Even if you’ve bought the most expensive and stylish shower tray on the market, if it isn’t installed correctly, it can be an ongoing nightmare. Although fitting a shower tray takes a bit of skill, it’s certainly something anyone with a bit of DIY experience can accomplish. Below we walk you through everything you need to know and how to fit a shower tray.
Low Profile vs Adjustable Trays
Depending upon the type of shower tray you choose will determine the best way to fit it. The two main types of trays include a low profile or an adjustable design where both have their own pro’s and con’s.
Low profile shower trays are the most problematic to install but they look and feel more luxury. In terms of the design, they sit as low to the floor as possible and many people cut into their wooden floor to make it sit flush. This then allows you to install tiles over the top (like in the above photo of a recent installation) to create a wet room.
Adjustable shower trays are far more popular as they can be adjusted to best suit your requirements. They also allow for easy access to the pipes underneath, which would be needed in the case of leaks or if you need to replace anything.
Tray Size
As you can imagine, shower trays are available in all shapes and sizes to suit all bathrooms or shower enclosures. Therefore, before you even begin to fit a shower tray, it’s vital that you take measurements beforehand to avoid any embarrassing mistakes as you are midway through the installation. The majority of brands offer sizes from 700 to 1800 mm, therefore there is plenty to choose from to fill the space in your bathroom.
What You’ll Need
- Shower tray
- Spirit level
- Jigsaw or hacksaw
- Bathroom silicone sealant
- Tape measure and marking pen
- Sand and cement
- Plenty of plumbing fixture and fittings (as shown below!)
How To Fit An Adjustable Shower Tray
- Use a tape measure and mark up the tray position.
- Place the tray in place loosely and attach the legs.
- Adjust the legs to the height you require.
- Use a spirit level to ensure its completely flat.
- Fit the waste to the tray and ensure the tray can connect to the water waste.
- Line up the side panels and make any markings if they need to be trimmed.
- Tighten the adjustable legs and double check the tray is completely level once more.
- Attach the underside of the tray to the water waste and test with a jug of water.
- Use a silicone sealant to seal everything up.
- Install the side panels to the shower tray.
How To Fit A Low Profile Shower Tray
- Ensure the floor is able to support the weight and is completely flat.
- Cut out an access hatch in the floorboards next to the tray (provides access for waste).
- Cut out a hole for the shower tray waste.
- Mix up some cement and apply a thin layer underneath the tray.
- Apply the tray gently upon the cemented area and use a spirit level to keep it completely level.
- Leave the shower tray and cement to dry for at least 24 hours.
- Use the access hatch to connect the shower tray waste and the bathroom waste pipe.
- Test the waste pipe using a jug of water and check for any leaks.
- Use a silicone sealant to seal everything up.
Conclusion
Installing a shower tray isn’t the easiest DIY task but certainly something that’s doable if you are relatively experienced. By far the most important aspect of either shower tray installation is to ensure that the tray is 100% flat. If it isn’t, it can cause drainage issues and potentially cause leaks or other problems.
When fitting the shower tray, you should also consider any repairs that you may need to do in the future. Therefore, you will want to make access easy and not attempt to make all the fittings tightly packed together.
