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A shower screen stands on the tray lip or the finished wetroom floor, so every height is measured from there, not the room floor. The glass is held in U-channel, door gaps are closed by seals, and the joints between glass, channel, tray and wall are finished with silicone when the screen is fitted. Fit the tray and the tiles before you measure, because the glass is made to the finished surfaces.
Why measure from the tray, not the floor?
The tray lip usually sits 30 mm to 80 mm above the floor. Measure from the floor and the panel comes out that much too tall to stand on the tray. Mark the tray lip in pencil and take every height from that line. On a wetroom, the finished floor surface is the line, including the tiles.
Measure the height at both ends of the panel and use the smaller. If the ceiling slopes, keep both figures and read raked panels under sloping ceilings.
How do I check the tray before ordering?
Step 1: Fit and tile first
The tray, the tiles and any wall boards should be finished before you measure. A wall that gains a tile after measuring makes the opening smaller.
Step 2: Check the tray is level
Put a spirit level along the lip where the glass will stand. A tray that falls along its length leaves a gap under one end of the screen.
Step 3: Check the walls for plumb
Hold the level against each wall the glass meets and note how far it leans over the screen height. Tell us the figure with your measurements.
Step 4: Mark where the glass will stand
Mark the line of the glass on the tray. It must sit on the flat of the lip, inside the tray's upstand, so water runs back into the tray.
Step 5: Measure and enter the opening
Take three widths and two heights, use the smallest width, and say if you are giving the opening or the exact glass size.
How does U-channel keep the panel in place?
U-channel is a metal section that holds the edge of a fixed panel against the wall or the floor. We use SWCH15X15X15 for 8 mm glass and SWCH20X15X20 for 10 mm glass, each in 3,500 mm stock lengths. A fixed panel standing in channel is made 3 mm shorter than the measured height to sit in it. The channel is part of the system, so the configurator adds it for you. Our hinges, channels and seals guide lists every part.
Which seals close the gaps on a door?
Every hinged shower door in an enclosure gets three seals: one on the closing edge, one on the hinge edge between the door and the fixed panel, and one along the bottom of the door. The bottom seal sweeps along the tray to keep water in. Seals wear over time and can be replaced. Fixed panels, bath screens and sliding doors do not take these door seals.
Where does silicone go?
A clear, neutral cure sanitary silicone is run along the joints when the screen is fitted:
- along the outside of the channel where it meets the wall and the tray
- along the bottom edge of a fixed panel, on the outside, where it meets the tray
- never inside the channel on the shower side in a way that traps water against the glass
Silicone is applied on site by whoever fits the screen. Follow the silicone maker's instructions for the cure time before the shower is used.
What if my tray is out of level?
Tell us both heights when you order, so the drawing shows the fall, or book a measuring visit and we measure it for you. A tray that is badly out of level is better corrected before the glass is measured.
Where to go next
- Start your screen: open the shower configurator
- Hinges, channels and seals
- Measuring an opening
- How to measure for a shower screen
Questions we get asked
Should I measure before or after tiling?
After. The glass is made to the finished surfaces, so tile first and measure the finished opening.
Who applies the silicone?
Whoever fits the screen applies it on site, once the glass is in place and checked.
My shower door drips at the bottom. What can I do?
Check the bottom seal for wear or damage. A worn seal can be replaced; contact us with your order reference for the part.
Can the screen stand on the tray's upstand?
No. It stands on the flat of the lip, inside the upstand, so water on the glass runs back into the tray.
Contact the team with your order reference and the step you need help with, or search all help topics.