Bath Screen

bath screen

Most households have a shower these days although most bathrooms are not big enough to accommodate a shower cubicle and a bath. So a shower over the bath is the best way of enabling a shower to be used. But something is needed to keep the water from escaping out onto the bathroom floor. A bath screen is one of the most common methods. This keeps the shower water inside the bath when you have an over-bath shower fitted.

The main alternative to a shower screen is the shower curtain. Both the shower screen and the shower curtain have their downsides. This is not really a surprise because showering over the bath is a compromise in itself. But of the two options, bath screens are a more modern and neater choice. They are also much easier to keep clean!

Shower screens are pretty effective at what they do. And some designs are more effective than others.

 

The main problem is that a lot of designs do not extend far enough up the bath. This is not always a problem with gravity-fed showers. But power showers can result in spray getting out of the showering area onto the bathroom floor. Power showers produce a spray at a much higher pressure than gravity-fed showers so the water can get deflected further. Most one-piece shower screens do not even reach halfway along a standard size bath leaving the majority of the area unprotected. And water can get deflected over the top of the screen if you are tall.

Bathroom flooring should be able to cope with a little water escaping but some cope better than others. See our guide to the best bathroom flooring for more information.

Another bath screen deficiency is the fact that they are always visible. This is especially true of the curved glass type, which basically remains in place all of the time. This can make a small bathroom feel even smaller because it cuts into the open space regardless if it is completely clear. Even a folding bath screen (below left) takes up quite a bit of space when stowed.

The following screens are available online from Amazon and Royal Bathrooms. We earn a small commission on any qualifying purchases – click any image to find out more

 

 

pivot bath screen

This design has a small panel before the hinge enabling the screen to be folded inward without the taps getting in the way.  It also means the screen extend further down the bath than a standard screen.

 

Koncept Bath Screen

This is a plain and simple bath screen with a curved top and 6mm toughened safety glass. Simple, straightforward,  effective and good value for money.

 

5 section bath screen

This folding screen can be tucked away when not in use. The five panels means a large section of the bath is protected and prevents too much water from escaping.

 

 

Fitting A Bath Screen Onto Bathroom Cladding

Bathroom cladding is hollow so you have to be careful not to crush the panels when fitting items onto the panels.

However, the larger the surface area of the items being installed the less of an issue it becomes as it is very difficult to squash the panels over a large area. The mounting post supplied with the majority of bath shower screens falls into this category. Although it is not very wide it is very long so crushing the panels by over-tightening the screws is next to impossible. Visit our installation pages on the website if you have any concerns. There are instructions on how to use packers to alleviate this problem – fixing through the panels.