Open showers: varieties, rules for selection and installation

Showers appeared on the Russian market at the beginning of the XXI century and began to rapidly gain popularity. They are distinguished by relative ease of installation, and also allow you to take both a shower and a bath. The cabins had a number of advantages compared to the ordinary shower in the apartment.

Over the years, many varieties and even more models of shower cabins have been born. Each of them was superior to the previous ones, but could have its drawbacks.

One of these types was an open cabin. Due to its compactness, it is able to fit even in rooms with a modest area. In this article we will talk about the advantages of this plumbing, its subspecies and the materials from which the pallets are made, and also we will talk about what criteria are most important when choosing it.

Open showers were designed to accommodate small bathrooms. This is the main plus and main feature of this variety. Unlike classic cabins, open cabins have only one or two walls. However, they are produced without a roof. The cabin is placed close to one of the walls of the room, which can significantly save free space.

However, the design of such a cabin has a number of disadvantages.

• Most models are not equipped with any equipment. At best, you will find a cabin with a faucet and shower head.
• Due to the lack of equipment, the cabin is difficult to reinstall in another place. Otherwise, you have to completely redo the entire bathroom.
• The wall to which the cabin will adjoin is required to have a waterproof coating. The gaps between them should be sealed with a sealed substance.
• Minimum feature set. Such cabins are intended only for the most ordinary shower, while full-fledged models are equipped with massage, radio, lighting and other modern options.
• There are no special openings for pipes. Pipes should be placed in the wall. Otherwise, you will have to manually make a hole in the cab. Firstly, this work requires effort and time, and secondly, the result will not look very attractive.
• The room must be prepared for high humidity, because unlike closed cabins, open cabins release all the steam out.

Before proceeding to the analysis of subspecies, let's take a look at main varieties of showers to understand the difference between them:

• closed;
• open;
• combined.

The difference between the first two options, you probably already understood. The third variety combines their main advantages. It may be missing or present certain parts. For example, some models are available with an open top. At the same time, combined showers are more expensive than others.

But we will not dwell on other cabs for long. Consider the subspecies open. They depend on the parameters of the main part - the pallet. Open cabins are:

• With built-in pallets - require additional floor equipment, in which it is necessary to make a recess. Usually this is done in advance, when pouring the screed. Such models are not very popular because of the difficult installation.
• With floor tray - are placed on the floor without any fastenings. Sometimes equipped with legs. Their height may vary. Suitable option for an already finished room.

The height of the floor tray determines the type of shower cabins:

• deep - with a high pallet (from 20 to 35 cm);
• low - with a low pallet (from 10 to 15 cm);
• very low - the height of the pallet is only 5-10 cm.

When choosing a pallet, you should consider who will use the shower. Children and older people often experience difficulties with deep pallets. Therefore, it is better to pay attention to the average options.

Separately, it should be noted special type of asymmetric cabs. The angular model is characterized by increased compactness, since the corners of the rooms are the least used places in space. Such cabins have only two walls, so that they can fit even in the closest bathroom.

In the manufacture of pallets, various materials can be used, which also affect the quality of the cabin. The most common ones.

• Cast iron is the most popular. It provides the pallet with enviable strength and a service life of up to 30 years or more. In addition, cast iron does not heat up as fast as other materials, perfectly retaining heat. The disadvantages of cast-iron pallets include a solid mass and uniformity of forms.

• Acrylic is the most popular material. Due to its properties, it allows the production of pallets of various shapes and sizes. Also, it does not require careful maintenance, which bribes many buyers. If damaged, such pallets can be easily repaired. Some cabin models do not have a built-in reinforced layer, which is why acrylic can easily break under the weight of a person.

• Steel - it can be called the golden mean for pallets. At low cost, it has a large margin of safety and light weight. However, steel pallets make a lot of noise when water falls. Some of the models have an additional drawback - steel 1.5 mm thick bends under the weight of a person. When choosing a steel pallet, it is worth giving preference to models made of steel with a thickness of 2.5 to 3 mm.

• Kvaril - the next stage in the development of acrylic pallets. The presence of quartz in the material provides pallets with an additional margin of safety, and also significantly increases their service life.

• Ceramics - the most popular among buyers over the years. It looks great, easy to use and quite durable. But ceramics is rather fragile, requires careful handling and constant care. Also, such pallets have not the most affordable cost.

• Natural stone - onyx, granite and others. Marble stands out. A material that provides plumbing a luxurious appearance. Such showers look really elegant and at the same time have a large margin of safety. But their main minus is a very high price.

Dimensions and shape are one of the main criteria that you need to focus on when choosing a pallet. By the way, they are quite diverse, but bet on your capabilities. Still, open showers are taken in cases with limited space. The most common combinations of dimensions (in centimeters) and shapes:

• square - 80x80, 90x90, 100x100;
• rectangular - 90x70, 120x85, 140x40, 145x85, 150x85, 150x90;
• asymmetric - 100x80, 110x80, 120x80, 120x90, 122x76, 130x85, 150x85;
• semicircular - 80x80, 90x90, 95x95, 100x100, 110x110 125x15.

Sure, the listed sizes showers are not limited. There are more spacious pallets reaching 1500x1500 cm.

The simplest and cheapest models with a height of 190 cm have a square shape, less often a rectangular one. For very small rooms, it is recommended to choose semicircular and corner pallets.

An important role in choosing a shower is played by the manufacturer of sanitary ware. In the variety of brands presented on the market it is easy to get lost. Here are some of the most well-known companies whose products should be paid attention to.

From Germany:

• Sturm;
• Edelform;
• Westerhof;
• Wasserfalle.

From Italy:

• Axa
• Valencia;
• Primo.

Cheaper import cabins costing from 45 thousand rubles. However, it all depends on the quality and features of a particular model. The cost of some of them may exceed 100 thousand rubles.

Domestic:

• Bach;
• Aqualife
• Eurolux;
• 1 Marka.

From China:

• Goldman;
• Fresh
• Baraka;
• Avanta.

Chinese products are quite common in Russian plumbing stores. The cost of shower cabins from China starts at 10 thousand and rarely exceeds 30 thousand rubles. But chasing low cost, you can run into low-quality plumbing. If you decide to buy a cheaper Chinese cab, it’s best to ask about the manufacturer’s reputation in advance.

First of all, evaluate your capabilities, both financial and available free space. With a bathroom area of ​​more than 7 square meters, you are free to choose any model.

For lovers of water treatments will be useful a wide range of functions. But if you want to just take a shower with no frills, take the simplest and cheapest models.

If the family has small children, you can choose a cabin with a deep pallet. In this case, it will replace a baby bath.

Many cheap cab models, not only open, but also closed, come without roofs. The buyer may be puzzled by such a decision, but he has his own advantages.The absence of a roof not only saves free space, but also simplifies the installation of the cab, because it does not need to conduct electricity separately. Room light will be enough. But such models should be located in rooms protected from moisture, as more steam and water spray will come out.

Also, evaluating your capabilities, it is worth taking care of the water pressure. Usually on floors of 8 and above it is not particularly strong and may not be sufficient for the selected model. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the technical requirements of the cab before purchasing it.

In general, the knowledge gained from all of the above is enough to choose a good shower cabin that will serve you faithfully for many years. In conclusion, let's take a look at a few examples in the interior.

• Semicircular model with a flat pallet.

• A rectangular cabin for a narrow but long room.

• An example of an open pentagonal cabin without a roof.

• Even the simplest corner model can look very stylish.

• A variant of how to place all the elements in a very limited space.

See how to choose a shower stall in the video.