The Definitive Guide To Shower Trays: What To Know Before Buying
Shower trays are perhaps the most underrated element of a bathroom upgrade. Finding the right shower tray to suit both the shape of your shower plus the design of your bathroom is essential, and we’re here to help you through the process. The first step is to get the right-sized shower tray, then you can move on to shapes, colours and design. In this post, we’ll run through all you need to know about shower trays to complete your bathroom.
What are shower trays?
Before we look at the most common types of the shower tray, let’s first define what we mean when we say shower base. These days shower trays are two-toned and have a key function: to hold a basin under the tap (or shower) and to provide storage space underneath. Shower trays can be custom-made to suit a certain room and purpose. For example, you might want an acrylic shower tray to look like a floor, or you may not want your shower tray to clash with your bathroom flooring. Designers and plasterers use several different shower tray types when creating new bathrooms. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to measure your shower tray using a pencil to sketch an ideal size onto a sheet of paper. Then you can go into choosing the design, texture and shape of your shower tray with a rough idea of your shower dimensions. Now you have a clearer idea of what we mean, here’s how you can go about selecting the right shower tray.
What type of shower base should I buy?
You have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to shower trays. However, the most popular tend to be the round tray. This design looks great on a square tiled bathroom, and on several different floor panel patterns too. It’s also great for a downstairs bathroom, the curved design maximises the space within the enclosure for a perfect relaxing shower experience. A good option for smaller bathrooms or those with a curved or sloping shower wall is the oval tray, which looks stylish and gives your bathroom a unique look. 5”x15” shower trays are most commonly seen in bathrooms, showers generally take up a very small amount of space, so this size shower tray is perfect for smaller bathrooms. A shower tray of this length will need to be narrow with rounded corners to ensure it doesn’t show too much of the surface of the bathroom. The 5”x15” shower tray is also suitable for standard tiled showers and showers with good water flow, but if you’re opting for a shower with a TILT or some other type of spray, then you need to choose a shower tray of a different height.
What is the difference between the shapes of luxury shower trays?
There are several different shapes and styles of shower trays to choose from. Each shape has its purpose and benefits, so it’s important to choose the right one for your home. A unique shower tray is a perfect way to make your shower enclosure the centrepiece of your bathroom, you could go for an oval or pentagon style tray and add some flare to a quick bathroom revamp.
Shower Tray Shapes:
- Square
- Rectangle
- Quadrant
- Pentagon
- Oval
Choosing the perfect shower tray-shape for you will be dictated by the space you have available for your enclosure or shower space. It is also essential to bear in mind the type of shower enclosure you would like to install over the shower tray. Some enclosures have sliding doors whereas others have doors that open outwards so you will need to factor in these designs to your shower tray. On the other hand, if you are simply replacing an existing shower, we would advise a shower tray of the same shape and style for a quick and easy installation.
What size shower tray do I need?
Wetroom shower trays can come in a wide range of sizes and you must find one that fits your shower perfectly. Here is a common assortment of shower types:
Square Shower Trays
A square shower base has an elegant design that is suitable for most shower types. Especially when you match it with bi-fold doors. Square shower bases often range from 760mmx760mm to 1000mmx1000mm. These are the most popular because of how easy they are to fit into your shower and fit with any bathroom style.
Rectangular Shower Tray
A Rectangular shower tray is suitable for those with an extended shower base. Out of the hundreds of shower trays, this is also a pretty common shape. They can work in smaller bathrooms too when paired with sliding doors. The dimensions for a rectangular shower tray usually range from 1000mmx760mm to 1800x800mm.
Pentagon Shower Trays
A pentagon shower base is a slightly more unique shape for a wet room shower tray, however, they still adapt to fit into the corner of a bathroom. These are typically matched with bi-fold or pivot doors. Again these range from different sizes such as; 900mmx900mm to 1200x900mm.
Quadrant Shower Base
Quadrant shower trays usually have a fairly robust design and fit nicely into a corner,
featured with a curved front for a larger space. These are always paired with sliding doors or hinged doors. Quadrant shower bases usually range from 800mmx800mm to 1200mmx900mm.
What are the different colours of shower trays?
While you can choose from a range of shower tray designs, the ones we see most often are circular, square and rectangular. The larger a piece of tile is, the more you can do with it. You’ll find curved and rolled edges in the square, round and rectangular shapes, and the size and shape of the glass may depend on the type of shower you’ve got. For square and rectangular tiles, you may also find a chrome finish or a diamond-cut finish, or something even more elaborate and expensive like a rhinestone border.
Nowadays you can get shower trays in almost any colour. From a classic pure white to a vibrant orange or cool turquoise, you can make your shower tray your own. If you’re going for a bold shower tray colour, we would recommend getting some colour samples ahead of time so you can see how your colour palette will look in your smaller bathroom space.
Here’s a brief look at the most popular shower tray colours:
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How To Clean Shower Trays At Home
- Firstly, you’ll need to heat approximately 100ml of white vinegar, and place it in a microwave until the vinegar becomes hot.
- Then you will need to provide ventilation for your bathroom floor. You can do this by turning an extractor fan on, along with opening all doors and windows, since the smell that comes from this mixture is strong.
- Next, use a spray bottle and pour the vinegar and 100ml of washing up liquid into the bottle. Use this to spray the mixture on any soapy-scum areas.
- Wait half an hour for the mixture to fully soak into the shower tray, then use a wet clean cloth to wipe away the excess.
- Then to rinse away anything left over, use the shower handset. This should leave your shower tray sparkling with cleanliness.
Conclusion
With the wide variety of shower base signs and colours available, you can truly make your shower your own. Whether you love neutrals and curves or bold bright colours and sharp angles, there’s a shower to suit your style. Our key tip is to always measure your shower enclosure space before deciding on a tray shape or design. What would be your ideal shower base colour and shape combination?
