Choosing the right shower tray

Your shower tray will mean that your bathroom floor will remain dry.

To ensure this the shower tray must be level to guarantee it is watertight and make sure it has perfect drainage. There are many things that need to be decided on before a shower tray can be fitted. These are the;

Shower Tray Materials to choose from

• Acrylic for Shower Trays Acrylic is warm and cheap. Choose a reinforced model that’s fairly thick to avoid it bending, which can lead to leaks where the tray joins to the wall.
• Enamelled steel for Shower Trays Enamelled steel shower trays are hard wearing, but very cold underfoot and more expensive than acrylic.
• Ceramic for Shower Trays Ceramic shower trays are rigid, long lasting and easy to clean, however, it is very heavy so if the shower tray is being installed in an upstairs bathroom the floor may need to be reinforced.
• Resin for Shower Trays Resin shower trays are very stable and durable. They also come in a variety of shapes and colours.

Size of the shower tray

• Shower trays range from 80cm x 80cm to 170cm x 90cm.
• Flush-to-the-floor models create a wet-room feel. If you want a wet room feel then the room will need to be tanked to make sure it is water tight.
• Low-level trays (under 4cm high) give the room a wet look appearance without the expense of having to be tanked like a wet room.

Colour of the shower tray

• White shower trays are generally the most popular as it is clean, fresh and easily goes with other fittings, but you can also find shower trays in black, anthracite and even bright colours.
• Resinshower trays come in the widest colour range and ceramic is great for high-gloss colour.

Shapes of shower trays

• Square – good for an alcove space as it can fit easily in to place
• Quadrant –ideal for corner installations.
• Pentagonal – a corner model with five sides it is perfect for smaller bathroom as it won’t take up room as a standard shower tray.
• Rectangular –great for twin showering and has more space for showering than a square shower tray.
• Walk-in – has a drying area by the entrance, this keeps the bathroom floor from becoming so wet.

Positioning of the shower tray

• Must depend on where the plumbing is situated in the room.
• If the bathroom has a solid floor then it would be difficult to move the pipes, although a false floor could be built on top of the original floor.
• Corners and alcoves are useful because the walls form a natural enclosure.
• If you have a bigger bathroom then a large rectangle shower tray set against a long wall can become a focal point.

How easy is it to do myself?

• If the shower tray you are replacing is the same or very similar to the old one and have a certain amount of DIY skills then it should be fairly easy to fit the shower tray.
• If you would like the position of the shower tray moved or need pipes moved then it would be advisable to let a qualified plumber do it.