Open shower cabin: the optimal solution for compact

Open type showers usually belong to the cheap segment of the sanitary market. They are compact, easy to manufacture and install, but at the same time they have a limited set of functions.

However, even in this case, these cabins are in demand, because with proper selection and installation in compliance with all safety requirements, they provide an adequate level of comfort. If you want to familiarize yourself with these products in more detail, then we recommend that you carefully study all the information contained in the sections of this article.

Overview of open cabins

Design features

When we talk about shower enclosures, most often we mean a rather characteristic product with a transparent or translucent body, impermeable to water. However, this design is typical, rather, for closed type cabins, which are distinguished by high complexity and considerable cost.

Those who want to save money or want to install a shower in a bathroom with a small area should take a closer look at more democratic open models:

• As in the case of closed products, open cabins are installed on special shower trays.. The pallet can be made of metal (steel from 2 mm thick), ceramics, acrylic, etc.
• The bathroom wall is usually the back wall of such a cabin.. Angular models usually lack two walls (respectively, due to savings on material they can cost less).

Note! A full-wall open shower also has a right to exist, but finding such models on sale is much more difficult. As a rule, full-wall products are installed in rooms with wooden walls; they are used in other situations that do not allow wetting of surfaces.

• Side walls and doors are held on vertical racks. An important feature of the open structures is that they do not reach the ceiling.

The range of such products is very diverse, and yet they can be divided into several groups:

Of course, in each category there are separate species, because the above information is more informational. And yet, to choose a shower stall to your taste, you should carefully examine the entire range available.

Advantages and disadvantages

In open products, despite their simplicity, there are obvious advantages that determine the demand for such booths.

Among the advantages are the following:

• Firstly, the structures are compact in size, which allows them to be installed in relatively small bathrooms.

• Secondly, the usual faucet with a shower head serves as a source of water. On the one hand, this somewhat limits the functionality, but on the other hand, you can take a shower with any pressure of water.
• Finally, the obvious advantage is the affordable price. And if you consider that if you have the minimum skills, you can not only install the booth on your own, but also make it yourself with your own hands, then the benefit from the purchase becomes obvious.

If we talk about the disadvantages, they, like the advantages, are directly related to the simplicity of the design:

• Firstly, the functionality of such booths is very limited. There is no hydromassage, no radio, no circular shower system ... in general, the option is suitable for those who plan to just wash.

• Secondly, the design does not differ tightness. And if droplets on the floor can still be avoided by installing a high-quality gasket on the doors, the steam will still enter the room, so we cannot do without effective ventilation.

However, if you take into account these features of open type cabins in advance, the disadvantages can be compensated. In the section devoted to the installation of similar structures, we will focus on this in more detail.

Recommendations for selection

It goes without saying that any instruction on the selection of equipment for the bathroom will be advisory in nature - the requirements for showers are too different. And yet some of the tips can be formulated, especially since they will follow without much difficulty.

So:

• Choosing an open booth, you need to pay attention primarily to the quality of the pallet. Acrylic models should be evenly painted and installed on a strong frame, and steel - made of metal with a minimum thickness of 2 mm and coated with anti-corrosion enamel.

Note! Thin (about 1.5 mm) metal will sag under your weight, which will lead to the destruction of the protective layer. As a result, the pallet will start to rust much earlier.

• The shape of the pallet is also important. Open shower cabins with a deep tray are more convenient in small rooms, since this base configuration minimizes the number of drops falling on the floor. If you take a small pallet, you will have to very high-quality waterproofing tiled masonry throughout the room.

• Side panels should be made of durable moisture-resistant material. Polycarbonate is cheaper, but becomes cloudy over time, so glass (tempered or laminated with polymer film) and triplex are used to produce really high-quality cabins. The latter variety is the most expensive, but it provides maximum security.
• It is also important to pay attention to the quality of the seals. Of course, open cabins are initially unpressurized, but one thing is water vapor, and quite another is water droplets, in large quantities falling on the floor. The tighter the door closes, the better!

Cabin installation

Room preparation

As we noted above, when installing an open booth, it is extremely important for us to protect all surfaces from moisture. That is why the installation is best done after the repair, during which you should take into account all the nuances.

We perform works in the following way:

• The walls of the room, to which the cabin will be attached, are cleaned of the old finish. We apply an antiseptic to the concrete or brick surface - it will protect the material from penetration of mold spores.
• After antifungal treatment, carefully ground the base. penetrating compositions based on acrylic.
• Inside the walls we lay pipes with hot and cold water.. Their ends are brought to the surface in such a way that the mixer can be connected.
• Using cement tile glue (it is advisable to choose compositions that are not afraid of water), tiling the walls or ceramic granite.

• After glue polymerization, we take a grout with good moisture-proof characteristics and carefully seal all the interlayer joints..

Note! Over time, even the highest quality and expensive grout loses its elasticity, because experts recommend updating the joint every four to five years.

Sex also requires preparation:

• The foundation is either covered with a waterproofing membrane, or coated with a compound that includes bitumen mastic. At the same time, it is desirable that the waterproofing layer for the shower would go on the walls for about 100-150 mm.
• We tile the floor, then we rub the joints with a sealing compound.
• Particular attention is paid to the floor directly under the shower tray: if the design does not allow adjustment using the legs, the base should be leveled very carefully.

• Do not forget about ventilation: a large amount of water vapor will have to be removed from the air forcibly, so that the exhaust fan will be very useful.

Installation design

By itself, the installation of open cabins does not cause difficulties, and yet it must be carried out according to certain rules:

• We start the installation from the bottom - from the pallet. We attach the frame and legs to this part, after which we install the pallet to the chosen place for fitting.
• We connect a siphon to the drain hole, from which we take the flute to the outlet of the sewer riser.
• Finally install the pallet, adjusting its height with the help of legs.

• We attach vertical racks for lateral surfaces to the pallet. The joints of the racks with the wall are carefully sealed.
• Install glazing or polycarbonate panels, clamping them in the grooves of the racks. It uses a regular seal, but additional silicone sealing will not be superfluous.
• We assemble the doors, after which we install them on the guides. We check how easily they move and, if necessary, we correct either the position of the pallet (remove the skew) or the position of the loops.

After assembly, we perform a test run of water, including a shower head, with the doors closed. If the water does not fall outside - then we did everything right!

Conclusion

If we chose an open shower for installation in the bathroom, it will be much easier to install it with our own hands than a closed cabin. Yes, and other advantages of such structures is enough, so it should at least consider them as one of the options for bathroom equipment. More details about the subtleties of the selection and installation of such booths will help the video in this article.