Showers
Walk-in shower installation in Middleton, planned from the drain up
A walk-in shower is a tray and a fixed glass screen with an open entry, instead of a cubicle with a door. Getting one right comes down to three things you mostly never see: the tray, the waste route and the waterproofing behind the tiles.
How we work
How a walk-in shower is put together
Most walk-in showers start with the tray. A low profile tray sits only a few centimetres above the floor and is the simplest option, because it leaves room underneath for the waste to run to the existing pipework. A level access tray is set into the floor so there is no step at all, which suits anyone who finds stepping in difficult, but it means the floor has to be lowered or built up and the waste routed within the floor depth.
Then comes the screen. A single fixed panel gives the open walk-in look, and its length needs to suit the spray pattern and the room so water stays where it should. A return panel or a hinged deflector can help in narrower spaces. The glass is fixed to the wall and tray with proper brackets and sealed, so it stays rigid for years.
The waste route is the part that decides what is possible. Water needs a steady fall from the trap to the soil stack or outside gully. On timber floors that may mean running the pipe between joists; on concrete floors it may mean channelling. We check this at the survey, before you choose a tray, so the design fits the building rather than the other way round.
Behind the finish, the walls in the showering area are tanked for extra waterproofing protection, then tiled. Tiles run down to the tray with a neat silicone joint, and the junction between tray and wall is detailed so water cannot track behind it. Tiling and plastering are M24/7's original trades, so the wall preparation is done to a tiling standard, not a decorating one.
What a walk-in shower installation covers
Survey of the room, floor type and existing waste
Low profile or level access tray, chosen to suit the room
Waste and pipework routed with a proper fall
Walls prepared and tanked in the showering area
Fixed glass screen fitted and sealed
Wall and floor tiling, with niches if planned in
Shower valve and head fitted, and the system tested
Good to know
Walk-in shower or wet room?
The difference is the floor. A walk-in shower keeps a tray, even a very low one, so the waterproof part is the tray itself. A wet room has no tray: the whole floor is tanked, laid to falls and tiled, and the water drains through a floor waste. That makes a wet room more involved, especially on upstairs timber floors.
For most homes, a walk-in shower gives the open look and easy access with less structural work. If you want a completely flush floor across the room, or the space is too tight for a tray and screen, a wet room may be the better choice, and our wet room service covers that work.
Many walk-in showers replace an old bath, often in a main bathroom where the household no longer uses one. Our guide to replacing a bath with a shower covers the planning, including whether to keep a bath elsewhere in the house.
Cost depends on the tray type, how far the waste has to move, the size of screen, the tiles chosen and the condition of the walls and floor. We do not give figures before seeing the room; after the survey you receive a written quotation for the agreed work.
Common questions
Walk-In Showers: your questions answered
What is a walk-in shower?
A shower with a low tray and a fixed glass screen, open at one end, instead of an enclosure with a door. It looks more open and is easier to step into and clean.
Low profile or level access tray?
A low profile tray is simpler and suits most rooms. A level access tray removes the step completely but needs more floor work to fit the waste. We advise which suits your floor at the survey.
Can you convert my bath into a walk-in shower?
Yes, bath to shower conversions are common. The waste position, wall condition and the length available decide the tray and screen size.
How is a walk-in shower different from a wet room?
A walk-in shower uses a tray; a wet room has a fully tanked floor laid to a drain with no tray. Wet rooms usually involve more floor work.
Will water splash out of a walk-in shower?
Not if the screen length, the shower head position and the tray size suit each other. That is part of the planning, and a deflector panel can help in tighter rooms.
Do walk-in showers suit older or less mobile people?
They often do, particularly with a level access tray. Our accessible bathrooms page covers grab rails, seats and wider entries.
Other services we provide
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