The most popular are:

transparent;
matted;
with engraving;

Tempered glass is used to protect the consumer. The impact resistance of such a material is several times higher than that of a conventional one. On both sides, the door is covered with a protective transparent film, which ensures tight adhesion of pieces of material when cracking.

In inexpensive cabins, plexiglass is used. It is much lighter than the two previous options. This material is characterized by low resistance to scratches and chips.

Disadvantages of glass in:

high cost;
high weight, with increased thickness;
difficulties of transportation due to fragility;

Sliding shower doors

Not so long ago, a shower cabin was a luxury and sometimes an inaccessible household item for many people. Now standard shower cabins are in great demand, for one simple reason - such a cabin saves a lot of space, while remaining 100% functional. It has become available, it is convenient and very aesthetically fits into any interior.

Let's start with an overview of shower doors. When choosing doors according to the opening method, it must be remembered that first of all it should be convenient for you, how the door will be located is also an important point.

There are 2 main types of doors for a shower cabin: doors made of polystyrene (material - plastic, plexiglass) and doors made of specially tempered glass with an increased degree of security.

Doors made of polystyrene. They have a low cost, among the shortcomings one can note clouding of the glass, stains, and a rather time-consuming cleaning process. Of the advantages - this is, of course, low cost.
Sliding glass shower doors. They have high quality and a high degree of durability, they do not become cloudy over time. Water and dirt drain off, while leaving virtually no traces, such glass is easier to clean. By appearance, they are divided into transparent, matte and rough, with or without a pattern. In addition, they look extremely aesthetically pleasing and harmoniously fit into almost any interior.

The doors open by sliding or swinging open, in turn, there are two and one folding doors, while they take up quite a lot of space in the bathroom.

Sliding shower doors can have more sections than 2 or 3 for example. At the same time, there is some regularity: more doors - less free space in the booth, but the frame is stronger. The magnetic rubber tape fixes in the closed form.With the help of rollers, the doors open and close, most often they are located in the cab frame so that water and other substances that can damage the mechanism do not get in.

Acrylic trays with fiberglass look very modern and also have a low cost, of the minuses is their sensitivity to mechanical damage, while the detergent is necessary without abrasive substances. Cast marble - there is no such fragility as acrylic, but they are more expensive. Cast iron enameled, as well as steel, are distinguished by high strength, durability and relatively low cost. Of the minuses - quite "loud", but this problem is solvable.

Most often enclose a layer of soundproofing material. The depth of the pallet is very important. As a rule, the height is from a few centimeters to 30 or more. HUPPE is the first manufacturer to develop and market the first frameless door, they also developed the very first circular bath screen, and they also offered a swing-sliding mechanism.

At the moment it is one of the leaders in the production and sale of shower cabins of various designs. Of course, high-quality products are quite expensive, since a shower cubicle must be functional, practical and beautiful at the same time.

As practice has shown, a booth with glass walls made of tempered glass (thickness not less than 6 mm.) with an increased degree of security is the most profitable investment in your repair. In addition, profiles with a high degree of strength will add reliability to the design and durability. In general, there are a huge number of models of shower cabins and doors. The time has come when you can make a really good choice.

It is not difficult to choose the mechanism of shower doors that you need and for your interior and, of course, the design of the shower stall itself. We wish you the best of luck with your renovation. Make the right choice!

We install glass shower doors in a niche how to properly install

Installing shower doors is usually not difficult. The features of the material itself and accessories are such that they are quite simple to assemble and adjust.

When choosing the design itself, special attention should be paid to the quality of the fasteners and their protection against dirt entering the mechanism.

During installation, it is important to adjust the canvas so that they freely open completely. Perfect alignment will protect you from wedging in case of deformation of the blade under the influence of high temperature

Seals also require special attention. They must provide sufficient protection against leakage, but at the same time leave a gap to compensate for thermal expansion.

Door hardware

loops

The hinges are the most important piece of furniture. They are characterized by:

possible load;
material;
design;

The load is specified in the instructions. Exceeding the parameters leads to the destruction of the product

Therefore, this fact is worth paying attention to.

The material for the loops can be:

chromium;
brass;
nickel;
bronze;
steel;

Pens

The variety of handles pleasantly warms the soul. In appearance they are:

handles-brackets;
knobs-buttons;
rotary knobs;
patterned pens;
pen-plate;

The handle can only be installed on the outside of the door or on both sides. Fastening takes place with screws, with heads sunk into the structure.

Connections

Aesthetic connection of elements gives the appearance of the cabin completeness

The quality of the joints is also important. Therefore, connections are important elements

They can be:

corner;
linear;
high-rise;

The angle of connection or holders is selected based on the angle of opening of the elements of the enclosing structures. Often this is 90 °, but there are options for obtuse angles.

doors

Doors of shower cabins, depending on the design, are divided into the following groups.

Swing on hinges

They have one or two flaps that open outwards or inside the cabin, provide reliable sealing. Their disadvantages include a high probability of mechanical damage and the need for free space to accommodate open doors, which is not always convenient in small bathrooms.

Sliding

A convenient version of doors moving on aluminum rails, do not take up extra space in the room and are less susceptible to impact. The design of sliding doors is more complex than that of swing doors, they usually move on metal rollers on skids.

Folding type clamshell

The design is designed for a large entrance area or replaces one of the walls, usually consists of two halves that move along the guide skids. Folding type doors, when opened inside the cabin, do not take up free space in a small room.

Articulated

A fairly common type of door that is mounted on top and bottom of the shower frame, they rotate on hinges around an axis shifted from the middle. They differ in more reliable fasteners, unlike swing ones.

Rotary (swinging)

The door is mounted on retractable slats from the bottom and top, moving on hinges along the skids, a system not so common in cabins.

Door types: hinged, folding, sliding, hinged

Modern shower doors made of glass or plastic design features

The most common models of shower doors made of glass and plastic. The first option is somewhat more expensive, but has a number of advantages. Firstly, transparent or translucent glass allows you to visually enlarge the space and give it a special lightness. Secondly, modern types of glass are characterized by high strength and resistance to mechanical damage. They are almost impossible to damage at home. Plastic doors are much cheaper and lighter, which makes them easier to install. But inferior in strength and durability.

In addition, the model itself largely depends on the design of the shower. So, a shower door in a niche is most often made hinged or folding. This solution allows you to maximize the ergonomic use of free space. In addition, swing structures are the cheapest.

Sliding shower doors are used for corner cubicles or located along the wall. They can be folding (accordion) and coupe. In addition, there are radial models.

Hinged shower doors can be mounted in a box and on special hinges installed in the floor and ceiling. The second option, despite the rather expensive fittings, is used more often, as it is less susceptible to temperature deformations. Yes, and visually looks more stylish and light.

Sliding shower doors can be mounted both on special rails and on an external rail. For finished cabins with a pallet, the first method is more often used, since a snug fit protects against leakage along the bottom of the door. In addition, this method of fastening allows you to install radial doors, which makes it possible to minimize the area occupied by the shower. The only disadvantage of recessed skids is the likelihood of clogging. The hinged system is more reliable and durable, but it cannot provide a snug fit of the door to the floor level. They are more often used as a shower door in a niche without a tray with a conventional drain.

How to choose

On average, shower room doors open and close 8-10 times a day, so the door reliability criterion should be decisive.Preference should be given to European manufacturers.

The duration of the period of operation also depends on the thickness of the door material. It is recommended that it be at least 4 mm. To extend the life of the door for the shower structure, sticking a special film on its outer side will help - it will reduce the force of mechanical impact, and if the glass is damaged, it will not allow it to crumble. Such films are available in transparent and tinted variations.

If the choice is on a plastic cabin door, then you should stop using a colored canvas, because after a while its shade will fade, and the structure itself will take on a dilapidated, sloppy look.

opening mechanisms

The choice of opening the door directly depends on the area of \u200b\u200bthe room. Small dimensions narrow the choice of mechanisms. Also, the application depends on the size of the box and the body build of family members.

Sliding systems

The palm rightfully belongs to sliding structures. Their advantages:

take up little space;
do not require space in front of the box;
fastening strength depends on the strength of the walls;
simple mounting system;

The movement of the door is carried out along the rails attached to the walls of the cab enclosure. The driving mechanism is rollers or bearings. The second option is arranged with an internal, closed type of mechanism. The structure can be:

become;
plastic;
aluminum;

Simplifies the care of the panel removable design. In this case, the door rests on one, the upper roller.

With small dimensions of the internal space, opening along the inner edge of the walls is not desirable. This is especially inconvenient for people of dense complexion.

Swing models

Swing doors are the most common. Their reliability is beyond doubt. The movement occurs due to the rotary canopies. Their fastening is carried out on bolts with anti-corrosion coating.

Doors of this type are installed in cabs with a low pallet, creating a minimalist look.

pendulum systems

Large space costs have prevented this type of opening from gaining popularity. Its use is possible only in overall cabins. To place the door leaf, it is necessary to calculate the angle of rotation so that it does not bump into obstacles.

The rotation of the canvas is carried out:

around the central axis;
around the offset axis;
the axis of rotation is the edge of the web;

Opening type "Accordion"

The type of accordion depends on the material of the door. For solid canvases, it is a book cover. Two or more parts are folded into one plane. Soft materials on a dense frame can move together due to the formation of folds.

The advantages of this mechanism are:

space saving;
not going beyond the doorway;
possibility of partial opening;
the use of various materials;

There are also disadvantages:

low rates of heat and sound insulation;
low reliability of mechanisms;

Door decor

The beauty of everything that surrounds us creates a harmonious state of mind. The look of your shower door can be the key to a good start to a new day.

The product can be decorated at the factory or at home. In the first case, the result is immediately visible, and it can be matched to the intended interior. Handmade decor is more valuable. Its quality is up to you. The motive can be chosen based on your favorite topics.

Decor in the conveyor

The production decoration of the canvas is achieved:

sandblasting;
mosaic glass;
engraving;
applying stickers;
applying a film coating with a pattern;

All types of finishes are made using CNC machines. The program specifies any image that is transferred to a sheet of glass or plastic using various technologies. The execution of the door to order involves an independent choice of a pattern from the catalog or your own design.If you have your own sketch, it must have the appropriate size, resolution and clarity. A low-quality photo is not recognized by the program.

The disadvantages of the factory decor are:

high price;
the possibility of weakening the individuality of the solution, due to the mass production of such products;

DIY decoration

Almost all methods of factory improvement of the door can be made at home. Of course, for some species you will need the appropriate equipment. For example, engraving will require an engraver. But handmade will become an individual decoration. The engraved pictures on plexiglass are especially good. The backlight makes fine lines deepen, creating a 3D effect. On denser materials, it is necessary to use diamond nozzles.

The use of stained glass painting diversifies any door. Paints for this type of art are inexpensive, you can use the simplest brushes. No special costs other than imagination and time will be needed. For convenience, you can cut out templates from adhesive paper (arakal). After work, the stencils are removed, leaving clear contours.

Arakal can be used as a decorative material. A variety of textures and colors can be useful in making a bright composition. The advantage of this decoration is easy dismantling. A bored motif can be easily replaced with another one, or the surface can be left empty for a while.

Door selection rules

On average, for a family of three, the cabin door opens at least eight times a day. Therefore, one of the criteria is the correct selection of mechanisms. They can be of various brands, materials and countries of origin. The main preference should be given to European firms. The reliability of the cabins themselves guarantees the reliability of the piece elements. Whether it will be hinges, rollers or mechanical opening mechanisms from Italy, Germany or Finland, they will last a long time.

Be sure to measure the dimensions of the opening before choosing. On the sides, it is worth leaving small gaps of 10 mm for sealing. Otherwise, the door leaf will rub against the walls. This is accompanied by:

unpleasant sound;
difficulty opening;
the possibility of chipping the canvas;

If the niche for the door is of a non-standard size or shape, it is better to order an individual version. It will cost more, but all the parameters will be taken into account in the manufacture.

Design plays an important role. A simple transparent door is suitable for everything. If a product is planned with:

drawing;
spraying;
stained glass;
colored;

The relevance of the application needs to be carefully considered. Inconsistency with the general style, even for an expensive and high-quality thing, can be a waste of money. When choosing, it is desirable to focus on minimalism and convenience rather than extravagance.