Shower cabins: types, sizes, and what to verify before installation

A shower cabin is one of those purchases that looks simple in the showroom and gets complicated on the bathroom wall. The glass, the frame, and above all the sealing decide whether you get a dry bathroom for years or a daily puddle. Here is what to check, in order.

The types, and which bathroom each fits

• Sliding: two or more panels gliding on rollers. The space saver, and the default for tight Egyptian bathrooms and over-bathtub installs.
• Hinged: a door that swings open on a fixed panel. Feels more premium and seals firmly, but needs clear space in front of it.
• Quarter-round (corner): curved sliding panels on a corner tray. Makes small bathrooms feel bigger.
• Walk-in: one fixed glass panel and no door at all. The cleanest look and nothing to break, but it needs a generous shower area so water stays inside.

Glass or acrylic?

Tempered (securit) glass is the serious choice: usually 6 to 8 mm, it withstands heat and knocks, and when it does break it crumbles into blunt granules instead of shards. Ask for the tempering stamp in the glass corner: no stamp, no deal. Acrylic panels are lighter and cheaper, but they scratch, cloud with time, and flex in their frames. For anything you plan to keep, choose tempered glass.

The frame: aluminum, stainless, or frameless

• Aluminum frames are the market standard: light, rust-free, and affordable. Quality shows in the coating and in how smoothly the rollers run.
• Stainless steel hardware suits frameless designs and carries heavier glass.
• Frameless cabins use thicker glass (8 mm and up) held by hinges and clamps. Beautiful and easy to clean, and entirely dependent on hardware quality.

Sizes that fit real bathrooms

Common square trays run 80x80, 90x90, and 100x100 cm, with rectangular options like 100x80 and 120x80 for bathtub replacements. Standard heights run around 180 to 200 cm. Measure after tiling, not before, and check that the door swing or slide clears the toilet and the sink.

Sealing: where cheap cabins fail

Water finds gaps exactly like sound does. What keeps a cabin dry: continuous rubber strips on every glass edge, magnetic closure strips on the door meeting edge, a bottom sweep that hugs the tray, and a proper silicone bead on the outside line only, so trapped water can still drain inward. If the installer finishes in an hour with one silicone tube and no strips, expect leaks.

Common questions

Glass or acrylic for a family bathroom?

Tempered glass. It is safer when it breaks, stays clear for years, and cleans faster. Acrylic makes sense only as a short-term budget fix.

Can a cabin be installed over an existing bathtub?

Yes, sliding panels made for tub edges are a standard product. The tub rim must be sound and level, and the wall profiles must be sealed along their full height.

How do I keep the glass free of water spots?

A squeegee pass after showering does more than any chemical. Nano coatings help water sheet off and are worth it in hard-water areas.