When designing your new shower enclosure, keep in mind that each glass panel needs to be at least 4 1/2″ wide, which is the minimum width for tempering glass and supporting the hardware. Also, the door will need to be a minimum of 22″ wide and no more than 36″ wide.
Walls which meet a door or glass panel need to be completely vertical, or “plumb”, in order to prevent gaps, uneven joints, and hinge “bind”. This means the wall can’t lean in any direction, or be “bowed” or “bellied”. Any walls that are more the 1/4″ out of plumb make it difficult to install a […]
Design a built-in shower seat to slant toward the drain at a 5° (approx. 3/16″ to 1/4″) slope so water flows off the seat and into the drain to prevent water from standing or pooling if the seat is angled backwards.
The curb or lip around the bottom of the shower should be slanted inward at a 5° (approx. 3/16″ to 1/4″) “pitch” or slope so water flows in toward the drain. A level curb would cause the water to leak onto the bathroom floor.
Decide whether to install your shower enclosure on a curb or to have it flush with the floor. While eliminating the curb is beneficial when planning a handicap accessible shower enclosure, keep in mind that a properly constructed curb helps prevent water from leaking or pooling onto the bathroom floor.
Be sure the wall on which you would like to install a hinged shower door has double 2×4 although single 2×4 would suffice. Always have wood studs or blocking where door hinge or panels are anchored, especially when metal studs were used in original construction of the wall.
Plan for your shower to be built using 90°, 135°, or 180° angles. Most shower hardware is designed to accommodate these angles, so planning your shower with this in mind ensures a more cost effective installation and a properly functioning enclosure.
For the next 17 weeks we will be sharing 17 design and construction tips for designing your new shower enclosure. These handy pointers help ensure low-stress, cost effective installation. We know that any remodeling project can seem a bit daunting, so we have put together some helpful tips to make the process easier and ensuring […]