Sliding screen for the bath: step-by-step instructions for assembling the factory design + tips for craftsmen

The space under the bathroom is not very attractive from an aesthetic point of view: pipes are located there, and sometimes a mini-closet for household chemicals and detergents is located. To improve the interior, a sliding screen is installed under the bathtub - a simple design of the frame and movable wings.

Do you want to assemble such a screen with your own hands, but have never done it? We will help you deal with the main points - this material describes in detail the stages of assembly and installation of the screen. We also presented the advantages of such a design and useful information about which models are the most acceptable in terms of cost and reliability.

Benefits of Sliding Screens

There are several types of screens that are mounted under the bathroom. Simple installation is characterized by solid products without doors. Their main plus is the ability to use any building and finishing material, from bricks and drywall to tiles and plastic.

Screens with drawers, sliding or hinged doors allow you to use the hidden area as a storage system. Thanks to this, space in cabinets is greatly saved, and all tubes, bottles, packs of detergents can be assembled and arranged in one place. More about the device of sliding and integral types of screens we wrote here.

But we recommend, especially for small rooms, to choose products with sashes that provide access to the interior under the bathroom

Thus, several issues are resolved at once:

• Useful space of a bathroom or bath increases;
• there is a convenient and affordable place to store household chemicals;
• the appearance of the room becomes more attractive.

Less sliding structures in a limited selection of material. Sashes should be light and thin, so that they can easily move along the guides, therefore, we exclude the tile or GKL.Plywood is not suitable, as it quickly deforms in a humid microclimate.

The most suitable for all characteristics are plastic panels. They hold their shape well, are easy to process, have a low weight and low cost.

Laminated boards of chipboard, MDF are slightly heavier, but they are also used for the manufacture of sliding structures.

Owners have a choice: buy a finished model or assemble a screen from scratch with their own hands. Given the low cost of factory products, we recommend that you purchase a screen that is fully prepared for installation. It is equipped with mounts and instructions, so you can fix it under the bathtub easily and quickly.

For self-assembly, it will require calculations, the selection of a suitable material, and additional processing of parts. This will take a lot of time, and the result may not be the most impressive.

Factory Model Assembly Instruction

Before installation, you need to buy / order a screen or a set of individual parts from which the frame and sashes will be formed. Before buying, you should consider the design of the product - it should be in harmony with the wall and floor linings, consistent in color and texture.

A few successful examples of installing a "scaffold":

If you decide to make a screen yourself, we recommend that you first study the finished models sold in the store. So you will understand exactly what details will be required for making a functional screen and whether they can be purchased separately.

Stage # 1 - selection of necessary tools

It all depends on whether you buy a factory model or are going to prepare parts yourself. In the first case, a Phillips screwdriver and a wrench, which is often attached to the kit, are enough.

The second will require tools for cutting and grinding: a jigsaw, a file, a construction knife, sandpaper for processing the ends.

Models offered in plumbing stores are usually installed without being fixed to the floor, walls, or plumbing fixtures. They stay at the expense of friction and adjust the legs

If the guides will be attached to the floor, and the vertical racks to the walls, then a puncher or drill, as well as a set of dowels and nails, are useful.

Necessarily marking tools - tape measure, square, level, pencil. They will come in handy even before buying a screen to clarify the sizes.

Stage # 2 - checking the configuration and inspection of parts

When buying models from plastic or MDF, all details can be checked according to the list specified in the instructions.

Typically, the package includes:

• 2-3 panels;
• 2 guides - upper and lower;
• 2 side racks;
• threaded legs (from 2 to 4);
• 2 handles with screws;
• hex key;
• step-by-step schematic instructions.

It is necessary to carefully inspect every detail: check the legs for strength, make sure that the panels are not scratched and have smooth edges without nicks.

For self-assembly, you will have to find suitable panels made of plastic or MDF. If they are larger in size, this is not scary - extra centimeters can be cut off.You will also need a plastic or metal profile for the manufacture of guides. The main thing is that he has two “tracks”.

You can use the accessories for wardrobes, whose doors are usually equipped with a roller mechanism. Rollers prevent friction of the wings on the profile, extend the life of the parts

The frame can also be made of wood, if you have at hand a tool for processing wooden blocks. But do not forget to polish every detail, treat it with protective impregnation and cover it with paint or varnish. So the wood will last much longer.

Stage # 3 - preparing the installation space

Before installation work, it is better to prepare the floor and walls in advance - finish the repair, remove excess garbage. We recommend tidying up the space under the bathroom: treat the concrete surfaces with a sealant anti-mold compound, wipe the tile seams, wash everything thoroughly.

Under the bathroom are communications - sewer pipes, a water lock. It is better at the same time to check the reliability of all connections, and if replacement is required, buy new parts and make repairs

Some pipes run along the walls - this should be considered when processing panels. Sometimes you have to cut a corner, otherwise the screen will not "fall" into place. We do not recommend installing a “deaf" element in the pipe passage, otherwise, if a leak occurs, you will have to dismantle the entire screen.

Now let's look at how to quickly assemble and install a sliding screen under the bathtub.

Stage # 4 - installation of the frame under the bathroom

Some models are sold almost assembled. The frame together with the doors fixed in it is packed in a plastic film, in a separate package - legs and fasteners.

Installation of a fully assembled and prepared for installation screen is to place it under the bathtub and adjust the legs - nothing else needs to be done

For purchased models, representing a set of individual parts, the screen is installed in the following order:

1 step - frame assembly

We put horizontal guides parallel to each other, with grooves towards. We place racks from the sides, also with grooves to the center.

We get the plugs from the uprights, insert the locks into the grooves of the guides, align the resulting frame and tighten the fasteners. The result was a rectangular frame.

When assembling a frame from a metal profile or wooden blocks, we recommend using angles that fix the parts perpendicular to each other and ensure stability, as well as self-tapping screws for wood or metal

2 step - fixing the panels

We insert the panels into the lower profile so that they fall into different “tracks” (as a rule, there are two of them, like the panels). Adjust the upper guide in height, tighten. We make sure that the profile and the wings do not touch closely - a small gap provides an easy move.

If you plan to store various products under the bathroom and, accordingly, often use sliding elements, we recommend making the edges of the panels perfectly smooth or putting them on rollers

3 step - installation of legs and installation of handles

We insert bushings with legs into the uprights - from the bottom end, where the plugs were originally located.

We also fasten the handles that come with the screws.

Handles from the kit, if not suitable for design, can be replaced by others. The main thing is that they do not discord with the panels and do not interfere with the use of the bathroom

4 step - installing the screen under the bath

We start the screen under the external side of the bathtub, align it with the floor, unscrew the adjusting legs until they stop, so that the frame "stands up" tightly and does not fluctuate when opening / closing the panels.

As a result, the screen should fit evenly between the floor and the side of the bathtub - without gaps and distortions, and the sliding doors should move freely along the guides

Pay attention to the manufacturer's recommendations.For example, to install a screen under a steel or cast-iron bath, it is usually advised to remove the upper bushings.

And for installation under an acrylic bathtub with a deep shimmer, they also suggest using the upper legs.

Features of making a screen on your own

With self-assembly, the installation procedure can be changed. For example, sometimes the lower guide - “rails” is fixed, and then the panels are inserted into it together with the upper profile. But in this case, the parts must be very precisely sized or adjusted using the upper legs.

Our site has step-by-step instruction on self-production of the screen and installation of homemade products.

Some more general helpful tips:

Often, amateurs who make their own bath screen for the first time forget about the legs and mount the lower guide directly to the floor.

We recommend either installing the legs, or making part of the screen “dull”, with the lower part tilted to the center of the bathroom, so that there is where to put your legs. Another good option - cutout

In the future, this decision will make the use of the bath uncomfortable. It will be difficult to care for the bathroom, as standing near a continuous screen is inconvenient.

If installing a sliding model for some reason is not possible, do not forget about alternative solutions - screens with a hatch or a hinged door.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Detailed video instruction from the manufacturer:

How is the screen assembly assembled:

Homemade budget review:

A variety of screens allows not only to equip a convenient storage place under the bathroom, but also to style the screen from the outside using mosaics, 3D panels, mirrors, tiles and other materials. Installation of the factory model is not difficult and takes a minimum of time, you will have to tinker with a self-made screen a little longer.

Are you assembling a purchase screen and have any questions during the execution of the work? Ask them to our experts in the comments section, add a photo with instructions from the manufacturer - we will try to help you.

Or maybe you have successfully coped with the self-assembly of the screen and modified it a bit by putting convenient stands or a cabinet with shelves in it to comfortably place detergents inside the package? Share the results of your work with other users - add photos of an improved screen design.