New shower enclosure

[RickH]

I have a Neo-Angle shower tray, … imagine an oblong with corner cut at 45 degree It’s 1.2m x 0.9m (pic only shows a small tray)
(see pic)

The ‘Roman’ shower door has failed, the only shower door that fits this tray is a now a ‘Roman’ glass frameless style. Ordered it and I have hit a problem
Installation is by fixing the vertical channels to the wall and you slide in the 2 glass panels (they have bonded on ends that slot into wall channel)
Then you fit a door opening bottom bar (fixed size) and slide panel ‘out of the channel' until tight on this bar .. and then fix everything up,

(see pic )

The issue is the enclosure assumes the edge of tray is tight against the wall .. and then wall is tiled on top … effectively moving wall in another 10mm or so over the tray edge

My shower room has no tiles the wall is boarded floor to ceiling with Respatex shower panels. The shower tray pressed tight up against the panels, but the tray (due to the way it is manufactured) slopes in so the top is set forward by aprox 10mm. (marked in Red on sketch attached)
(see pic 2.)

This means that when I try to fit the glass panels they are almost coming out of the wall profile, and could not be fixed. They have only small adjustment.
This is the way room has been finished … I know fitting tray first then panelling would have been option, but the Respatex dealer advised against that.

I can't just fit glass panels further back as the glass ends of panels have to fit snug to the centre spacer bar, as this sets the door, seals, hinges etc. The manufacturer does not offer a deeper wall profile or a spacer.

I could resolve by fitting a spacer bar between wall profile & the wall … would need to about 20mm thick and as the wall profile is 1.25” wide, at least the width of that. Height around 2.0m

Anybody have a suggestion for a spacer, that would be unobtrusive (within reason) and waterproof


Alternatively, I would have to take the tray out and cut the wall to inset the tray, as it’s all plumbed in and sealed …. A damn big job.

 

[Madrab]

Unfortunately, fault number 1 was the shower tray fitted after the wet wall panel and the 2nd was listening to the dealer. Wet wall panels should always fitted the same as tile, whereby they should fall onto the top edge of the tray. Anything else then there is the potential for leaks later down the line if the seal around the tray edge goes through tray movement.

Anyway, as you have alluded to , all you can do really is shim the ends to take up the gap. Best way to establish the size would be to fit the screen with the wall plates on and then measure what gap you have to make up to have it then connect to the wall. Then a suitably thick piece of plastic moulding, exactly the same width as the wall plate is then siliconed and screwed to the wall, then the screen wall plates would fit to them.

Once it's all gone off, then you can use a suitably coloured silicone to take away any sharp edges and fill/bridge any gaps.

 

[RickH]

When the house was built we were going to fit trays first .....Respatex dealer said no .... as you want all the wall waterproof ... board the wall then fit trays ..... so followed what was seen as the best advice.
Was OK with the original enclosure as it had plenty of adjustment .... the new one - not so.


You mention a suitable thick piece of plastic moulding ... that was my thought silicone this to the wall and screw fix channel; through this to wall ..... any suggestions where I might get such a moulding from ... likely to need something like 20 x 32mm
I can cut machine to size if necessary

 

[Madrab]

Yeah, but

espatex dealer said no .... as you want all the wall waterproof

That's the whole purpose of tanking. Any wet space, the floor and wall should be tanked creating an impermeable continuous waterproof seal, only way to guarantee the whole space watertight. Any other approach relies on the wall or floor covering to provide that and for me that's not good enough. Wall and floor coverings move with the substrate, so what happens if the seal between the shower tray and the wall/floor covering goes, doesn't matter how waterproof the wall/floor covering is, the water is still heading south.

Please don't get me wrong this isn't directed to you, rather the advice you were given. Basically the dealer has ensured that you can't go back and blame them if there is any leak issues in the future. Don't get me wrong, they are very good boards and they wouldn't have been cheap just isn't quite right IMO.

Moulding/trim is available everywhere, google is your friend with that one ... could even check the local sheds (B&Q/Wickes/etc)

 

[RickH]

Think you misunderstood Q on moulding .... the ones I see if I search are one you stick on the surface .... they would not be any good. I would need a solid or box-shaped moulding as I need to move the wall profile out ~20mm so need something solid between it and the wall and full length.
Where I have shown in grey.


If I can't I may have to completely rip out all furniture and re-panel the walls - very expensive and a huge amount of work .... due to the way Respatex is interlocked ... whole lot would have to come out .. and all the fitted furniture

 

[RickH]

Had a thought .... I could just clad inside of the shower with another layer waterproof panel .... that would overlap tray, and give me the spacing out I need.
Depends what thickness is available.

 

[Madrab]

Moulding may have been the wrong word .... you want a solid piece of plastic to fill the gap, so it would be - Trim/Architrave/sheet - something like that, You may even have to get a piece that's thinner and double/triple it up. If you then cover it with a fillet of silicone etc it won't really matter.

Something like this -

White Multi-Purpose uPVC Board | DirectPlastics.com

Manufactured by Homeline, the White uPVC Multi-Purpose Board is available at DirectPlastics.com for great prices and quick delivery.

www.directplastics.com