Correct installation of the shower tray

The shower tray today is not something unusual, as it was at the end of the last century. Until the early 1980s, mass construction offered new settlers 1 m 50 cm long cast iron bathtubs, a breakthrough was the appearance of 1 m 70 cm bathtubs. The appearance of shower enclosures with glass doors of a matte surface texture installed on them became a perfect squeak of fashion. Today, many users are interested in how to install a shower tray with their own hands.

Modern plumbing stores offer a great variety of showers, corners, separate pallets and curtain doors.

They differ in:

• depth;
• form;
• material of manufacture;
• frame.

availability:

• additional attachments;
• devices;
• built-in ventilation;
• lighting;
• radio systems.

Depending on the height and shape, these plumbing products can be overhead (mounted in a foundation stand made for them) or frame (installed on a prefabricated metal frame). For frame models, you can almost always find suitable curtains. They are usually straight or semicircular. For a flat shower tray, you must also select the appropriate shower.

Pallets are made from different materials. Let's get acquainted with their features.

Pallets made of carbon steel of different grades are called steel. The susceptibility to corrosion directly depends on the steel grade. If there are chips of enamel on such a pallet, rusty spots are observed in the place of defects and around them. With prolonged use of a damaged product, corrosion can lead to a through hole through which water will seep into the foundation and gradually destroy it.

Steel pallets are made by stamping, therefore, the material is in a stressed state, which causes deformations and destruction of the integrity of the enamel coating. Cast iron is more preferable when choosing a metal tray, it is an alloy of iron with carbon. A feature of the manufacture of cast iron products is the fact that they are produced only by casting with subsequent heat treatment. Such a product turns out to be heavier, stronger and more durable.

These are some of the most affordable types of shower trays. A beautiful appearance of a glossy surface, lightness, a wide variety of shapes and colors - all this attracts when choosing a shower tray or cabin. The disadvantage of this material can be considered its possible yellowing and dullness with improper care or the use of low quality acrylic by the manufacturer.

With no less aesthetic appearance than their acrylic counterparts, ceramic products last much longer. It is easier to look after them. A high price and a lot of weight can be taken as a disadvantage. But this pays off in their long service life.

These products are made by casting from polymer materials. Visually, these products resemble natural marble or granite. Easy maintenance, lack of habitat for fungi and bacteria, beautiful appearance, immunity to temperature changes, lack of deformation - this is what brings buyers to them. The only drawback of such products is their rather high price.

This option is suitable only for those who do not feel sorry for anything they love. They are the most expensive and luxurious. Polished marble or granite is usually used for their manufacture. The downside is the careful selection of cleaning agents that should not contain alkali. When exposed to alkali on natural stone, it can change color. In addition, such products must be polished at least once every six months. In order not to accidentally slip, it is worth putting a transparent silicone mat on the bottom of such products.

Shower trays vary in height. The shallowest ones usually have a depth of 15 cm. These can be steel and acrylic products of a square, rectangular or quarter-round shape. Steel products have a square shape with overhead bumpers.

In fact, this is an imitation of a shallow steel bath. A support frame for such pallets is not provided, therefore, for its installation, it is necessary to provide for a special foundation structure made of foam blocks or bricks. The supporting structure eliminates sagging. The entire pedestal can be tiled with ceramic tiles for an aesthetic appearance.

Recently, a variety of shower cabins with pallets has been gaining popularity., made in the form of a sufficiently deep bath. The dimensions of such a product are from 130 cm in width and increase in steps of 10 cm. Therefore, it is easy to calculate and select a cabin of the right size for bathrooms of various sizes. When choosing a shower tray, special attention should be paid to the thickness of its walls. The service life of the product directly depends on this parameter.

If the steel product has thin walls, it can deform if it is not firmly installed on the foundation, which will lead to cracking and chipping of the enamel. Thin-walled acrylic products will sag under the weight of even a lightweight person and may crack, which will lead to the need to replace them. Cracks in these pallets can form due to temperature changes. More durable and durable are pallets and baths made of artificial polymer stone. They can have a variety of colors, sizes, are convenient for non-standard sizes of bathrooms. Cast iron varieties are leaders in rigidity and durability. They have only one drawback - their appearance.

There are two principles for installing shower trays: embedding on a foundation and installation on a frame frame.

For the most correct arrangement of shower rooms of this type, the horizon of the floor surface, as well as its waterproofing, is of great importance. Therefore, the first step will be to perform a screed on the floor along the beacons if the level is not met. Careful waterproofing of the joints between the floor and walls will help to avoid possible troubles in the event of a leak through the drain system. The most correct solution would be to use a two-component waterproofing applied to the walls and floor of the bathroom in two layers with an extension of about 15 cm beyond the dimensions of the final product.

Before installing the pallet, you need to study its characteristics. (strength, wall thickness, design of the used drain).If the product can deform under the weight of a person, then the foundation must be laid out over the entire space of its bottom so that the pallet stands on it with its entire bottom. To eliminate noise when choosing steel pallets, it is recommended to isolate it from the foundation with a small layer of polyurethane foam or fill the frame made of bricks or blocks with fine sand. It is necessary to connect a siphon for draining water before installing the pallet in the seat. In this case, it is necessary to mount the sewer pipes with such a slope so that the water flows freely through the drain.

When making the foundation, it is important that the sides of the pallet rest on a rigid structure around the entire perimeter. Therefore, gas silicate blocks have more advantages over bricks, they are easier to adjust in place using an ordinary small hacksaw. To eliminate possible leaks and better fix the pallet around the entire perimeter, you need to put it on silicone with antifungal additives. After that, you can start decorating the shower enclosure with mosaics or ceramic tiles.

In addition to steel pallets, this type of installation includes ceramic pallets. The accuracy required for its installation is dictated by its fragility, like any morocco product. The difference in the installation of ceramics on the foundation lies in the fact that it is imperative to provide an inspection hole for access to the drainage communication. At the landing site, along the entire perimeter and under the bottom, the pallet should be fixed with a solution of tile glue or sand concrete.

These pallets stand on legs fixed in a frame that can be adjusted in height. Sometimes manufacturers supply their products already assembled for installation, but more often the frame comes in a separate kit. In the latter case, before installing the pallet, you need to assemble it according to the diagram attached in the instructions, then fix it on the pallet. Before installing the product in the marked place, you need to mount the drain.

The siphon is connected to the sewer pipe, the hole is sealed with a collar and insulated with silicone sealant. The drain funnel is mounted after the pallet is installed in its original place. Despite the presence of a frame, acrylic pallets can sag under the weight of a person, which can subsequently lead to cracks and product replacement. In this case, it is necessary to measure the distance from the floor to the bottom of the bottom, as well as to make reinforcement from metal pipes or bricks, gas silicate blocks, then cover with a rubber mat of a suitable size.

Acrylic pallets on a frame frame are equipped with "aprons" - decorative plastic panels that repeat the shape of the front. The aprons are mounted after installing the pallet using self-tapping screws. The screw heads are closed with decorative buttons included in the kit. After installing the decorative apron, the frame and possible reinforcement become invisible to the eye. If the pallet does not provide for the installation of curtains or a cabin on it, then the last operation will be to seal the joints between the wall and the edge of the product with sanitary silicone sealant. If you decide to fix the structure to a wooden floor, you need to choose a suitable sealant for it. Dismantling with your own hands, you need to disassemble all the fences, screen, metal frame and remove the seal.

You can think of many options for strengthening the design of the shower tray. First, it depends on the distance between the bathroom floor and the bottom of the bottom of the pallet. Secondly, on the presence or absence of a pallet frame.A big mistake would be to use only polyurethane foam.

Over time, it collapses, from such an increase there will be nothing left but dust. Today, the simplest and most reliable way is to use bricks and gas silicate blocks with a rubber gasket between them and the bottom of the pallet. In this case, the load will be evenly distributed, the likelihood of deformation of the pallet is minimized. To reliably strengthen the structure, you can purchase a ready-made reinforcement kit.

Professionals provide some guidance.

• When installing a low shower tray directly on the floor, if it is not tiled, be sure to seal the joints between the floor and the walls.
• For the arrangement of the sewage system, if the drain pipe is not recessed into the wall, a hole for it is cut out in the side wall of a low pallet or in a decorative apron with an ordinary crown for a tree of the required diameter.
• Antifungal sealant is used to seal the pallet. Otherwise, all joints will go black fungus, which is practically not removed from the silicone.

• If the tray is part of the shower enclosure, all outlets for the shower column and electrical cables for possible lighting and radio must be made prior to installation.
• Installation of the curtains on the pallet is carried out after the sealant has completely dried, the joints between the curtain-doors and the walls must be sealed.
• The installation of a shower cabin with back walls and a shower rack starts from the pallet, after which the shower rack is connected and mounted in the place designated for it. The back walls are connected to it, then the doors. If the cab has a roof, the roof is placed last.
• In order to subsequently change the pallet or cabin for something else, it is worth laying out the entire floor and walls of the bathroom with ceramic tiles.

If the pallet is high, but there is no decorative apron or it is accidentally damaged, you can make a plasterboard lining on the frame from standard profiles along the outer perimeter. In this case, it will be possible to cut in an inspection hatch to control the sewer drain. A straight surface can be tiled with the same tiles used to decorate the bathroom. Curved surfaces can be covered with mosaic tiles that echo in color and texture with the main decoration of the room.

For information on how to properly install the shower tray, see the next video.