Custom built shower enclosure cubicle

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How to request a quotation for a Bespoke shower enclosure


Free no obligation quotation for a bespoke shower enclosures doors and panels

Index > Bespoke shower enclosures > How to request a quote

 

  1. An overview of designing a bespoke shower enclosure

  2. Framed, frameless and semi-frameless shower doors and panels

  3. Custom shower doors for alcoves

  4. How tall should a shower door be?

  5. What type of shower door should you choose?

  6. Coloured shower door frames

  7. How thick should shower door glass be?

  8. Bespoke corner shower enclosures

  9. How to measure for your custom corner shower enclosure

  10. Custom side panels for bespoke showers

  11. Some Do's and Dont's about custom shower enclosures

  12. Send us your design for a custom shower door or enclosure

  13. Custom shower door and enclosure design assistant

 

Custom made to measure shower doors and panels

What we need to know

Obtaining a quote for custom made shower screens and doors is a fairly simple process. All we need are a few key measurements.

Here are a few simple guidelines to help you help us.

 

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Framed, frameless or semi-frameless shower door?

There are essentially three types of shower door and shower enclosure available.

1. A framed shower enclosure door

As the name suggests is fully framed. This is to say it has framework all the way around the door. So, for example, a pivot door might have an outer frame in which the pivot door is mounted, but the pivot door itself may in some instances be framed as well.

(Note: Although designed to work with framed doors, many fixed side and inline panels available these days are in fact semi-frameless. i.e. Framed door with semi-frameless fixed panel)

Advantages/Disadvantages:

A framed enclosure has a somewhat heavier appearance than its counterparts. Modern design tends to favour the lighter weight appearance of frameless and semi-frameless models. Frames offer adjustment within the profiles that attach them to walls which is useful if your walls aren't perpendicular.

2. A frameless shower enclosure

As the name suggests - there is an absence of framework.  Fully frameless shower doors and enclosures are popular with minimalists as their appearance is unobtrusive. But, no enclosure is truly without metalwork. Such an enclosure requires bracing bars and hinges/runners which can vary in shape and function.

Advantages/Disadvantages:

Appearance - A frameless design is celebrated by minimalists. Popular concept in modern bathroom design as the lack of metalwork makes the enclosure less obtrusive, but the positives can be outweighed by the negatives.

Disadvantages - Precious little or no adjustment. Out-of-true walls can be a nightmare. Glass must be cut to exact size and shape. Once made, toughened glass cannot be altered. Clip on bubble seals that rely on compression are often ineffective, laborious to keep clean and become dated spoiling the intended appearance. If you decide on fully frameless make sure you purchase from a shower specialist. Many have-a-go glazing shops lack the experience in this specialist area and might well be avoided.

3. A semi-frameless shower enclosure

This is a hybrid of the previous two types. Generally, the top and bottom of each panel will be frameless, but the sides (left and right) will have  metal profiles that facilitate adjustment - crucial for alignment.

Wall profiles and magnetic door seals offer excellent water retention properties and the over all appearance is more subtle than a fully framed design.

Semi-frameless is a good choice if you need a door that is shorter than the height of the user. No horizontal framework means there's nothing to duck under or hit your head or face on when entering and exiting the shower.

 

Advantages/Disadvantages:

Considered by many to be the ultimate combination. More subtle than the fully framed counterpart giving an attractive minimalist appearance with all the advantages of adjustment that their fully framed counterparts offer.

High quality magnetic water seals on doors.

 

Bespoke shaped shower enclosures

Semi-frameless shower enclosure comprising a hinged door with inline angled fixed panel.

Above: Semi-frameless shower enclosure comprising a hinged door with fixed inline angled panel. Ideal for loft spaces.

 

 

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Bespoke shower doors for Alcoves

An alcove can easily be transformed into a designer shower area with the simple addition of a shower tray (or wet floor), door (and inline panel if necessary) across the opening.

The height

Shower trays are commonly used to create a shower. This is not intended as a statement of the obvious, there are other methods such as a wet room.

If you are using a shower tray remember that the shower door and/or panel will sit on the top of the edge of the tray. This might be considered obvious but it is surprising how many people overlook this fact - measuring instead from the floor to describe the entire opening.

For this reason the tray should be fully and securely fitted before measuring. No matter how good you are an estimate will not suffice. When angles are involved there is little or no forgiveness if you should make a mistake.

It is of paramount importance that your vertical measurements are from the top of the tray, after all, this is where the door and/or panel will sit. The type and height of the tray are more or less irrelevant (beware of upstands and tiling lips and never include them in your measurements) provided the vertical measurement is taken from the surface upon which the door will sit.

Only issues that might have a bearing on what you want us to make should factor into your description. This normally precludes what you are covering the bathroom floor with, or other decorative features!

See: How tall should a shower door be?

Measuring for an angled ceiling in an alcove

You should measure from the rim (top) of the shower tray up the wall to the point where the angle of the ceiling begins. This is a critical measurement that will assist in establishing the angle of the slope.

On the other side of the alcove you should measure up the wall to a point corresponding to your chosen door/enclosure height. A horizontal measurement is required from this point across to the sloping ceiling. We need to establish where a horizontal line will strike the slope. This is another critical measurement that will help to establish the angle of the sloping ceiling.

Planning your custom shower construction

While it might be considered good planning to order your bespoke shower door as early as possible, don't be too hasty. Consider how you intend to install your custom built unit.

For example, do you intend to tile or are you going to use some form of wall covering? Has that part of the job been completed?

Do you:

1. intend to install your shower door then tile up to it? or

2. will you tile then install the shower door on the surface of the tile? (the more popular option)

There is little point measuring the width of an opening before tiling if you intend to install on the surface of the tile later - hence narrowing the effective opening. Tiles vary in thickness as will the layer of adhesive holding them.

The dimension of the opening can be significantly reduced by the tiling process, so beware of falling into this trap. Only measure after the walls are finished.

Good advice: Walls in buildings are rarely perpendicular, flat or square. For this reason you should take several sample measurements at different heights across the width of an alcove to determine whether the gap is constant or if the walls are running out of true.

If you intend to order totally frameless glass (not recommended) then it will need to be cut to suit the opening exactly. This is to say, if the opening tapers then the glass will need to be cut to suit the shape of the aperture. Accurate measurements are therefore essential.

Doors and panels that are framed or semi-framed will generally have a degree of adjustment within the wall profile. While this is useful for micro-adjustment and out-of-true walls it should not be used to compensate for poor measuring.

Vertical measurements need to be taken from the top of the shower tray after it is fully installed. Approximations will not do.

Red exclamation mark If your opening tapers you should establish which (if any) of the walls are square (perpendicular) to the tray. So long as we know there shouldn't be a problem.

Do not guess or assume

Because you might be using a 1200 shower tray it does not follow that your door width must be 1200. It is usual when walls are tiled that the lowest tile will overlap (sit on) the edge of the tray, so the thickness of the tile and its adhesive layer could significantly reduce the dimension.

Accordingly, your finished aperture and therefore your door must be slightly smaller than the apparent tray size.

Wait until you can be sure of the aperture you wish to enclose before measuring for your door. DO NOT GUESS.

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How tall should a shower door be?

Choosing a door height and type for an awkwardly shaped area can sometimes involve compromise. What you'd like and what is possible may not go hand in hand.

Rarely will an 'off the shelf' item work, which means custom design and bespoke manufacture are likely to be necessary.

What is possible will determine the basis for your shower enclosure design, so establishing a few 'ground rules' will help from the outset.

 

We are unable to offer angled shower doors.

Your design must therefore incorporate a door with a rectangular shape. Angled inline and side panels can be added as required.

Minimum widths. Manufacturing constraints and practicality determine certain minimum sizes. The minimum possible width for a door will depend on the style and type.

For example, a semi-frameless outward opening hinged door is 570mm (but this would leave zero adjustment. Its framed counterpart would have an absolute minimum width of 600mm (again leaving zero adjustment).

Choose a semi-frameless bi-fold door and the minimum door width is 580mm, in a framed version 600mm. As you can see the different designs and styles all have different size constraints.

Important: Don't assume just because a door has a minimum width of 580mm that it will fit in a 580mm aperture. This might sound odd, but walls in buildings are rarely perpendicular to the shower tray/floor or parallel to each other. This is why doors and panels have adjustment - to compensate for the imperfections of construction. Even if your walls are 'pretty good and fairly parallel are they square (perpendicular) to the tray?

Doors can usually be made shorter, or in some instances taller. Depending on whether you require a framed or semi-frameless design the available options change. For example, custom height bi-fold doors may be available in a framed design but not semi-frameless.

How tall? This brings us to a very important issue when selecting the height of a bespoke shower door. Be careful if your design calls for a short door in a framed design. A framed enclosure will have a horizontal cross-member above the door, so make it too short and you risk injury as you enter and exit the shower (the frame might hit you in the face). If the door needs to be short it may be better to opt for a semi-frameless design where possible which lends itself to such a scenario as it has no horizontal framework to cause obstruction.

Sliding shower doors - A semi-frameless design cannot be offered in a sliding door model - as there's no framework on which to support the sliding mechanism for the door.

Inline panel considerations. Custom fixed inline panels will always be semi-frameless. This is to say they will not have framework top or bottom regardless of whether they are to be used with a framed or semi-frameless door. There may also be manufacturing constraints (minimum widths) depending on style. Best to ask.

An angled panel cannot be manufactured to a point

Manufacturing constraints dictate that a flat is required at the top which must be at least 100mm. Shown in the diagram below as dimension 'E'.

Key dimensions when designing a shower enclosure for a sloping ceiling.

Things we all need to know

The diagram to the left shows the key key dimensions we need to know and therefore what you must consider.

Beginning at the top, Dimension F must equal the minimum door width plus at least 100mm for the flat on top of the inline panel.

Dimension D is the sum of the door width and the inline panel width and must be in excess of the minimum sizes manufacturing constraints determine.

Providing you can achieve 'D' you will need to determine how tall/short 'A' must be in order to achieve 'F' where there is a sloping ceiling.

Given the example (left), as you reduce the enclosure height (Dimension A) the width across the top (Dimension F) increases.

It might be prudent to begin planning by seeing how tall and enclosure will be in order to achieve Dimension F.

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What type of shower door should you choose?

Having covered matters of minimum size above you might consider aesthetics and the practicalities of different types of shower door. Available space will often determine what will work best.

Consider the swing of an outward opening pivot or hinged door and whether it might collide with something like a towel warming rail, WC pan or sink when opening.

If a hinged shower door will open inward, is there enough room for you and the swing door inside the shower?

Will the way the door opens interfere with access or escape from the room? Will the swing of the door facilitate easy access to the shower or become an obstacle to be negotiated?

Bi-folding door

Maybe a bi fold door takes your fancy?

Bi-folding shower doors are designed to hinge and fold inward, but for safety we can offer models that will open outward in an emergency should access be required. There are essentially two types - framed and semi-frameless. Framed bi-fold doors usually run in tracks top and bottom. These tracks guide the door while opening/closing and prevent it from swinging.

Bi-fold doors are available in a semi-frameless design. While the doors are designed to fold inward they have the additional benefit of being able to fold outward for emergencies - a nice feature. Bi-folding doors start at around 600mm width.  Only the framed bi-fold model can be shortened. We presently cannot offer custom heights in a semi-frameless bi-fold door.

Inward opening bi-fold shower door diagram


Hinged or pivot door?

A hinged door is quite literally hinged at the extremity of the panel, whereas a pivot door rotates on a pivot point located some 70mm or so from the panel's edge.

A pivot door is nearly always fully framed (the frame being necessary to provide a pivot point top and bottom). With a pivot door it could be argued that you actually loose a certain amount of the entry dimension due to the inset location of the pivot, but by the same token the arc of the door is slightly reduced thereby reducing the projection when open.

A hinged door offers maximum entry width as the hinge is located at the outermost point.

With a few exceptions, hinged and pivot doors generally open outward.


Sliding Door

A sliding door is popular for many reasons. It is a great way to enclose a particularly large shower tray or alcove. A sliding door is great if you have limited space or if the swing of an outward opening door might collide with fixed obstacles.

Sliding doors are not economical in the way they offer access. For example, when a 1000mm double sliding door is opened you don't get 500mm access as you might expect. Although one door slides behind the other it never does so fully so the resulting entry dimension will be less than half.

Sliding shower door diagram 1


Saloon Style shower doors

This style of door opens outwards, but because each panel is only half the width of the opening the swing of each door is minimised accordingly making it a good choice in small spaces or when the swing of a full size door or other bathroom fixtures in proximity to the shower present themselves as obstacles.

The height of saloon doors can be customised.

Saloon style shower doors. Twin pivoting shower doors.


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Coloured frames

If there is a frame profile (or part thereof) then most likely there will be a colour option. Not all colours are available in all types, but colours can include white, silver, chrome and matt black. From time to time manufacturers introduce exotic colours but these are limit to certain ranges and invariably return to the time-honoured favourites.

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How thick should shower door glass be?

There are many old wives tales about how thick glass should be. In reality there are factors that will determine the ideal thickness of glass in a shower door or screen. The thicker the glass the heavier (and more expensive) it becomes, but this does not make it better per se. It might be fair to say that a door with very thin glass might be perceived as flimsy, but going to the opposite extreme does not manifest quality.

Glass used in shower doors and screens has a single function - to prevent water and spray from escape. Building Regulations determines shower enclosure glass must be toughened. This is a legal safety requirement. While thicker glass may feel more substantial, all regulation safety glass is toughened and resilient to knocks.

It could be argued that very thick glass can be unwieldy to move. The weight of a heavy door can place immense stress on hinges and rollers, but as a large frameless fixed panel in a walk in shower for example it might offer structure and rigidity. So there is a happy medium. Manufacturers will vary the thicknesses of glass used in accordance with need, making unframed glass panels thicker than say framed and curved glass doors.

As a very loose rule of thumb, 4mm glass is generally at the limit of the thinner end of the thickness spectrum and used with framework than will add to strength and rigidity, whereas 6mm and 8mm glass are at the premium end for doors. A possible exception to this might be curved glass used in quadrant doors that derives its strength from its shape and need not be so thick. 10mm glass is sometimes used in large fixed glass screens but not so often in shower doors. 10mm glass is incredibly heavy.

Whether an enclosure is framed or frameless will also factor into whether the glass needs to be thicker. A frame offers strength and support to thinner glass whereas a frameless panel relies entirely on the thickness of the glass for strength.

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Bespoke corner shower enclosures

Measuring for a corner cubicle when the ceiling slope requires a little more ingenuity because you have no vertical line to measure from on the outer corner. There are however ways to help overcome this.

As with the procedure explained for an alcove installation, you must be mindful of wall coverings (tiles etc). Although your shower tray might measure say 1200 x 900, by the time you have tiled the walls down onto the top of the tray you will have lost the thickness of the tiles and adhesive from each of those dimensions.

A corner and a sloping ceiling can produce a couple of different scenarios. The two diagrams below attempt to show each:

A corner where the fixed end panel is at the short end and the door takes up part of the other side.

A corner where the door may be located in either the tall end or the angled side. The other panel being fixed.

This option has been withdrawn

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How to measure for a custom corner shower enclosure under a sloping ceiling

As always, measuring is the most technical task.

The outer corner of the tray won't of course have anything for you to measure to or from.

Here is a method you might chose to help in your quest

1. A useful way to overcome this issue is to select a nice straight edge (a wooden baton maybe) that can be used to simulate where the corner of your enclosure will be. Cut the straight edge/baton to length so that it reaches from the corner of the tray to the ceiling and temporarily secure it in place.

2. Using a spirit level as a guide, you need to ensure that the baton is perfectly vertical and square to the tray.

3. Measure up the baton and make a mark at the height you require the door/screen. (Refer to previous notes in regard to minimum sizes and door types)

4. A horizontal measurement must now be taken from the point you have marked on the temporary baton across to the sloping ceiling. It is imperative that the distance is measured on the perfect horizontal as any error will adversely affect the angle to be calculated.

5. If it is difficult or impossible to use a spirit level for this stage you can always measure up vertically from the tray by the same amount as you mark the baton thereby establishing a point on the sloping ceiling from which the horizontal can be measured.

6. If necessary, repeat these operations along the other side of the tray if required.

Note: You might be gifted with the knowledge or blessed with the equipment to establish the actual angle of the sloping ceiling. But this is not what we need to know.

Measuring for a custom corner shower enclosure under a sloping ceiling

For further assistance refer to the design aids further down this page.

 

 

 

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Custom side panels to create a corner or mid-wall shower enclosure

Side panels are available in semi-frameless and fully frameless designs. Fixed side panels can be supplied with numerous custom features including:

Reduced height shower screen suitable for a dwarf wall for example.

A custom width (and/or height) shower side panel suitable for a stub wall

Custom shower screen for dwarf wall

Custom shower screen for stub wall

Shower screens are available with standard 'end on' fixings or lateral 'side on' fixings. Examples of 'end on' and 'lateral' fixing options (viewed from above) can be seen below:

'End on' wall fixing

'Lateral' wall fixing


Shower side panel with an angled top

Flag shaped shower side panel

Bespoke shower panel with angled corner cut off

Flag shaped side panel for shower enclosure


Inline shower extension panels

Multiple shower cubicle dividing panels

Inline shower extension panels

Communal shower cubicle dividing panels

Please refer to the Design Aid section further down this page that will help you draw and provide the requisite information needed to produce a quotation.


 

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Some do's and can't do's when designing a custom shower enclosure

There are certain things you cannot do when you design a shower to fit an awkward area, such as a room with a sloping ceiling.

1. You cannot open a door into the slope of the ceiling.

Think about it... as the ceiling height diminishes the door will collide. Make sure your design does not require something impossible.

2. Some doors simply cannot be messed about with.

Pivot and hinged doors can be manufactured to custom heights and widths. Some Bi-fold and sliding doors cannot.

We can offer framed sliding doors and framed bi-folding doors in bespoke sizes (height & width), but we cannot offer bespoke heights in semi-frameless bi-folding doors (and semi-frameless sliding doors don't exist).

We no longer offer doors of any type with angles cut into them.

If your design must cater for a sloping ceiling make sure the slope is taken care of by using an angled fixed panel.

3. An angled inline panel may be incorporated on either side of a door.

Generally, an angled inline panel may be designed to go either side of a framed door. If your enclosure is a semi-frameless design it is no possible to support the door from the angled inline panel. There may be some exceptions so you are welcome to ask about the feasibility of your idea.

4. If you need a reduced height door consider whether a framed design might become an inconvenience.

Having a shorter door sounds simple enough, but remember, if the door has a frame then the frame will be shorter too. Will this place the cross member above the door at a dangerous or inconvenient height? Maybe a semi-frameless design would be better as there is no horizontal framework to worry about.

'Frameless fixed panels' invariably require bracing bars to ensure the panel cannot flex. When designing a reduced height enclosure consider this requirement. Different types of bracing bars are available to ensure they remain as unobtrusive as possible.

Please don't hesitate to call for more specific advice.

5. Words of caution

We are aware that some 'have-a-go' glass retailers (typically found in the High Streets of villages and towns) are attempting to supply bespoke shower doors - usually the frameless type because they are unable to offer otherwise. Be careful commissioning bespoke shower doors from people who do not respect or understand the dynamics and operational requirements of building a functional glass shower enclosure. Just because it looks like one doesn't mean it will work like one.

A fully frameless product must be made to fit exactly as there is little or no adjustment for alignment or out-of-true walls. Compression seals must press against adjacent surfaces to work or your shower will leak like a sieve. As pretty and appealing as they might be, fully frameless shower doors and screen rarely work well. Wall brackets have little or no adjustment. If you are determined that fully frameless is the way to go, make sure the glass is toughened (this is a Building Regs requirement) for safety and coated to resist lime scale.

 


 

See below for design aids to help you present your requirement

 

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Send us your shower enclosure design

As you will see, a few simple measurements taken carefully is all we need to produce a bespoke shower enclosure to suit most awkward spaces.

You don't need to be an artist or an engineer, just a simple sketch will often suffice providing it contains the information needed to make your idea a reality.

To help in the process we have produced some design aids (below). Just click on the image that is closest to your requirement and a pre-drawn design page will open. Print the page, place the requisite dimensions in the boxes provided and send it to us for a no-obligation quote.

Send us your design by Email or Post and we will produce a no-obligation quotation. Then, if you wish to proceed with an order we will produce artwork for your final approval.

You might be very surprised how affordable a bespoke shower enclosure actually is!

 

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Bespoke shower enclosure design assistant

To assist you get a quote, we have produced several design templates. Simply click on the one that resembles your requirement, print it, fill in the details and send it back to us.

The design aid will explain what we need to know in order to raise the quotation.

 

Click a picture to open a design aid.

Choose the one that most closely resembles your requirement. A new window will open in Adobe as a PDF. Print the page and follow the guidance notes.

It is difficult to produce an aid for every possible scenario. If you cannot use these aids because your space or requirement differs greatly please don't hesitate to call for assistance and/or provide a simple sketch of what you need.

 

1. Alcove door (with inline panel if required)

Bespoke alcove shower door with angled inline panel (1)

Bespoke alcove shower door with angled inline panel (2)

 

 

 

 

2. Corner shower enclosure

Corner shower enclosure (type 1 left hand)

Corner shower enclosure (type 1 right hand)

 

 

3. Corner shower enclosure

(fixed return panel at short end of angled panel)

This style has been withdrawn

This style has been withdrawn

 

 

4. Side panel with angled top

(plus your choice of door)

Angled side panel left

Angled side panel right

 

 

5. Flag shaped side panel

(plus your choice of door)

Flag shaped side panel left

Flag shaped side Panel right

 

 

6. Side panel for a dwarf wall

(plus your choice of door)

Side panel for dwarf wall left

Side panel for dwarf wall right

 

 

7. Custom side panel (with Standard or Lateral fixing)

(plus your choice of door)

Custom side panel right

Custom side panel left

 

 

8. Custom inline and dividing panels

 

 

 

If your requirement is not shown here, or if this has all got a little complicated you are very welcome to give us a call. We are always on hand to offer help and support.