How to install a shower enclosure

Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. This guide is based on “How to Install a Shower Enclosure” by Victorian Plumbing, the UK’s leading online bathroom retailer. Their fitting guides are produced to a high standard and are a genuine help for understanding the wall profile and door alignment stages that the written instructions in the box rarely explain clearly enough.

1. Prepare the shower tray and base

If you are fitting a new shower tray alongside the enclosure, that goes in first. The tray must be level in both directions and supported solidly underneath — a hollow tray that flexes underfoot will crack the sealant around the walls within months. Use a mortar bed or adjustable riser kit to achieve this.

Once the tray is set, connect the waste fitting and trap, run a test with water, and check it drains fully before fitting the enclosure on top. Far easier to access the trap now than later.

2. Mark the wall profiles

Hold the side wall profile vertically against the wall and use a spirit level to check it is perfectly plumb. Mark the fixing hole positions, then check the other wall profile aligns with it in both the front-to-back and side-to-side directions. The gap between the two profiles must match the width of the door frame.

In a tiled shower area, use a tile drill bit to start the holes cleanly. Rushing this with a standard masonry bit will crack tiles. Drill slowly, with light pressure, and use masking tape over the tile face to reduce any risk of the bit skating.

3. Fix the wall profiles

Most enclosure profiles are fixed with screws into wall plugs, then covered with a snap-on plastic cap strip. Drive the screws snugly but not hard — the profiles are aluminium and the screw holes strip easily. A profile that moves even slightly will cause the door to leak at the edge over time.

Some designs include a silicone channel at the back of the profile that creates a seal against the wall tiles. Apply a thin bead of clear sanitary silicone into this channel before offering the profile up. Press it firmly against the tile face and wipe off any squeeze-out immediately with a damp cloth.

4. Assemble and hang the door

Lay the door panels on a soft, clean surface and assemble the frame according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The hinge positions and the direction the door opens need to be decided at this point — most reversible enclosures can be set up to open either way. Think about the bathroom layout before committing.

Slide the door assembly into the wall profiles. Most designs engage at the top first and then clip or lock at the bottom. The door should swing freely without catching the tray. If it drags on the tray, loosen the bottom profile fixings slightly and adjust the height before re-tightening.

5. Apply silicone sealant

Once everything is aligned and the door operates correctly, apply a neat bead of white or clear sanitary silicone along the bottom of both wall profiles where they meet the tray. Also seal the inside join between each wall profile and the tiled wall behind it.

Run a wet finger along each bead to smooth it, then leave it for at least 24 hours before using the shower. Do not be tempted to rush this. A shower used before the sealant has cured is a shower that will leak from day one.

6. Final checks

Open and close the door several times and check the magnetic seal or rubber strip around the door makes full contact when closed. Hold a piece of tissue near the bottom of the door edge while running the shower — any air movement there suggests a gap that will let water out onto the floor.

Check all the profile-to-wall joins are fully sealed by running your finger along them. Any gap, however small, is a leak waiting to happen once water is hitting the walls at pressure.

When to call a handyman

Call Richard if the existing tray is not level and needs re-setting, if the wall tiles are not plumb and the enclosure is fighting the angle, or if the waste connection needs repositioning to accommodate the new tray. Shower enclosure installation looks straightforward and mostly is — but getting the sealant and the drain connections right matters a lot.