Guide
A Buyer's Guide to Framed Shower Enclosures
What to specify, what to ask a factory, and what to check on arrival.
Buying framed enclosures for a project is a different exercise from buying one for a house. The things that go wrong are supply things, not taste things.
Specify in this order
- Format — alcove sliding, corner, quadrant or hinged, from the room layout.
- Frame material — aluminium for volume, stainless for wet and aggressive rooms.
- Finish — matte black, polished chrome or brushed gold, matched to the tapware.
- Size — against measured openings, with the wall error recorded.
- Quantity and phasing — call-off dates, not one lump.
Questions worth asking any factory
- Glass type, thickness and toughening certificate, per model
- Hardware warranty separate from product warranty
- Whether spare rollers, seals and handles are stocked by model code
- Packing specification — most transit damage is packing, not product
- What happens to a phase if a model is discontinued mid-programme
What to check on arrival
Open one carton per pallet before the truck leaves. Check profile straightness, glass edges, hardware count against the packing list, and that the model code on the carton matches the order. A discrepancy noted at delivery is a supplier problem; the same discrepancy noted three weeks later is yours.
Xinxin publishes model codes, series and finishes. Sizes, glass specification and certification come back by enquiry against a model code — ask for them in writing and keep them with the order.
Xinxin publishes model codes and finishes but not sizes, glass thickness or certification. Ask for those by model code before you specify.