Shower Enclosure

The variety of shower enclosures for sale can be a little overwhelming so we will try and offer some explanations of the different options available. A shower enclosure consists of a glass "box" that sits on top of the shower tray to form the cubicle. The glazed section can consist of a door (if the enclosure is fitted in an alcove) or a door with one or more fixed panels (for a corner installation), depending on chosen shower.

There are various different door types available. Some are designed for use on straight sided enclosures others are designed for use on curved shaped trays. Curved enclosures have different radii so be careful when ordering as it is vital that the curves match-up. It is usually best to buy the tray and enclosure as a matched item to ensure the two are compatible. The door types include:

The following diagrams explain how the most common types of shower door operate - the red areas show the door and its opening action, while the blue area indicates the fixed panel. See our shower cubicle section for more details on the various shapes of enclosure.

Pivot Door

The pivot door is the most common type and is found on most cheap shower enclosures .The most common type of enclosure uses the pivot door. Because of its popularity this type of door is the standard option included with most cheap shower enclosure packages. This type of enclosure door opens outwards into the bathroom so it is vital that there are no protrusions, such as a wash hand basin, that could cause damage or prevent it from opening fully.

Because the door pivots slightly inboard of the corner the door does not open out as far as would be the case with a hinged door.

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Depending on the manufacturer, pivot doors can be used with a fixed side panel (illustrated), two fixed side panels or wall to wall in a recess. If used with 2 side panels (i.e. the cubicle is being fitted against a flat wall as opposed to being fitted in the corner of the bathroom) manufacturers usually supply extra brackets to act as cross braces otherwise the enclosure would not be solid enough and could wobble, causing seals to break.

Hinged Door

Hinged shower doors used to be less common than pivot doors but as manufacturers making cheap shower enclosures have started to emulate products in the upper end of the shower enclosure market more and more showers are employing this design. The hinge is usually fixed through the glass itself enabling frameless designs to be utilised.

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This type of enclosure door opens outwards into the bathroom so it is vital that there are no protrusions, such as a wash hand basin, that could cause damage or prevent it from opening fully.

Quadrant Enclosures

The quadrant shower enclosure is ideal for incorporating in any bathroom design as it offers a quite large showering area without being too imposing, the curved design having no definite corner.

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Many corner shower cubicles are available with frameless doors making them feel even more open. The majority of this style of enclosure use a sliding mechanism for the doors (as illustrated) and can therefore be sited near other bathroom items such as basins or toilets without having to worry about the shower doors opening into the room. There are some quadrant cubicles available with hinged doors but these are far from common.

Corner Entry Enclosure

Corner entry doors are used when space either side of the cubicle is limited.

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The shower doors slide back from the corner on rollers contained inside the frame. The four panels that make up the enclosure tend to be framed so they do not feel as open as some of the frameless shower doors that are available. This type of enclosure cannot be used in a recess.

Inswing Door

Inswing doors offer the same large glass area as a pivot door but they do not open into the room, which is useful if space is limited.

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The opening mechanism is slightly more complicated than a pivot door and as a consequence they tend to be a bit more expensive. They are suitable for use in a recess.

Bi-Fold Shower Door

Bi-fold shower doors do not open into the room and so are suitable for use where space is limited. The mechanism is slightly less complicated than the in-swing door and as a consequence tend to be a little cheaper.

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Bi-fold doors can be used in a shower enclosure (as illustrated) or in a recess.

Sliding Shower Door

The slider enclosure , is a straightforward sliding door that is usually only available on larger shower cubicles. Typically these doors tend to be designed for shower trays 1200mm in length, but there a few that will fit slightly smaller cubicles.

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This type of shower door is suitable for use with an enclosure or can be used in a recess.