Shower installation and replacement

What a shower installation covers

A shower installation is rarely just the shower itself. The valve or electric unit, the tray or former, the enclosure or screen, the wall finish and the waterproofing behind it all have to work together, and a weakness in any one of them shows up later as a leak. We plan the whole job at the quote visit so each part is specified before anything is ordered.

Because plumbing and tiling sit within our own team, there is no gap between the plumber finishing and the tiler starting. For larger changes, such as swapping a bath for a shower, see our bath to shower conversion page, and for open screens with low trays see walk-in shower installation.

Electric or mixer shower

An electric shower heats cold mains water as it passes through the unit, so it works independently of the boiler and keeps running during boiler problems. It needs a suitable electrical supply, which may mean a new circuit. A mixer shower blends hot and cold from the existing system and usually gives a stronger flow where the hot water system can deliver it.

The right choice depends on your hot water setup, the water pressure in the property and how the bathroom is used. We check the pressure and the existing pipework before recommending one type over the other.

Trays, enclosures and shower doors

Trays come in standard sizes and heights, from easy-clean stone resin trays to slim low-profile designs. The enclosure can be a full cubicle with hinged or sliding doors, a quadrant for a corner, or a single fixed panel. In a tight bathroom a sliding door avoids the swing space a hinged door needs, while a fixed panel suits a larger showering area.

Every enclosure is only as good as its sealing. We seal trays and frames with sanitary silicone and check the fit of doors and panels before handover, because a door that does not close square is the start of water escaping onto the floor.

Waterproofing before the finish

Tiles and grout slow water down but do not stop it. In the showering area we tank the walls and floor junctions before tiling, with sealed corners and pipe entries. Skipping this stage is how a shower ends up leaking into the room below, so it is built into every installation we carry out rather than offered as an extra.

Replacing a shower like for like

Where the layout stays the same, a replacement can be a short job: isolate the water, remove the old unit, tray and enclosure, check the pipework and the state of the walls behind, then fit and seal the new set. If the wall behind the old tray is damaged or the waterproofing has failed, we will show you and quote for putting that right rather than tiling over it. Our guide to shower replacement cost explains what affects the size of the job.

How the work runs in your home

We sheet and protect the route from the door to the bathroom, keep the water off for as short a time as we can, and tidy up at the end of each day. Quotes are free and in writing, and the finished installation carries our 1-year workmanship warranty. To discuss a new shower, send photographs of the existing room through the quote form or call 01268 206409.