CRF Services Ltd
Shower enclosure installation: quadrant, sliding, bifold and walk in
A shower enclosure is the glass and frame that keeps the water on the tray rather than on the floor. Shower enclosure installation looks simple on the box, but a screen that is a few millimetres out of level will drip from the same corner for years. CRF Services Ltd fits enclosures around Rochester and Medway, as part of a refit, a new shower or on their own where an old screen has had its day. If you have been searching for a shower enclosure near me, this page explains the types, what the fitting involves and what decides the price.
Types of shower enclosure
The right style depends mostly on the space in front of the shower and how the door can open without hitting the toilet, basin or radiator.
- Quadrant: curved front for a corner, saves floor space in small rooms
- Sliding door: no swing, good for long narrow showers and recesses
- Bifold door: folds back on itself where a hinged door would not clear
- Hinged or pivot door: simple and wide opening where there is room
- Walk in screen: a single fixed panel with an open end, no door at all
- Offset quadrant and pentagonal: for corners that need more length
Start with the tray
An enclosure is only as good as the tray it stands on. The tray must be bedded fully and set dead level, or the screen will never sit square. If the existing tray is cracked, flexes underfoot or has a slow waste, it is better to replace it at the same time, as covered on the shower tray replacement page. Walls are checked too: an enclosure fixed to a wall that is out of plumb needs adjustment in the profiles, and there is only so much that profiles can take up.
How an enclosure is fitted
Wall profiles are set plumb and fixed through the tiles into solid backing, using the correct drill bits so the tiles do not crack. The glass panels go in, the doors are adjusted so they close and seal evenly, and the seals and drip strips are fitted. Silicone goes on the outside of the frame and the tray joint, while the inside is left so any water that gets behind the profile can run back to the tray.
Glass is heavy and toughened panels cannot be cut, so measurements are checked against the product before it is ordered. That one step avoids a wasted delivery.
Enclosure or walk in screen?
A walk in screen looks clean and has no door to clean, but it needs a longer tray, often 1400mm or more, so the water stays inside the open end. In a short space an enclosure with a door works better. If you are weighing up a fully tiled floor with no tray at all, the wet room vs walk in shower guide compares the options.
What affects the cost of a shower enclosure
The cost of fitting a shower enclosure depends on the size and style, the weight of the glass, whether the tray is staying or being replaced, the condition of the tiles and walls, whether the shower valve or waste needs work, and whether the old enclosure has to be removed and taken away. A like for like swap onto a sound tray is a much smaller job than a new tray, new tiles and a new screen together. Every job gets a written quote.
Booking the work
Enclosures are part of the wider bathroom renovations service. Send a photo of the shower area, the tray size and the product you like or have bought through the contact page.
This work is part of our Bathroom Renovations service.
Common questions
Shower enclosure installation: quadrant, sliding, bifold and walk in questions answered
Useful guides
Wet room vs walk in shower: which is right for your bathroom?
The floor decides this more often than the budget does.
Mouldy shower sealant: reseal it, or is it time for a refit?
Why the black spots come back, and how to tell cosmetic mould from a leak.
Walk in shower vs bath: which suits your home?
Space, family life, resale and the question of whether one bath in the house is enough.
Have a job in mind?
Tell Danny what needs doing and get a clear, no-obligation quotation.