The shower cubicle is the centrepiece of the bathroom. It is the first element that catches the eye of those who cross the threshold of the room and around which all other pieces of furniture revolve. A modern shower enclosure with a refined and high-quality design is able to embellish one of the most intimate places in our home and contribute to making our moments of relaxation even more pleasant and comfortable.
Today, the market offers a wide range of customisation options that meet all needs, from aesthetics to functionality: we can choose the shower tray in the material and colour we prefer, opt for a shower cubicle with sliding or hinged door in crystal glass, decide on the type of frame according to where it is to be installed. Not to mention the shower heads and columns! In short, there is never a shortage of options.
However, we must bear in mind that not all solutions can be perfectly adapted to our bathroom. Therefore, it is good to know how to choose the furniture according to the space available. If we want to replace the shower enclosure, we need to be as precise as possible so that we are not disappointed by a solution that seemed perfect and then turns out to be wrong.
Measuring the space for the shower enclosure is a fairly simple but non-trivial operation that requires some precautions in order to avoid mistakes.
First of all, two things are of fundamental importance:
- that a bricklayer's straight edge is used (which is much more reliable than a tailor's tape measure for optimal measurement)
- that the measurements are only taken after the floor covering has been laid (it is necessary that the tiles are already laid so that we can take a measurement that also takes their thickness into account).
These rules, which apply to any type of shower enclosure, may involve slightly different steps depending on the installation to be carried out. In the case of a corner shower enclosure consisting of the space between two masonry walls, the measurement must be taken from the tile to the outer edge of the shower on the two free sides (where we will install the glass). If the shower is surrounded by brickwork on two sides (alcove shower), the only free side where the door is to be fitted must be measured. Although this appears to be the simplest option at first glance, it is actually the one that requires the most attention. The measurements must be taken from tile to tile both at the height of the shower tray and at half height (approx. 1 metre) and overhead (approx. 2 metres high) to find out if the walls are out of square.
If the shower enclosure is only installed on one side of the wall, at least one additional fixed panel must be fitted, to which we adapt the desired access. To install a shower enclosure in the centre of the wall, it is sufficient to determine the distance between the tiles on the wall side and the outer edge of the shower tray and then continue with the other two sides of the tray itself.
Another dimension that should not be neglected is the dimension that ensures that the available space between the cubicle and the sanitaryware or between the cubicle and the wall in front of it will guarantee sufficient space for the chosen type of opening.