Doors for a shower cabin: description of types, design and selection rules

It is difficult to imagine a modern bathroom without a shower cabin. One of its important parameters is the door, which determines not only the beauty of the structure, but also the presence of a dry floor in the room during the adoption of water procedures.

Today, the plumbing market offers doors for a shower cabin for every taste and budget. Of the variety of models, doors are divided into 3 types according to the method of opening:

• folding (accordion);
• sliding;
• swinging.

The design is divided into:

• frameless;
• wireframe.

A hinged door for a shower cabin is not very popular, since the bathrooms in most apartments are small, and this type of door requires quite a lot of space for opening. Among the advantages of a hinged door include:

• noiselessness;
• reliability;
• ease of installation.

It is recommended to install swing doors if a disabled person or elderly people use the shower cubicle. They are recommended to be installed in the niche where the shower is located. In this case, the installation is simplified by the fact that the door is attached to the walls enclosing the shower. It is best to choose a tempered glass shower door, you can use a tinted film to strengthen the outside, it will not allow the glass to crumble into shards if damaged.

Glass doors are durable, environmentally friendly, resistant to temperature extremes. But the main feature is that they can be made to order for any interior. Specialists will make doors of any size and shape (convex, bent, etc.).The sliding door is convenient to use and durable, it does not require much space for opening. To install, you need a frame in the form of articulated rails on top and bottom, along which the sliding panel "walks".

Main advantages:

• space saving;
• ease of installation;
• strength.

A door opening in this way is suitable for corner cabins; it can be glass or plastic. A variety of sliding are pendulum doors. This option is mounted on a vertical rack with special hinges. They are revealed in any direction - from oneself and to oneself.

Folding or "accordion" - unusual type of shower door. Among the advantages can be identified:

• partial opening / closing;
• manufacture of various materials;
• resistance to chips, scratches or cracks.

Hardware is the main thing that you need to pay attention to when choosing. The service life of the door depends on the quality and material of the products. Each type uses its own accessories.

• Loops - used for pendulum and swing doors. The size of the loop corresponds to the load that it can withstand (weight).

• Doorknobs - are installed on any type of door, the main thing here is to take into account the form, which should be convenient for opening and closing with wet hands. It is recommended to choose handles in the form of a ball, a polyhedron.

• Connectors - mechanisms for fastening the sash to the wall and fastening the door panels together. Depending on the type of door, high-rise, linear, angular can be used.

• Stabilization hoses - necessary to enhance the strength of the structure, protect against deformation.

• Guides - used for sliding doors. The door roller is installed in the upper part of the structure, which accounts for most of the load.

• Carriages - regulate the smooth movement of the door panel. When choosing, you need to take into account the width of the door and the weight that the carriage is able to withstand.

Most often, the following materials are used.

• Glass - most popular stuff. It transmits light well, does not deform under the influence of water. But such doors require delicate handling.

• Plastic - A more practical and cheaper option compared to glass, but plastic doors may become cloudy over time and the surface will become scratched.

• Wood - It is used extremely rarely in showers, since this material does not tolerate contact with moisture and does not transmit light.

• Acrylic - a synthetic polymer that requires special care. Such doors need to be washed only by special means. But acrylic constructions can be given absolutely any shape. It differs from other types of material at a low price, a variety of forms and the ability to install independently.

For a standard shower cubicle, the door size is calculated taking into account the width of the opening, usually there are ready-made designs from the manufacturer on sale. If the shower is in a niche, the dimensions are calculated taking into account the dimensions of the opening and height. If the doorway is too wide, you can mount 1-2 inserts on the frame on the sides.

If the shower cabin is made according to an individual project, the doors are selected taking into account the parameters of the user or users. Standardly in width they go from 70 to 110 cm, individual sizes can be more or less of these indicators. When choosing a size, you need to focus on the minimum and maximum widths, which are respectively 60 and 120 cm.

For swing doors, the size is calculated according to the width of the doorway, which will be equal to the width of the door. If you want a double-leaf door, the width of one leaf will be equal to half the width of the opening. Sliding doors are also equal in width to the doorway. The most difficult to calculate are bent or semicircular structures, where the length is calculated along an arc.

What are the design options.

• Matting film - An inexpensive and easy way to make glass opaque, but over time, the film may scratch, bubble or burst. Among the options for the film can be tinting or oracal (self-adhesive vinyl film).

• Frosted glass - originally opaque glass, looks impressive and fits any interior. Through such glass only silhouettes will be visible. Another advantage of frosted glass is that it does not show soapy stains and dried drops of water.

Tinted glass is produced in several ways:

• glass is melted with the addition of coloring pigments;
• colored pigments are fused into the surface layer;
• vacuum painting of glass;
• tint film (for self-tinting).

Frosted glass (curved or straight) completely conceal the person bathing from prying eyes, but at the same time pass part of the light. There are several ways to produce frosted glass:

• matting with acidic agents;
• sandblasting the glass surface;
• chemical matting with special pastes;
• firing (fusion into the glass of different materials), the result is frosted glass with a pattern.

The most popular models are produced by the company. Albatros and Jacuzzi (Italy), Huppe, Villeroy & Boch (Germany), also have good models at Laufen (Austria).

Glass doors for a shower look more effective, they are durable and do not undergo changes over time. Some models are coated with a special composition that repels water (drops flow down without leaving any marks). Among the models of glass doors, they are especially durable made using triplex technology. This method is the bonding of two or more glasses with a special polymer film, as a result, the glass does not break when damaged. This option is ideal for families with small children. The only drawback is the high cost.

You can install glass structures yourself, the main thing is to correctly adjust the door. In a sliding structure, it should move freely without touching the bottom; it can be raised or lowered by adjusting the bar. The budget option is plastic, which in practicality is almost as good as glass. The main thing here is to choose high-quality material, otherwise it may become cloudy or deformed over time.

Before buying, you need to pay attention to:

• fasteners (they should not have defects);
• wings (should fit snugly against each other and the frame);
• correct design (there should be no bias in any direction).

If you have a square door, it is best to choose sliding or swinging structures with two wings. Manufacturers produce doors for standard shower stalls measuring 80x80 and 90x90 cm. Other sizes are rare, usually they are made to order.

For how to choose a shower, see the next video.