What are the shower cabins?

We are all used to the traditional arrangement of the bathroom, in which the bath serves as the main device for washing. This type of sanitary ware, like shower cabins, was recently unavailable to most users because of the prohibitive cost. However, everything is changing, and today we are seeing a trend of changing priorities among the population. After all, installing a shower in a small bathroom instead of a cumbersome old cast-iron bath frees a lot of space that a washing machine or other useful thing may well take. What are the shower cabins and what parts do they consist of - the subject of this article.

What are shower cabins and their types

A shower cubicle is a plumbing device that is an isolated space that is limited by walls and sliding doors installed on a pallet with drain. In the cockpit, at least, there is a mixer with a shower head. By type, you can divide all cabins into open and closed ones. In some sources there is a division into prefabricated and monoblock structures. In turn, closed monoblock cabins can be multifunctional.

Shower cabins of open type

Such plumbing devices are also called prefabricated. Indeed, the design of the open booth is such that it does not have a ceiling, as a wall it can have a corner of the room or one of the walls, the floor can be equipped with a pallet or be without it, the front part is provided with doors that are mounted separately.

For people who do not know this type of shower is the simplest and cheapest, but this is not entirely true, and this is why:

• To make the cab design perfect and doors open and close correctly, Before installation, carefully prepare the floor and walls. The walls must be leveled, covered with tiles and do not allow water to pass through. On the floor you need to arrange waterproofing and build a pallet of concrete, covering it with a tile, or buy a ready-made, which happens: cast iron, steel, faience, acrylic, and also from artificial marble.
• For the correct construction of an open booth, you will need to know the basics of plumbing and the skills of construction and finishing works.

At the same time, the open design allows you to install the shower in a niche or corner of the bathroom, having finished everything to your taste. The bunk can be installed directly on the floor under certain conditions.

To make a shower enclosure without a pallet, it is required to raise a little the entire floor in the bathroom. The height of the lift should provide a slope of the drain to 2 - 3 degrees. In the raised floor, a drainage system is installed, which is designed to drain into the ode into the sewer. On the floor in the shower set a device, which is called a drain ladder. It is equipped with a siphon to cut off the smells of sewage. From above, this ladder is closed by a grate, which must be flush with the surface of the tile. When buying a ladder, you should choose a product from high-quality stainless steel, which will ensure its continued operation. When choosing a shower tile, as for the entire bathroom as a whole, it is necessary to stay on those options that do not slip. This will prevent possible injury.

Types of ready-made pallets

If you decide to purchase a finished pallet, but do not know which material to choose from, then read the basic characteristics:

• Cast iron pallets are practically not produced today, as they are too heavy and very long warm up, although they keep the heat perfectly. They are very reliable and stable. Steel pallets are made of steel with a thickness of 1.2 - 1.5 mm, which is covered with enamel. This option is not very practical, because the enamel often bounces off with a bad attachment. In addition, thin steel creates too much noise when using a shower. This problem is solved by installing rubber or polyurethane foam pads under the pallet.
• Faience shower trays are very beautiful and hygienic. They are stable and easy to clean. In this case, faience plumbing should be installed on a perfectly flat floor surface, provided with a special screed, since it does not have a skeleton. And one more thing - faience is cold and warms up for a long time.
• Virtually no shortcomings in acrylic pallets. They are beautiful enough, they do not absorb dirt, they wash well and do not darken with time. Such pallets are equipped with a metal frame with adjustable legs, which makes it possible to install the structure quite steadily, even on a not very even floor. However, one drawback is - this is insufficient strength. The pallet is made by thermoforming acrylic sheets with a thickness of 4 to 6 mm. The outer layer is reinforced with glass fiber. This greatly strengthens the structure. Conveniently, small scratches in the pallet can be simply ground, and for larger damages, there is a special compound in the repair kit, which is applied to the damaged area, after which it is also ground.
• Another material from which shower trays make is artificial marble. Produce it on the basis of all the same acrylic, but with the addition of granite or marble chips, quartz sand, as well as fiberglass. Such pallets are painted in different colors and can have a lot of names, as each firm comes up with its own. Products made of artificial marble are light, beautiful, durable and warm. The pallets are also equipped with adjustable legs.

You should also know the standard dimensions of shower trays. Square products make from 70x70 to 100x100 cm in increments of 5 cm. Rectangular pallets can be: 90x70, 75x90, 85x70, 100x75, 100x80 and even 100x200 cm. Round corners, semi-circular, pentagonal models are also popular. An important characteristic is the depth of the pallet. By this criterion they are divided into:

• Flat - up to 35 mm.
• Medium - from 35 to 100 mm.
• Deep - from 100 to 180 mm.
• Bath pans: Sitting baths with a step for sitting inside and a step outside. They are completely an alternative to a full bath.

It should be noted that the pallets inside are provided with a corrugated floor, which eliminates sliding and makes the use of the shower safe.

Walls and doors of open shower cabins

Walls for shower cabins are made of polystyrene or tempered glass. Their frame is made of aluminum or from more budgetary plastic. Buying a structure of polystyrene and plastic, you need to understand that it will last no more than 3 to 5 years. Therefore, it is better to immediately purchase glassware. They are much more durable, but in addition, they look much more aesthetic than their cheaper counterparts. Glass can be opaque, transparent, tinted and even patterned. That on the glass there were no white spots from the use of detergents, it is applied a special anti-plaque coating.

As for the doors, they are similar to the walls made of glass and polystyrene. By its design, the doors are classified into:

• Swing, which can be single- and double-leaf. Single leaves require a large area and open only to the outside. Bivalves save space to a greater extent, so they can open inside.
• Sliding doors are the most common. They can be rolled back and folded. Roll-out rolls on rollers on special guides. They can consist of 1, 2, 3, 4 leaflets. The size of the entrance depends on their number. Folding doors are also equipped with rollers, but they are specially folded into an accordion. The number of valves can reach 6 pieces.
• Swivel sliding doors. They have appeared recently and are used only with ready-made monoblock booths. This door is like a bus door. At the opening, it leaves forward, and then shifts sideways. This is the most expensive design.

Doors are supplied with various sealing devices, which do not allow water to leak out.

Closed or one-piece shower enclosures

Today, the most popular are closed or monoblock shower cabins, which are sometimes called shower enclosures. Their distinctive feature is the presence of the ceiling. Monoblock shower enclosure is a complete sanitary appliance, which is closed on all sides. Since such a booth can be moved from place to place without dismantling, it can be installed anywhere. The main condition - the presence of withdrawal from the water supply and sewerage. Closed cabs differ in several criteria:

• The number of available options is simple and multifunctional. The latter have not only a shower, but also several additional functions. We'll talk about them later.
• By configuration and size. Round, square, rectangular, angular - what only there is no one-piece booths.
• The height and material of the pallet.
• Based on the material of doors and walls.

No special knowledge is required to install such booths. It is only necessary to assemble the entire structure according to the instructions and place it in the required place. It may happen that the sink in the bathroom is too high for the booth. In this case it is necessary to make a podium or to get longer legs.

Multifunctional shower cabins

These plumbing devices are able not only to perform the task of washing people, but also create additional conveniences.

• The most common function is hydromassage. On one of the inner walls is installed a hydromassage panel, which is equipped with several rotating heads with many jets that are capable of creating a stream of thin jets of water under pressure. These jets provide a massage effect on the human body. In some expensive models, a horizontal hydromassage is also used. Like a jacuzzi, the nozzles in them are located in the sides of the pallet itself, which provides massage through a layer of water.

• Another useful feature is a Turkish bath. These booths are equipped with a steam generator, which at a temperature of 50 degrees provides 100% humidity inside. Steam is distributed with the help of a fan evenly throughout the volume.
• A tropical shower is provided using a special attachment on the ceiling of the cabin. It sprays water with small drops, creating a feeling of downpour. This is a very useful function for relaxing before going to bed. Aromatherapy or inhalation. To the function of tropical rain and bath adds the ability to inhale aromatic beneficial balms. This is achieved by the fact that steam and water pass through a reservoir into which an aromatic composition is poured.
• Ventilation allows you to distribute steam evenly in expensive models, and in a simpler fan, built into the ceiling, allows you not to suffocate during bathing.
• The function of a contrasting shower makes it possible to temper the body and create vivacity in the morning for those who are heavily awake. The system automatically supplies hot and cold water alternately.
• Chromotherapy is a healing by exposure to light during the reception of water procedures. This procedure has a very positive effect on the nervous and hormonal system. The process is carried out with the help of LEDs mounted in the ceiling and illuminated streams of water according to a predetermined program. The control is carried out with the help of the remote control.
• The infrared heating system is capable of raising the temperature with the help of infra-red radiators to high values, at which intensive sweating begins.
• The most expensive shower booths have even such a function as voice control. The system is able to recognize voice commands that can be given to change the water temperature or the inclusion of additional functions.

In addition, all shower boxes are equipped with various shelves, handrails, radio receiver, hands-free kit, mirror, as well as dispensers of liquid products. Depending on the availability of this or that additional function, monoblock shower cabins can cost from 250 to 1000 or more cu. Therefore, everyone can choose a device that satisfies his financial capabilities. Often the purchase of a ready-made closed shower is cheaper than the installation of an open system.

Which type of booth to choose is up to you. The main thing is that it can meet all your needs, and do not exceed your capabilities.