Fitting shower trays and enclosures

• Always check the tray for colour, size and general acceptability before installation. Manufacturers will not accept claims for any of these once the product has been installed.

• Always fit the shower tray before tiling and temporarily fit the waste outlet pipework and trap to the tray

• Position the tray to the walls and rebate the 'upstands' if applicable (see below) and tray walls into the plaster as required.

• Adjust the feet height to give the required clearance. If you are using a tray that does not have adjustable feet you will need to bed the floor to a firm base

• Always bed the shower tray on to a flat, even floor. It is essential that the shower tray base is fully supported, using either:- A silicone sealant, sand and cement -in a 5 to 1 mix, or tile grout adhesive.

• Always coat the whole base area of the shower tray when sticking it down, using silicone sealant, sand and cement or grout adhesive. Spotting the centre and four corners is not a correct or acceptable installation procedure

• If it is necessary to raise the shower tray to accommodate the trap and waste pipe, construct a plinth, using timbers (75 x 1OOmm), with no more than 300mm centres between each timber. Finish with marine plywood base board 20mm thick.

• If a plinth is constructed always bed the shower tray to a plywood base board as you would to the floor using one of the materials already described

• Always make sure the shower tray is level along top edges. This is essential if built-in fall is to allow the water drainage to the waste corner.

• It is important that the tray is level in all directions, place a spirit level on the top edges of the tray and adjust the feet height, or cement bed as required.

• Fix the plumbing and check for leaks

• Whether the tray has upstands or a flat top always silicone seal between the bottom tile and top edge of the shower tray on completion.

• Tile over the upstands leaving a 3-4mm gap above the top edges of the shower tray. Silicone seal the 3-4mm gap between the tile and the shower tray

• Always protect the shower tray during installation with a dust sheet.

• Do not use substances containing bleach when cleaning the shower tray after installation

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Installing Shower enclosures.

There are numerous types of shower enclosures available ranging from special geometric shapes such as the quadrant and pentangle versions to corner entry enclosures, sliding, pivot, or infold doors which are combined with a number of side panels depending on the design.

Costs relate to the complexity of style, the materials used and, again, choosing cheap components may turn out to be more expensive in the long term -shower enclosures must be safe and strong and Alstone recommend polished anodised aluminium extrusions which (conform to BS1474 and 4mm toughened safety glass to BS6206 to provide a robust and safe product.

For ease of installation and a water- tight fit, installers should look out for the following when choosing enclosures and/or doors:-

• That there is full adjustment on each wall post for out of true walls. That the sliding panels and fixed panels interlock when closed to give a positive water barrier and superior water seal.

• Part assemble the shower enclosure where possible and place it on the tray. When in the desired position mark the position of the wall channels to ensure that the enclosure sits in the middle of the shower tray when fitted

• That hanger brackets / rollers on sliding panels provide a truly smooth gliding action.

• The door handle should be styled for a safe grip in the wet when opening the doors.

• That the fit between the toughened safety glass, the glazing gasket and the aluminum extrusions will ensure a strong reliable watertight joints on all panels.

• Always ensure the wall channels are vertical using a spirit level.

• Seal the joints between the enclosure, tray, wall channels and tray on the outside only.

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