Shower enclosures - the difference?

vidapura

Hi,

I've been looking at shower enclosures.
There seems to be a huge variance in prices...

Like I see this one for €190

https://ie.soak.com/900x1200mm---6mm---elements-offset-quadrant-shower-enclosure---reversible/2001853.html#q=1200x900+quadrant&lang=en_IE&start=1

And then there is this one... for like 300 ish

https://ie.soak.com/900x1200mm----8mm---premium-easyclean-offset-quadrant-shower-enclosure---reversible/2001084.html?q=900x1200

But it gets up to silly money too..

https://www.showerstoyou.co.uk/merlyn-10-series-offset-quadrant-shower-enclosure-1200-x-900/

Anyone able to help me understand the differences? Is it just glass thickness and easyclean?
Do those things matter that much?

Just wondering would I really regret going cheap and getting a €190 one?

Sleeper12

It's down to quality.

Thicker glass, sturdier hinges etc. Merlin are a great make, years in the business, offer a good warranty and you can still get parts 10 or more years later.

I wouldn't buy a shower door online without seeing it in a showroom first. If that means travelling upwards north to the do so, then I'd travel up north to do the so.

You want to open & close escherichia door several times and compare them to the cheaper /more expensive door. Imagine betting you'll find the cheaper doorstep feels soft and flexible as their frames aren't as sturdy.

I'm not saying that you have to buy the expensive one just that you really need to feel tham in your hands to make an informed decision

Edit : I think you would get the Merlin door cheaper in trade counter. If you are in Dublin I'd try the shower centre on the Malahide road or Davies trade counter (not their showroom) in Harmonstown.

vidapura

Hiya,
Thanks for your reply.
Ok, it makes sense and I do appreciate the advice.

In Galway, not much to see around here in the offset quadrants.

We're thinkin we might head Dublin or Cork direction if we could see a decent sized showroom. Any recommendations?

Also, just wonderin.. how do the enclosures get fitted to the tray?
Are they just glued on or what?
Could we like, start with a cheaper one and, if we decide we have more money next year, just change to a better one?
Its just the cost of this bathroom is shockin us...

Thanks again

Sleeper12

I'm betting your local chadwicks, heatmerchants etc can get you a price on what you want and have it in stock within a day or two. Problem is you are better off actually feeling the door & opening & closing it etc first. Showrooms tend to be more expensive. Nothing wrong with looking at the quality in the showroom & ordering elsewhere

goz83

You can buy cheap now, have your heart broken and then spend later. Go to the showrooms and takes notes. Ask for catalogues. Anything under €500 for a shower enclosure (excluding tray) is not worth buying imo. I used to sell them and can also vouch for the quality too. Avoid roller doors if you can. Got for an easy clean waste definitely. Slim line trays are also nicer but must be fitted upstairs or they are a waste of money. You could also do without the tray and tile and tank the floor of the shower.

listermint

goz83 wrote: »

You can buy cheap now, have your heart broken and then spend later. Go to the showrooms and takes notes. Ask for catalogues. Anything under €500 for a shower enclosure (excluding tray) is not worth buying imo. I used to sell them and can also vouch for the quality too. Avoid roller doors if you can. Got for an easy clean waste definitely. Slim line trays are also nicer but must be fitted upstairs or they are a waste of money. You could also do without the tray and tile and tank the floor of the shower.

The rest of your post makes sense.

this part 'Anything under €500 for a shower enclosure (excluding tray) is not worth buying imo'

is a bit rich tbh. There are plenty PLENTY of shower closures under €500 that will last for a years and years and and look fine.

goz83

listermint wrote: »

The rest of your post makes sense.

this part 'Anything under €500 for a shower enclosure (excluding tray) is not worth buying imo'

is a bit rich tbh. There are plenty PLENTY of shower closures under €500 that will last for a years and years and and look fine.

That's your opinion. I disagree with it. I've sold hundreds of them and the cheapest good quality 900x900 enclosure I sold was €499 including tray, but it was a special deal and had to be sold with a bathroom suite and not as a stand alone unit.

During the recession, good units could be got for under €500, but not now. I've looked as recently as a month ago when looking for tiles.

edited to add: You might get a decent white enclosure for around €500, but outside of a blue moon, it's going to be an inferior product where you are replacing pieces of it after a year or two.

colm_c

goz83 wrote: »

That's your opinion. I disagree with it. I've sold hundreds of them and the cheapest good quality 900x900 enclosure I sold was €499 including tray, but it was a special deal and had to be sold with a bathroom suite and not as a stand alone unit.

During the recession, good units could be got for under €500, but not now. I've looked as recently as a month ago when looking for tiles.

edited to add: You might get a decent white enclosure for around €500, but outside of a blue moon, it's going to be an inferior product where you are replacing pieces of it after a year or two.

I got an offset quadrant including slimline tray for 460 from Sonas ( although sold by Chadwicks).

It's in 2 years now, still perfect and looks like new.

It's possible to get deals when you shop around.

listermint

goz83 wrote: »

That's your opinion. I disagree with it. I've sold hundreds of them and the cheapest good quality 900x900 enclosure I sold was €499 including tray, but it was a special deal and had to be sold with a bathroom suite and not as a stand alone unit.

During the recession, good units could be got for under €500, but not now. I've looked as recently as a month ago when looking for tiles.

edited to add: You might get a decent white enclosure for around €500, but outside of a blue moon, it's going to be an inferior product where you are replacing pieces of it after a year or two.

Selling units means nothing do you install or repair them?

I sold hundreds of units working in bathroom sector during college does it make me an expert on how they stacked up 10 years later .. no. Just made me good at sales.

vidapura

Lads,
Thanks for the benefit of ye're experiences there.

I hadn't thought of an easy clean waste so thats a great one to keep in mind.

Don't think I'll be able to avoid sliding doors tho.. bathroom layout wouldn't allow an out-opening door.
The bathroom door would surely crash into it.
And SWMBO hates bi-fold doors.... soo..

Still wonderin how do the enclosures get attached to the trays..

Thanks

goz83

listermint wrote: »

Selling units means nothing do you install or repair them?

I sold hundreds of units working in bathroom sector during college does it make me an expert on how they stacked up 10 years later .. no. Just made me good at sales.

Knowing what you’re selling means a lot. A good sales person knows his product and sells what the customer needs. It’s more than just pure numbers, but that’s a bit off topic.

Yes, I have installed and repaired them too. The most common issue was with crappy plastic rollers which failed because the wheel mechanism was rubbish, or the track eroded. Most often it was not possible to get replacement wheels, so the entire enclosure needed replacing. 10 years would have been a miracle for the cheap units. They usually failed within 5.

Another common issue was the units would look filthy after a couple of years when water got into the cheap permanent seals between the glass and the frame. The unit would still work fine but anyone with a sense of cleanliness and home pride would want to replace it.

vidapura wrote: »

Lads,
Thanks for the benefit of ye're experiences there.

I hadn't thought of an easy clean waste so thats a great one to keep in mind.

Don't think I'll be able to avoid sliding doors tho.. bathroom layout wouldn't allow an out-opening door.
The bathroom door would surely crash into it.
And SWMBO hates bi-fold doors.... soo..

Still wonderin how do the enclosures get attached to the trays..

Thanks

The enclosure is usually screwed to the walls. Depending in the enclosure, you may use silicone on the bottom to seal to the tray, or there may be a seal on the underside of the enclosure which is usually on the more expensive ones.

My advice is to visit a few showrooms. Dont look at the price until you’ve inspected the unit and you should quickly learn what is rubbish and what is not. You will be able to guess the price after checking a few.

Bi-fold are horrible yokes....so avoid them. Pay good attention to the rollers when testing the enclosure and dont be afraid to look like an idiot doing it. You’ll be living with it after all.

vidapura

Thanks, yea, cleaning is important to me.. I feckin hate seeing mould where yeh can't get at it.. etc..

Anything I buy, be it the toilet, the sink , whatever, I do look to see if it has silly grooves and angles that will attract muck..

Deffo going for a toilet that backs flat to the wall all the way down.. hate trying to get in behind em to get at dust etc..

Reason I was askin about enclosure fixing is that I have an option on a secondhand (unused) shower tray.. so if I could save money buyin that twould be good..

I'll keep a good eye out for quality of rollers so.. I see some units offering lifetime guarantee etc.. will have to dig into them and see what that actually covers...
But I do hear you, an established brand that I'll be able to get parts for.. yep.
Thanks again.