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Hi all,
Just finished a bathroom renovation that I've been putting off for about three years so thought I'd share the experience in case it's useful for anyone else going through the same thing.
We had an old 1700x700 bath that nobody was using — it's just me and my wife and we always showered so it was basically just taking up space and gathering limescale. Decided to rip it out and replace it with a walk-in shower. The bathroom is fairly narrow so an enclosed cubicle was never going to work without making the room feel like a cupboard.
What we went with?
After a lot of research and a visit to a local bathroom showroom in Darlington called ShowerBoard on Brunswick Street, we settled on a 1700x700 low profile rectangle shower tray and a 1150mm clear glass walk-in screen with a wall-mounted support arm. That left us roughly 550mm entry gap which feels comfortable. The bloke in the showroom was really helpful — explained that the screen size is basically determined by your tray size and how big an opening you want to step through, which sounds obvious but I hadn't really thought about it that way.
The walls
Went for acrylic shower wall panels rather than retiling. I was a bit sceptical at first having read some negative experiences online with cheaper panels flexing and leaking, but we went for a decent quality 8mm panel and the difference is noticeable — absolutely solid on the wall, no flex at all. Would definitely recommend not cutting corners on thickness.
What went well
The walk-in screen installation was straightforward. Single panel, brace arm into a solid wall, done in a morning.
The wall panels genuinely look better than tiles did. Easy to wipe down and no grout to go mouldy.
The low profile tray is almost flush with the floor which looks really smart.
What I'd do differently
I'd get the easy-clean glass coating. Ours didn't have it and in a hard water area the marks show up pretty quickly. Minor thing but worth paying the extra for.
I'd order all trims and adhesive at the same time as the panels rather than making a separate trip. Forgot the internal corner trim first time round.
Happy to answer any questions if anyone is planning something similar. The walk-in setup genuinely transformed the room — feels twice the size now the bath is out.
Cheers!
Just finished a bathroom renovation that I've been putting off for about three years so thought I'd share the experience in case it's useful for anyone else going through the same thing.
We had an old 1700x700 bath that nobody was using — it's just me and my wife and we always showered so it was basically just taking up space and gathering limescale. Decided to rip it out and replace it with a walk-in shower. The bathroom is fairly narrow so an enclosed cubicle was never going to work without making the room feel like a cupboard.
What we went with?
After a lot of research and a visit to a local bathroom showroom in Darlington called ShowerBoard on Brunswick Street, we settled on a 1700x700 low profile rectangle shower tray and a 1150mm clear glass walk-in screen with a wall-mounted support arm. That left us roughly 550mm entry gap which feels comfortable. The bloke in the showroom was really helpful — explained that the screen size is basically determined by your tray size and how big an opening you want to step through, which sounds obvious but I hadn't really thought about it that way.
The walls
Went for acrylic shower wall panels rather than retiling. I was a bit sceptical at first having read some negative experiences online with cheaper panels flexing and leaking, but we went for a decent quality 8mm panel and the difference is noticeable — absolutely solid on the wall, no flex at all. Would definitely recommend not cutting corners on thickness.
What went well
The walk-in screen installation was straightforward. Single panel, brace arm into a solid wall, done in a morning.
The wall panels genuinely look better than tiles did. Easy to wipe down and no grout to go mouldy.
The low profile tray is almost flush with the floor which looks really smart.
What I'd do differently
I'd get the easy-clean glass coating. Ours didn't have it and in a hard water area the marks show up pretty quickly. Minor thing but worth paying the extra for.
I'd order all trims and adhesive at the same time as the panels rather than making a separate trip. Forgot the internal corner trim first time round.
Happy to answer any questions if anyone is planning something similar. The walk-in setup genuinely transformed the room — feels twice the size now the bath is out.
Cheers!
