Updating the appearance of the bathroom is a cherished dream of many people. This is easiest to do with a shower. But do not forget about the importance of the design of its doors, and they can also be semicircular.
Construction characteristics
Of course, all people put forward their special requirements. But summing them up allows you to create a more or less uniform picture of an “ideal shower door”. Of course, it must be reliable both mechanically and with respect to high humidity, to temperature extremes. The more openings the structure withstands, the more attractive it turns out.
Attention is also paid to dimensions: they should not be too large, since there is rarely a lot of space in the bathroom.
And also think about:
- convenience of execution;
- door durability;
- compliance with the overall design.
A round-shaped shower cabin has an important advantage - it saves a lot of space in a cramped bathroom.
Materials
The total operating time directly depends on which structural material is selected. Most commonly used tempered glass or clear plastic. For obvious reasons, ordinary window glass cannot be used. Plastic is considered a more budget option, and the opinion that it is always inferior to glass in terms of strength and durability has long been outdated. Modern manufacturers have mastered the production of quite solid plastic.
Frosted plastic better having a simple surface. And yet the usual glass doors will not give up their positions for a very long time. In most cases, their thickness varies from 6 to 8 mm.Compared to plastic curtains, such models are not so demanding in everyday care, and usually even have a special coating. Therefore, the increased price is justified.
Species overview
Along with the structural material, the opening method is very important. In a full-sized bathroom, you should choose swinging semicircular doors for a shower cabin. Depending on the specific engineering plan, they can be equipped with turning mechanisms or fixed parts.
Important: operating experience has shown that the hinged doors dry faster. All other things being equal, preference should be given to structures with hinges from a single piece of steel.
A product of this class is promoted mainly by European suppliers. If compactness comes first, you should give preference sliding doors. They work in much the same way as an ordinary wardrobe. Rollers moving along the guide rails are attached to the blinds. Thanks to magnets and rubber bands, the opening will be sealed tightly.
However, one cannot fail to point out the “weak link” of the entire system — that is, the rollers. They are easily destroyed if they jump out of the guide lines. The owners themselves will have to keep track of this. Guides are made of:
- become;
- plastics
- aluminum.
Among these three options, the worst is definitely plastic. Gradually, even with the most careful handling, it will become loose. Replacing such a part will cost a round sum. Therefore, metal guides, even despite the initially higher price, are better suited for a sliding door. If the size of the bathroom is small, it is better to give preference to a cabin with folding doors in the manner of “books” or “accordions”.
Even simpler in the structure of the cabin with a fixed wall. In it a semicircular door can be located on one or both sides. In the practice of foreign manufacturers, this design is called Walk-In.
Typically, doors have plastic or aluminum trim. But there are also non-core designs (though they are noticeably more expensive than the core version).
How to choose?
First of all, you need to determine the number of wings. Compact cabs that save space have just one leaf. In the spacious bathroom you can put a cabin, where there are 3 or more. The width of the opening is very important. It should be such that all family members can freely take a shower without squeezing “close to the butt”. Another important point is the visual compatibility with other parts of the bathroom in general style and color.
If there is enough money, it is better to give preference to products made in Europe. Especially good products of Italian, Finnish and German origin.
Important: it makes little sense to buy a cabin and a door separately. When they come bundled, perfect compatibility is guaranteed. Attention should be paid to the origin of not only the door as a whole, but also of the individual components.
It is worth checking the thickness of the material used. Glass thinner than 4 mm is almost always a waste of money. At the minimum permissible thickness, a protective film must be used. Plastic doors may be thinner, but should be considered last. At least about 1 cm of free space for sealing should remain along the edges (otherwise the doors will rub against the walls).
Doors to a niche of non-standard size or unusual shape are best made to order. Yes, it is more expensive, but there is less risk that something will not be taken into account. If there are no special design preferences, it is better to use the proven universal option, that is, plain glass or colorless plastic. In more complex cases, you can use:
- drawings;
- various spraying options;
- stained glass;
- color inserts.
Dimensions
Of course, the size of the door must be selected taking into account the size of the opening. You can only vary the height of the product.For maximum tightness, the canvas should reach the ceiling. If this is not required, they usually stop at a value of 2.1-2.215 m. The narrowing of the door during installation in a wide opening is achieved by using rigid frame inserts.
One rack is enough to make a minimum copy of the opening. If the niche is very wide, symmetries are achieved using two niches at once. It will be possible to change the width when the installation of doors is carried out in the enclosure of the shower box itself (although this situation applies mainly to individual projects). The most common constructions are wide:
- 0,8;
- 0,9;
- 1;
- 1.2 m.
For tips on choosing a shower, see below.
