Choosing shower doors in a niche

Showers are in high demand among the owners of small apartments. The shower is suitable both for tiny bathrooms that do not allow a bathtub to be placed in them, as well as for large areas where it is possible to find a place for both a shower and a bath. The booth usually saves a lot of space in the bathroom, the prices for showers are now acceptable, and the variety of options allows them to fit into any interior. One of the most economical shower options is an equipped niche with special doors. Arrangement of a niche is often much cheaper than installing a cabin and practically does not yield to it functionally. The main thing in this matter is to choose and install the doors for the niche correctly, which will be discussed below.

It is easy to purchase and install a shower niche, the most difficult thing is to decide on the way to open the door to the niche. There are 4 most popular types of doors that are suitable for this situation:

• swing;
• sliding;
• folding;
• pendulum.

It is not so easy to choose a specific option, it all depends on your preferences and the size of the room - in a small one it will not be possible to equip a large niche and install swing doors with two leaves. Before deciding on this characteristic, it is necessary to consider all the options in more detail.

The most familiar and, undoubtedly, very reliable option. Easy to install. They are mounted on special hinges or directly to the wall, or to a vertical post. Along the perimeter, they have special elements that prevent leaks. The material is resistant, hinges and bolts usually have anti-corrosion treatment, which is very important for a structure that is constantly in a humid environment. They can be single-leaf and double-leaf, open outward or inward. Additional equipment is possible with a counter magnetic profile that fixes the door.

Minuses:

• high risk of damage;
• poorly suited for small bathrooms.

Sliding doors are not so susceptible to mechanical damage, take up much less space than swing doors, and do not require free space in front of the niche. Doors move in a straight line on rails using a roller system or bearings.

Minuses:

• non-removable design options are difficult to maintain and replace;
• a certain length of the wall adjacent to the niche is required to ensure the required displacement of 2 sashes;
• installation is more difficult than other options.

A universal option. Folding doors-"accordions" save space, can be made of various materials (in the case of hard materials, they open like a book cover, if the base is soft, they slide down due to folds) and have such an advantage as the possibility of partial opening. The number of door sections depends only on the size of the bathroom.

Minuses:

• less thermal insulation;
• less sound insulation;
• the degree of reliability of the mechanism.

Much less popular, but very interesting visually and structurally option with a long service life. Opens in both directions. The blade rotates on a special hinge mechanism. The rotation can be carried out around the central and offset axis, or the edge of the web itself can protrude as the axis.

Minuses:

• suitable only for large areas;
• difficult to install;
• require significant preliminary calculations and space markup.

The choice of door material for a shower niche depends on 4 key factors:

• the frequency of use of the shower;
• design;
• owner preferences;
• price.

Most often, doors are made of plastic and glass. Both glass and plastic doors have their own pros and cons. Let's consider both options.

Pros:

• in most cases, the price of the product is low;
• ease of construction;
• easy assembly and disassembly.

Minuses:

• fragility;
• soiled;
• afraid of high temperatures;
• can be easily flammable;
• risk of stratification;
• burnout risk.

Simple plastic doors are a good temporary option. To minimize the risk of damage to the appearance, it is better to opt for transparent options. And, of course, you should carefully examine the doors before buying, at least visually assessing the quality of the material and its processing. The best options are hpl (high pressure plastic with good strength and water resistance) and polycarbonate (durable, lightweight, not afraid of high temperatures). Acrylic is durable, heavier than polycarbonate, safe, since it does not form sharp edges when broken, but it is highly flammable. Polystyrene versions are lightweight and well protected from moisture, but fade quickly.

Pros:

• reliability, resistance to water and temperature;
• durability - the service life of such doors is practically unlimited;
• ease of cleaning;
• security;
• varied design.

Minuses:

• high price;
• significantly higher weight than plastic versions;
• the complexity of transportation and installation.

They are made of toughened glass with increased shock resistance, covered with a special film that does not allow fragments to fly apart if damaged. Or, in the case of budget models, made of plexiglass. The second option is easier, but it loses its appearance faster. The optimum thickness is 6–8 mm.

It is not difficult to order doors of the size that suits you, but it can lead to additional expenses. If you need to avoid them, you should focus on the standard size range. It is necessary to accurately measure all the dimensions of the opening for the shower room, and, ideally, also independently measure the door elements, not focusing only on the information from the product description - an error of up to several centimeters is always possible.

The size range for different brands varies. The most common width options are:

• 60 cm;
• 70 cm;
• 80 cm;
• 90 cm;
• 100 cm;
• 110 cm;
• 150 cm, etc.

The most popular width is 60 cm. With a size of 120 cm, it may be easier to make a door from several sections or to stay on a double-leaf door than to look for the right size - you should pay attention to this too. In the case of a composite version, the width of the blocks can be either the same or different. For example, the same 120 cm can be obtained either with two 60 cm flaps, or with a combination of 90 cm plus 30 cm, and 140 cm from two 70 cm blocks.

Swing doors are not typically wider than 90 cm. Problems may arise when searching for sizes that are not multiples of 10 cm - 115 cm, 145 cm, 175 cm, etc. Remember that the width of the opening can be compensated by using an adjustable profile or additional elements, turning, for example, 130 cm into 120. It is important not to forget about the gaps for the seal - they will be about 10 mm.

Shower door decor is a huge field for your creativity. Scandinavia, loft, rococo - you can choose an option for any style. In addition to the design of the canvas itself and the design of the niche, details play an important role.

One of the advantages of glass doors is the ability to decorate rooms with their help. They are like that.

• Transparent. An option suitable for a separate bathroom.

• Matte. The effect is obtained by sandblasting the glass with special compounds or matte film. The glass can be either fully or partially frosted.

• Stained glass. If the effect is not created with film, then this option will be very expensive.

• Patterned. The drawing can be applied by engraving, paint, photo printing or special stickers that are resistant to water and temperature.

• Tinted. They are made in various colors and easily fit into the overall interior.

At the moment, you can order doors with your own design from a number of manufacturers, but the cost of such a service will be high. You can choose the option with a ready-made decor to suit your bathroom design, or experiment on your own using different films, stained glass paints or with an engraver. But we must not forget that all materials must be suitable for rooms with high humidity and frequent temperature changes, otherwise your creativity will not last long.

Now let's move on to the hinges and handles. The first thing to keep in mind is that the bathroom is a room with a specific microclimate different from the rest of the house. This should be taken into account when choosing fittings - rust and corrosion will not decorate any design. The key element of the fittings (if we are not talking about sliding doors) are hinges. When choosing them, in addition to the material and appearance, the possible load prescribed in the instructions should be taken into account.

Hinges and handles are available in stainless steel, chrome, brass, bronze or nickel. The design of the pens can mimic the appearance of these or any other (for example, gold) materials with various decorations - from ceramic inlays to engravings.

Handles are mounted either on both sides, or only from the outside. Doors for niches differ in their shape, which affects not only the process of their installation, but also the visual component. For a small bathroom, symmetrical square doors will be a good choice, and rounded options will also fit well.

Another noticeable detail can be the door frame. Frameless doors can look as minimalistic as possible. Frame - easier to install and able to radically change the design. The color of the metal profile - black, chrome, nickel, etc. - should fit into the overall interior of the bathroom. What can be said about the design of doors in general - they must fit the general style of the room.

• The decisive criteria are durability, reliability and safety. They fully offset the costs.
• Door thickness - at least 4 mm.
• Mounts must be protected from moisture ingress.
• Fittings and fasteners should be made only of materials that are not exposed to high levels of moisture or have a special coating.
• Seals protect against leaks, so they should be given special attention: they must have a gap to compensate for thermal expansion. Errors during the selection and installation of the seal are fraught with leaks and unpleasant moments associated with opening the doors.
• For non-standard niche shapes, think about custom-made options - this will save you time and effort.
• When choosing a swing door, do not forget to pay attention to whether it opens inward or outward.
• Consider the style of your bathroom and choose a design that fits in with it.

The first rule that must be followed when installing doors for a shower niche is if you are not confident in your abilities, then contact a specialist. The cost of replacing damaged doors can be far more expensive than his services. However, the installation of shower doors in most cases is not that difficult. The main thing is to clearly follow all instructions. Here are two examples of door installation instructions.

Usually, there are no problems with installing glass doors, but still this is not the easiest thing for a beginner. First of all, you need to carefully study the instructions and prepare all the necessary tools that will come in handy in the process, in the form of: a level, a screwdriver, bits and screwdrivers of the required format, drills, a marker, a construction pencil, silicone, clamps, hex keys. After that, it is important to check the completeness of the doors and fittings. Only if everything is in place can work begin.

1. The first step is to mark the position of the vertical guide on the partition. It is important to be as careful as possible, because it is along these marks that holes will be drilled into which dowels will be inserted afterwards - this will be the next step. To increase the reliability of this design, you can fill the resulting holes with liquid nails.
2. The remaining side must be treated with a sealant that is sold in any hardware store. After that, you can install and screw on the guide, into which the door itself is then inserted.
3. Check the alignment of the hinges with the holes made and fix them with clamps. Begin installing the door mating piece and mark the position of the profile. It is important that it is located in the same plane as the carrier.
4. After that, it is necessary to make marks on the opposite wall and drill holes along them, into which dowels will be inserted in the future. The reverse plane is also treated with a sealant, then the element is tightly fixed with dowels.
5. Now you can start installing the handle, for which you need to purchase silicone pads. When the handles are in place, you need to proceed with the installation of the bottom plate.
6. The very last step is to check the functionality of the door. If there is any problem, the position of the door can be easily adjusted with screws.

Re-read the instructions several times and check if all the parts are there and in what condition they are. It is important to do this before you have a chance to start the installation.

1. First, determine where the top and bottom of the glass are. This is done in two ways: by the number of holes - there are usually more of them in the upper part, and by the width of the panels - the upper ones are wider.
2. Make a level (you can use laser or bubble) marking the holes for the vertical profile on the wall and drill them with a drill suitable for the wall material. The drill size must match the size of the dowels. The correct size ratio is most often indicated on the packaging with fasteners.
3. The plastic parts of the dowel are driven into the wall, and a vertical profile is attached to them. After that, install the fixing horizontal guides at the top of the profiles.
4. Repeat these operations for the opposite side of the niche and start installing the curtain in the profile.
5. Fold over the rubber seal. Attach special stops on the lower part of the canvas, taking into account the location of the glass. Treat this operation as carefully as possible!
6. Remove the restraints from the upper profile and install the fasteners on the glass. After that, the restraints come back. Put special spacers on the upper edge of the glass to protect them from abrasion, and then fix the horizontal profile. Brackets are installed in it.
7. The door must be placed in the attachment points and secured with bolts and gaskets. After completing this procedure, check that the door is secure and easy to move.
8. It is imperative to attach a limiter to the roller body from above, and to put on silicone seals on the side edges. Now you can start installing the door handles and decorating the doors - the holes for the hardware are hidden under the plugs, and the lower profile is strengthened.
9. After that, it is necessary to apply antibacterial silicone to the profile and check the functionality and quality of the door.