This information is to be used as a guide only. Always speak to a professional in order to get the best from your bathroom and to remain safe in use and installation.

Product Guide - Shower Trays

Shower Trays, irrespective of the material they are made from, are available in a substantial range of shapes and sizes. There are traditionally six standard shapes:

1. Square
2. Rectangle
3. Quadrant
4. Offset Quadrant
5. Pentangle
6. Offset Pentangle


Features

Shower Trays can be classified by their unique features.

Standard Shower Trays

This type of shower tray, usually made in stone resin (either with an acrylic or gel coat surface) allows for ease of access. The stone resin does not require legs or a baseboard. Owing to its inherent strength it can sit directly onto a floor, supporting the weight of the person showering.

Low-level Shower Trays

Low-level shower trays are approximately 50mm in height and are made using solid surface technology. This means that they are extremely strong and are the same material all the way through. This strength means that they need no reinforcement on any flooring. Consequently their installation methods are different to standard trays - they can even be fitted directly to wooden beams. These trays can simulate the "wet room" look and can eliminate any step into the shower.

Shower Tray with Upstands

This type of shower tray is usually made from stone resin or acrylic material. This shower tray allows for an effective seal between the shower tray and the bathroom wall. The shower tray with an upstand may or may not require feet or a baseboard depending on the shower tray material. Acrylic shower trays generally need feet and baseboards.

Riser Shower Trays

A set of adjustable legs is added to enable pipe work to be fitted above floor level. Risers allow for levelling of uneven floors. Riser shower trays are available with and without upstands. This type of shower tray is generally made from acrylic or stone resin and will be supplied with matching panels.

Materials & Construction

There are five main types of materials used on the construction of shower trays;

- Moulded Acrylic

- Stone Resin

- Solid Surface

- Steel

- Fireclay

Moulded acrylic with glass reinforced plastic

Acrylic shower trays are moulded from a single acrylic sheet and reinforced for strength and rigidity. Generally reinforcement is provided by spraying glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) to the underside. The shower trays are typically manufactured from acrylic sheets from 3, 5 or 8mm thickness. As a rule the greater the thickness the less GRP reinforcement is needed on the underside.

Stone resin & acrylic capped stone resin

A surface made from a polyester gel coat or an acrylic sheet is put down first. A polyester stone resin mixture is cast onto its surface to form a complete tray. This sets to form a strong durable product. Leg sets can be fitted to accommodate plumbing that is above floor level if required.

Solid surface

Solid surface technology means that a liquid mix is poured into a mould, set and the released, and then the shower tray material is therefore consistent throughout. This gives a shower tray of great strength which then needs no additional reinforcement as the minimum wall thickness of the material is likely to be 10-12mm thick. Consequently they can be then installed directly onto beams or concrete floors - when tiles or carpet is then laid up to the tray. The step into the shower tray has been eliminated, as the tray will be only 50mm height in total.

Steel

Only special alloy steels with low carbon content suitable for enamelling are used. The tray shells are pressed then sprayed with a special enamel ground coat to ensure good chemical bonding with the metal and the subsequent finish quote. The finish coat is sprayed ensuring a very even finish. Trays are then fired through a furnace at temperatures f 8500C to produce a glass hard permanent lustrous lifetime finish with chemical and scratch resistance second to none.

Fireclay

The traditional method is to pour slip into a plaster mould. Mixing together water, viscous clays and minerals makes slip. The plaster in the mould absorbs the water from the slip leaving a firm clay piece. This is then carefully removed from the mould and trimmed and smoothe. The mould is dried and reused. The clay piece is dried an a warm air dryer and then sprayed with glaze. The piece is fired after spraying in a kiln where temperatures exceed 1200 degrees centigrade. This results in a strong ceramic product with a surface impervious to acids and alkalis. Fireclay shower trays are not fitted with adjustable legs