The photo shows our panels in a quadrant shower cubicle, in this instance Mosaic Blue was chosen to provide a tile effect.
Quadrant cubicles grew in popularity in the 90’s and have continued to grow in people’s affection due to their style and practicality. There are many reasons why they have proved so popular.
One is that they offer a generous showering area without filling the room. For example a 900 x 900 square shower cubicle will project further into the room than a 900 x 900 quadrant but the showering space is relatively similar. The rounded corner also helps to make a small room feel less cramped as it does not give a ‘hard’ corner and curves away from your line of sight.
Preventing Leaks
One of the regular problems many people have with their shower cubicles is that they develop leaks over time. If a shower is waterproof initially but then starts to leak long after it has been fitted then it is usually one of two issues:
- the shower tray moves slightly under load which has eventually pulled away a seal allowing water to get through
- the grout has failed allowing water to get behind the wall tiles which will eventually work its way into he wall and cause damage
Both these are very common occurrences and we get asked to recommend solutions on a regular basis. We have several options for customers in this situation and all involve abandoning tiles and opting for a more modern system – either a complete shower pod or utilising a panelling system for the walls.
Which Size Cubicle Is Best?
In general, the larger the better. Cubicles smaller than 800 will feel claustrophobic, especially if the users are tall.
A 900 quadrant is the ideal sized model to discuss with regard to utilising waterproof panels to line the walls. It is small enough to enable just one of our larger sized sheets to be used per wall. But our standard size panels in a quadrant shower cubicle could also be employed with very little waste and achieving the same goal – a waterproof shower.
Our larger panels are 1000mm wide so 2 sheets will enable you to line the walls without the need for joints. This is very important, especially if they have had leaks previously, as they feel reducing the number of possible areas water can escape from will reduce the risk of it happening again.
But if you fit our standard size panels which are 250mm wide they will perform exactly the same task. Yes, there will be extra joints but by running a bead o f silicone sealant down the groove side of the tongue and groove joint (where it cannot be seen) you will end up with a surface that is just as waterproof as a single sheet.
Return to our shower wall panel page
