Fiberglass Shower Unit Cubicles and Doors
Fiberglass and acrylic all in one shower stalls and enclosures are easy to install and are leak free because the units are pre-formed. You buy the door separately and it is easy to fit.
Fiberglass Shower Enclosures and Doors
Fiberglass and acrylic shower units are pre-molded three sided shower enclosures. They have several advantages over tempered glass shower units and some disadvantages, too.
Advantages of Fibreglass and Acrylic Shower Enclosures
The unit is factory-built and moulded in one piece, so it can never leak at the joints, because it has no joints.
The fibreglass and acrylic panels can be made in any color, so your new shower stall can add to your bathroom décor.
The back panel usually has molded shelves that are extremely useful for storing shower gel, shampoo and shaving accoutrements.
There are no tiles with grouting that needs to be kept clean.
Where Can You Install a Preformed Acrylic or Fiberglass Shower Stall?
These are ideal for a teenager’s bedroom, as an en-suite and a way to free up the family bathroom. If you have three teenaged daughters this si the only way you are ever going to get into the bathroom in the morning.
Think about installing a fibreglass shower unit in the garage for showering when you are messy from working outside, it will save tramping the dirt all over the house.
You can install a pre-formed acrylic shower unit in a downstairs cloakroom, useful if you are adapting your house to cope with disabled or infirm family members.
Installing a Door on a Fiberglass Shower Unit
Discuss your choice of door with your supplier. You will need to attach a metal frame and sealing strips to the fibreglass sidewalls. This will make the unit more rigid and the frame will carry the weight of the tempered glass door.
Most suppliers advise using a 4mm or 6mm glass door, rather than an extremely heavy 8mm or thicker door.
Edging strips attached to the door normally incorporate a finger grip to allow you to open the door.
Never try to drill tempered glass, there is a high risk of the glass shattering, even if you use a special glass drill bit.
Disadvantages of Fibreglass and Acrylic Shower Enclosures
They scratch more easily than tempered glass shower enclosures do. Using cream cleaners will scratch them.
Acrylic and fibreglass are brittle and they will crack if mistreated or if they are mishandled during the installation process. This is a very common cause of damage.
The unit is very bulky and getting it through doorways can be impossible. Once the unit is removed from its packaging and the large plastic box it comes in it will fit through doorways more easily, but bending and flexing the fibreglass to get it around corners can crack your expensive shower stall, rendering it useless.
If you buy a unit that has coloured fibreglass side-panels you will be limited with any future paint colors in the bathroom.
Fitting a door can be tricky. You need to install the metal frame onto the fibreglass panels. This is where leaks will occur unless the seals are perfect.
Fiberglass panels are less rigid and will always flex a lot more than glass ones will. Any fibreglass shower unit enclosure will never feel as solid and well-constructed as one made from tempered glass.