Enclosure types and what they suit
Quadrant: curved front, fits into a corner, good in tight rooms because the door slides rather than swings out.
Rectangular sliding door: maximum showering space with no swing clearance needed. The practical choice in narrow rooms.
Hinged door: cleanest look and the easiest to clean, but needs clear swing space in front, which small bathrooms rarely have.
Walk-in panel: a single fixed screen with an open entry. Simple, elegant and needs a well-designed fall and a longer tray or a wet room floor to control splashing.
Bath screen: hinged or folding glass on the bath edge. Vastly better than a curtain and needs the bath positioned so it can swing clear.
Glass, trays and costs
Supply-and-fit ranges assuming the shower area is already prepared as part of a wider refurbishment.
| Item | Supply cost | Fitted cost | Glass thickness | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrant 900x900 mm | £180-£600 | £380-£950 | 6-8 mm | Sliding doors, corner fit |
| Rectangular sliding 1200x800 mm | £250-£800 | £450-£1,200 | 6-8 mm | Best space efficiency |
| Hinged door enclosure | £220-£900 | £420-£1,300 | 6-10 mm | Needs swing clearance |
| Walk-in panel 1000 mm | £180-£700 | £380-£1,000 | 8-10 mm | Frameless look |
| Bath screen, hinged | £90-£350 | £220-£550 | 6-8 mm | Big upgrade over a curtain |
| Stone resin low-profile tray | £180-£600 | £350-£850 | - | Slim, rigid, best choice |
| Acrylic tray | £70-£250 | £220-£500 | - | Cheaper, needs full support |
| Tiled wet room former | £250-£700 | £900-£1,800 | - | Level access, needs tanking |
Glass thickness and coatings
6 mm is the standard and is perfectly adequate for framed enclosures and bath screens.
8 mm feels substantially more solid, moves less and is what we would specify for anything frameless or over 900 mm wide.
10 mm is genuinely heavy and needs robust fixings, but it gives the most premium feel for a walk-in panel.
An easy-clean coating is worth having in a hard water area. It does not eliminate cleaning, but it makes water sheet off rather than spot, which halves the effort.
All shower glass should be toughened safety glass to the relevant standard. Check the etch mark on the corner of the pane.
Trays, falls and level access
Stone resin trays are rigid, slim and do not flex. Acrylic trays are cheaper but must be fully supported on their frame or bedded properly, otherwise they move and break the seal.
Low-profile trays look modern but leave less depth for the waste and trap, which matters on a solid concrete floor.
A wet room former set into the floor gives true level access and the cleanest look. It needs a tanking membrane and correctly formed falls, which is skilled work rather than an upgrade you can bolt on.
Whatever the tray, the waste must be accessible. We plan an access route at design stage because a blocked shower waste behind sealed tiling is a miserable job.
Measuring: the details that cause returns
Walls are rarely plumb or square, especially in older properties. Measure at floor level, mid height and at the top, and order to the smallest dimension.
Most enclosures have an adjustment range, commonly 20 to 30 mm. That range is what accommodates out-of-square walls, so know it before ordering.
Confirm the tray footprint against the finished tile line, not the bare wall. Tile thickness plus adhesive typically adds 12 to 15 mm per wall.
Check the door swing against the WC, basin and the door into the room. A door that clashes is the most common layout error we correct at survey.
We measure and order enclosures as part of a fixed quote precisely because these details are unforgiving.
Frequently asked questions
What glass thickness should a shower screen be?
6 mm is fine for framed enclosures and bath screens. Choose 8 mm for frameless panels or anything over 900 mm wide, where the extra rigidity is noticeable.
Is a stone resin tray worth the extra?
Yes in most cases. It is rigid, slim and does not flex, which is what keeps the seal intact over time.
Can I have a walk-in shower without a wet room?
Yes. A low-profile tray with a single fixed panel gives most of the look with far less work than a fully tanked wet room floor.
How do I measure for an enclosure?
Measure at floor, mid height and top, order to the smallest dimension, and measure to the finished tile face rather than the bare wall.
Are easy-clean coatings worth it?
In hard water areas, yes. Water sheets off rather than spotting, which noticeably reduces cleaning effort.