bath shower screen

If you have installed an overbath shower then you will have had to make a choice as to what you are going to use to keep the shower water from splashing out onto the bathroom floor. One of the most common solutions is to fit a bath shower screen, and they come in several different types:

curved shower screen

bifold shower screen

4 fold shower screen

5 fold shower screen

curved shower screen

The curved shower screen is probably the most popular type. It consists of a flat plane of safety glass usually with an arched top, which is attached to a wall post via a hinge. The screen can pivot around but cannot usually be folded flat against the wall as it is slightly too long and its path is usually obstructed by the bath taps.

One of the main drawbacks with this type of screen is that it does not protect a long enough section of the bath from shower spray (see diagram above left) - compare the extra protection offered by the Outasight (above right).

The curved shower screen is basically a permanent feature in the bathroom and can make a small bathroom feel a little claustrophobic, whereas the Outasight can be folded away neatly when not in use.

A cheap shower screen will tend to utilise this design. There is another type of curved shower screen which is made from curved rather than flat glass - this is designed to be used with a shower-bath and is not suitable for standard, straight baths.

4 fold shower screen

The 4 fold shower screen is another popular method of overbath shower protection. This type of screen folds in a concertina fashion, so that unlike the curved shower screen it is not permanently extended along the bath. However, folding this type of screen back on itself has two problems: firstly the folded screen is still quite obtrusive and secondly this type of screen can be difficult to move if it is fitted too tightly to the bath (but if it is fitted too loosely it does not seal properly to the bath). The panels themselves are made from a framed glass or acrylic, with a rubber seal at the bottom of each section.

As the above diagrams shows the 4 fold bath screen does offer a little more protection along the length of the bath than the curved shower screen, but it is still shorter than the Outasight.

bifold shower screen

This type of folding shower screen basically does the same job as those above but cannot usually fold flat against the wall. A bifold shower screen is usually left folded in half so that the screen is not fully extended when not in use.

This type of folding shower screen has the usual disadvantages over the Outasight in that it is more visible when not in use and does not usually cover as much of the bath length.

There are also some other types of shower screen:

telescopic shower screen - pulls out along the bath (these tend to be quite expensive)

enclosed shower screen - fits wall to wall and turns your bath into a shower enclosure

corner bath shower screen - some 5 fold shower screens can be used (but not all)