In many modern houses in the bathrooms there is a separate niche for the shower. This greatly simplifies the installation of specialized equipment. This architectural element allows you to quickly and easily equip a functional area due to the installation of a door, which significantly reduces the total cost of work.
Features
Shower door designs are ideal for niche bathrooms. Thus, you can get a stylish modern room, which will always be comfortable. Such a layout option for the bathroom has a significant advantage - the user gets the opportunity to follow all the necessary hygiene rules when performing regular water procedures. The list of advantages of door systems to a niche does not end there: installing them, you can significantly save your finances, since the purchase of such structures will be much cheaper than installing a standard shower cabin.
A shower tray usually comes with shower doors, so airtight design in the bathroom, which in its technical and operational parameters will be comparable with modern options for shower cabins, but at the same time at a minimal cost.
Summarizing, we can distinguish the following advantages of doors for showers:
- beautiful design, due to which the design looks harmonious in any interior;
- products have high insulating parameters, preventing the noise of falling water from going outside the cabin;
- shower doors visually expand the boundaries of the room, provided that you use mirror or glass sheets;
- products are much cheaper than a typical cab while maintaining the same functionality.
Species overview
Depending on the technical and operational features of the design all shower doors for niches can be divided into several varieties.
- Swing. These are the simplest, but at the same time practical and durable models that can be installed in any niches. The only restriction is their width - the vast majority of doors made in this design have a width of no more than 90 cm. This is not always convenient for owners of spacious niches. The flaps in this design are fixed on hinges, while along the entire perimeter special parts are mounted that contribute to reliable sealing.
Swing structures can open exclusively outward - this creates certain difficulties during operation, since such a design requires additional space.
- Sliding. Such models have no width limits, so they can be installed in niches of any meter. They can have one or several moving parts, some models provide for the installation of stationary side windows. The use of ergonomic sliding doors allows you to optimize the space of the bathroom, because it does not require additional space for opening the shutters. The disadvantages of the model include a significant number of various moving parts, which generally reduces the reliability of the mechanism.
Experienced finishers recommend using only products of well-established manufacturers, otherwise you will have to repair and adjust the sliding system quite often.
- Folding. Such accordion models in terms of reliability, practicality and comfort are a kind of "middle ground". The advantages of such products include the breadth of the range in size, in particular in width. Such doors consist of a pair of halves pivotally connected to each other, so they are opened by bending. They can have a left- or right-handed version.
- Pendulum. These mechanisms can open both to the right and to the left. The design has two wings fixed on hinges. Such models are not very popular, due to their high cost.
Dimensions
It's obvious that on the geometric features of the door for the shower and the total number of wings, an important effect is the distance between the niches. The standard design of the door has a typical width of 60 cm. For a complete overlap of such an opening, a single leaf is quite enough. Also on sale you can find models with a width of 80, 85, 100, 110, 115, as well as 140 and even 145-150 cm. The height of the canvas is usually 180 or 200 cm.
In more spacious niches, the length between the walls of which is 120-130 cm, the door leaf can be formed of several sections, while one or even two of them are fixed permanently. The width of the wings in this case may be different for each element or the same for all. If the width of the doorway is 90 cm, the shower door is usually double-leafed, while the dimensions of the wings can also vary, for example, the width of one of them is 60 cm and the second is 30 cm. If necessary, the ratio may be different: 40 to 50 or 70 to 20.
Materials
As for the materials from which the doors for shower niches are made, the choice is quite limited and is presented only in two options:
- models made of heat-treated glass;
- plastic constructions.
Glass products are the most rational choice, taking into account operating conditions involving increased humidity, the effect of hot steam, as well as constant temperature changes in the shower.
However, in terms of price, the most affordable and affordable option will be plastic structures for niches. Even with limited budget the user can always afford to buy a PVC door.
Glass doors are highly reliable and functional. Even at the production stage, they are treated with special protective polymers that protect the surface of the sheet from dirt, so users do not have to make any efforts to keep the door clean. If installed in a niche plastic doors, then they will have to spend quite a lot of time cleaning them from all kinds of pollution. Stains are absorbed rather quickly into the material, so the appearance of the PVC structure can quickly deteriorate.
Glass is a completely inert material from a chemical point of view, it is not afraid of water and cleaning products, even with aggressive acid-base composition. Plastic doors can only be cleaned with soft gel pastes.
Tempered glass is characterized by increased physical strength. This material is capable of withstanding tangible static and dynamic loads. It is almost impossible to break such a glass - for this it will be necessary to strike at it, comparable to the blows of a hammer. However, even if in the event of any emergency you can still split it, the glass will simply shatter into small square pieces - this completely eliminates personal injury.
Plastic doors with mechanical impact are easily covered with cracks and scratches.
The most expensive options for door structures for niches are made of triplex. It is impossible to break such glass in domestic conditions. In terms of their technical parameters, such products fully comply with all applicable safety standards.
The advantages of glass structures can also include a large design choice. Manufacturers offer users color, as well as transparent and opaque options for glass doors. On sale there are models with decorative patterns and thematic drawings. In addition, any user can always create their own designer design options, taking into account the basic stylistic decor of the premises - there is a wide range of self-adhesive films on sale, so decorating a glass door does not present any difficulties.
Glass is a molten and solidified quartz, in the natural environment it decomposes for more than a hundred years. This means that the period of use of doors made of such material is almost unlimited. At the same time, the glass retains its invariably attractive initial appearance throughout its entire life. Such doors do not deform and do not lose the brightness of colors.
Models with a wooden door or wood composite constructions for showers should not even be considered. Under the influence of aggressive external conditions, moisture, hot steam and elevated temperatures, the tree breaks down, the canvas becomes an environment favorable for the propagation of fungi, mold and other pathogenic microflora. These doors quickly lose their attractive appearance and become potentially unsafe for the health of children and adults.
Design options
The great popularity of glass in the manufacture of doors is explained by the possibility of manufacturing products of various degrees of transparency and dimensions. Preference is given to the following canvas options.
- Matte finish. The necessary dullness parameter is achieved by sandblasting the material on a special apparatus. Additionally, chemical components may be used.
- With tinted. In this case, as a result of processing, you can get a door leaf of a wide variety of colors, the choice of which depends on the general style of decoration of the interior of the bathroom.
- Ornamented. The picture can be represented as a repeating pattern around the entire perimeter of the canvas, and a picture. The latter option is most often used in the individual manufacture of door systems in strict accordance with the wishes of the customer.
- With a stained glass window. The most expensive option.It includes several methods of making paintings. As a rule, pre-prepared colored fragments are laid out on a horizontal surface, and then fused to each other under the influence of elevated temperatures.
At home, the decor of the door leaf can be done using paints for glass or using moisture-resistant stickers. For triplexes, the photo printing method is used - the shutter includes several layers, the image is applied to the inner surface.
Moisture will not threaten such a pattern during operation, even if water directly affects the door.
Top brands
One of the best manufacturers of shower doors that have earned an impeccable reputation in the market is Italian. Cezares company. When creating models, the company's specialists accumulate modern technology and thousands of years of experience by Italian masters. It is this tandem that makes the doors of this brand stylish, functional and high quality. The undoubted advantages of Cezares shower doors include a unique design. The lineup offers products made in a variety of stylistic solutions - from retro to hi-tech.
All products are ISO 9001 certified. It is noteworthy that initially Cezares doors were produced for European consumers, but as they moved to the Russian market, new models were proposed that were adapted to the typical conditions of use in our country. The disadvantages include only the high price on the doors of the "elite" category. However, for people who are used to paying for beauty, prestige and quality, this is hardly a drawback. Especially since for middle-income buyers, the company produces a line of products at affordable prices. No other deficiencies have been identified.
Doors are very popular German company Huppe. For over 3 decades, the company has been engaged in the technical development and production of original shower cabins, bath barriers and shower doors of the highest quality. Throughout the entire period of their activity, Huppe engineers strove to constantly search for the most advanced solutions for creating new models. In particular, Huppe is the one who owns the idea of creating a frameless door - a simple but very popular solution that is in demand among consumers all over the world.
A wide range of manufactured doors for shower niches includes both elite models and more budget-friendly products of economy class, while the configuration and configuration of doors can vary from the simplest to the most complex, provides for different types of opening and closing doors and the most original new-fashioned design solutions.
Vegas Glass is an Italian company that has gained fame for its original shower doors, shower enclosures, and bathroom blinds. Shower doors of this brand cannot boast of the technological effectiveness of every detail and an abundance of additional options, however, they differ in a truly Italian fashion following, laconicism and elegance.
It is the style of products and the highest quality of raw materials that comes to the fore. For the doors of this Italian brand, it is typical to use original textures on a glass surface, as well as tinting aluminum profiles in various colors.
Thanks to this, products have gained recognition in various corners of the globe.
When comparing these brands, it can be noted that they are very different from each other and are focused on different categories of customers both in taste preferences and in financial capabilities. Products of the German brand are more suitable for active business people who have very little free time - it is important for them to carry out all necessary hygiene procedures as quickly as possible and go about their business.
But the products of Italian brands, on the contrary, are aimed at those people for whom taking a shower is a small sacrament, requiring an appropriate approach and dimension. Thus, each brand is designed for its own customer, therefore when choosing a model of one or another manufacturer, one should take into account the peculiarities of your character and habits developed over the years.
Selection tips
The modern market for shower doors is oversaturated with a variety of design solutions. For example, you can buy glass doors with chrome-plated metal elements or purchase a model covered with “gold” - each consumer will find a shower door that will harmoniously fit into the decor of his bathroom. However, selection criteria should not be limited only by appearance. It is very important to take into account the technical and operational parameters of a product.
First of all, you should pay attention to the thickness of the glass. So, there is no need to worry about triplex - it is reliable and can withstand quite tangible mechanical shocks. Doors for showers with photo printing are usually made of tempered glass, the thickness of which varies from 4 to 8 mm.
If small children and elderly people live in your house - it is better to give preference to denser models.
By the way, in this case, it is advisable to purchase swing doors, as it will be difficult for people of mature age to use sliding and folding structures, and kids of such installations can simply break. In general, the easier the opening method is, the longer your door will serve you.
Pay attention to the supporting elements of the partition - they must be made of stainless steel. The aluminum profile can only be used around the perimeter. The fact is that glass weighs a lot, and aluminum is not designed for such loads. Unfortunately, not all manufacturers use high-quality steel, so over time it begins to become coated with oxides, because of this the door can open hard and make an unpleasant creak.
To verify the quality of the product, you can conduct a small test. Attach a magnet to stainless steel. If you feel even the slightest attraction - it is better to immediately refuse to buy such a product. When choosing the size of the door leaf, take into account the physical characteristics of users - for large households it is better to choose doors with parameters of 150x200 cm.
Modern doors have the option of mounting without a pallet. If you make a choice in favor of such an embodiment, you will be relieved of discomfort at the entrance to the shower niche, since in this design there are no sills as such. This option is optimal for families in which older people and users with disabilities live.
In addition, having made a choice in favor of such a solution, you can realize a variety of design ideas in your room, for example, decorate the floor with original tiles.
If your bathroom has an original non-standard layout and you can’t pick up shower doors of the right size - the best option is to make custom-made shower doors. To do this, you need to contact the production company, set the individual parameters of your niche and communicate your wishes. Thus, you can get a door structure that will provide you with maximum comfort when using a shower niche and at the same time maintain a modern, stylish design in the bathroom.
Be sure to think about the reliability and quality of the product.. These parameters should become key when choosing a model. We draw attention to the fact that a quality product cannot be cheap. If you want to get a design in the bathroom that will ensure safety and functionality of use - it is better to give preference to models for serious money. By paying once, you will receive an ergonomic, aesthetically attractive product that will last you several decades.
In the next video, you will be installing a shower door in a niche.