With tight time constraints and even tighter budgets, architects and designers are increasingly looking for new products, methodologies, and materials that are cost-effective to buy, quick and easy to install, and yet provide the reliability and lifespan of more traditional materials and techniques. We have for years been providing solutions that allow a single shower, or whole blocks of shower cubicles, to be installed quickly and efficiently.
At Advanced Showers, although we have been manufacturing leak free GRP shower pods for over 20 years, in recent times we are increasingly being asked to design bespoke shower pods for the new build construction industry, and for builders involved in major conversions of older buildings to provide modern student accommodation. This might involve single pods to be fitted as part of a number of en-suite units, or in blocks for communal showering areas. So what is it that makes pods so attractive to designers and architects?
For someone not in the building trade, casting a cursory eye over a shower room belies the true cost in labour and materials that it takes to fit that single shower cubicle. With the shower tray plumbed-in, between one and three walls have to be tiled, depending on the shower style. The area between shower tray and tiles has to be sealed with silicone to prevent water ingress, and tiles have to be grouted to prevent water seeping through them.
No matter how expertly the work has been carried out, and how regularly the shower is wiped down, sooner or later grout begins to blacken. Old grout needs scraping out and tiles re-grouted. If water has begun to seep between the tiles, the shower room can begin to smell musty and, months later, damp patches begin to show on the ceiling below. The shower becomes an increasingly expensive item to maintain, knocking a hole in already tight maintenance budgets.
All our shower pods are designed and manufactured in our purpose built factory. Constructed in GRP using different moulds for different models, they are delivered on site in (usually) three sections. Each cubicle can be easily put together by two people in a couple of hours, using the seals and self-tapping screws provided. All that’s needed then is the plumbing connected, cubicle fixed, and waste pipe connected. Without the need for tiling and grouting, a single shower pod can put together and ready for use in less than a day.
With no gaps for shower water to find its way through and smooth, shiny walls, a shower pod will look its best with just a wipe over with a damp cloth for years to come. If you would like further information on our range of leak-free shower pods, please get in touch to speak with one of our advisers today.