How to choose the best bath screen?

What types of designs are there?

When asking the question “Which bathtub screen is better to choose?”, decide on the style of the bathroom interior and the purpose of its installation. Bath screens differ in design and the materials from which they are made.

Sliding bathtub screens

Sliding screens combine ease of use and a pleasant appearance. They consist of a box and 2-3 sliding doors that move along guides. With a slight movement of your hand, you can get to the plumbing equipment if necessary or hide detergents.

The main advantage of sliding bathtub screens is their compactness: no additional space is required to open them. Therefore, this design is suitable even for small bathrooms.

The disadvantages include jamming of the doors and difficulty in cleaning – dust quickly gets clogged in the grooves necessary for the sliding structure.

Screens with hinged doors

The disadvantage of dirty grooves is offset by simple doors on hinges. However, to open them, you will have to leave enough space – which means they are only suitable for spacious bathrooms.

There are several alternatives to classic hinged facades:

• Folding doors. The door itself or the entire drawer can open downwards. The latter solution is more ergonomic – you won’t have to bend over to take something from the shelf or put it away.
• Pull-out drawers. To avoid having to look for items under the bathtub, install roll-out structures – they are more comfortable to use.

Hide baskets with handles behind regular doors, which you can pull out after opening. This will allow you to use the space under the bathtub as a full-fledged closet.

The photo shows swing doors made of MDF

Solid screens

If there is enough storage space in the bathroom and you just need to beautifully close the end of the bowl, take a closer look at solid structures.

Their advantages include:

• Aesthetic appearance. The bathtub looks solid, which creates the feeling of an expensive interior.
• Long service life. Solid options made of acrylic, tiles or mosaics are almost impossible to damage.
• Easy maintenance. You won’t have to clean hard-to-reach corners or joints. Wipe it with a cloth during wet cleaning and you’re done.

But solid facades also have a couple of disadvantages:

• Problematic access to utilities. To be able to repair any malfunction under the bathtub, you should leave a window. But in the event of a serious accident, it may not be enough and the structure will have to be dismantled.
• It is impossible to replace the bowl. You will have to change the plumbing with a decorative facade – and if it is made of tiles, then you will have to do some renovation.

What materials are best to use?

Manufacturers offer a wide range of decorative screens under the bathtub for every taste and budget. You just have to choose – buy an inexpensive plastic one or a unique stone one. The second idea is to make it yourself from tiles, mosaics, brick or wood.

Tiles

Ceramic screens come in only one type: blind. A frame is created under the bathtub, which is subsequently faced with tiles, mosaics or porcelain tiles.

The tiles are laid on plasterboard or polystyrene boards, which in turn are attached to the metal “skeleton” of the future screen. Brickwork is also popular – it is practical and inexpensive.

When installing the structure yourself, do not forget about the window, which will provide access to the pipes. For this, they use purchased hatches or resort to a trick, fixing one section with magnets instead of glue.

The advantages of tiles include:

• Hygiene.
• Practical.
• Durability.
• The ability to bend around round, oval, corner bathtubs (for this, use mosaics or small tiles).
• Appearance. The end of the bowl, decorated with the same tiles as the floor or walls, creates a sense of a visually integral space.
• Ease of maintenance. The finished screen can be washed in any way – it is not afraid of either water or aggressive cleaning agents.

Among the disadvantages, we will highlight the cost – high-quality tiles cannot be cheap. As well as the wages of the workers who will lay them.

The photo shows bathtub tiling in the color of the walls

MDF

Before use in damp rooms, wood-fiber boards are treated with a protective solution and they are not afraid of contact with water. Therefore, feel free to use moisture-resistant MDF screens in bathrooms.

Among the advantages:

• Appearance. Order facades to match the furniture to get a single set.
• Wide range. The coating of the boards differs not only in color, but also in texture.
• Varieties of shapes. The market offers not only frontal, but also end screens made of MDF – this is convenient if both sides of the bowl are visible.
• Affordable price. The cost starts from 2,500 rubles, this is a favorable price-quality ratio.
• Easy maintenance. There will be no problems with cleaning – wipe with a damp cloth.

Also check out the list of disadvantages:

• Short service life. Despite the protection, exposure to moisture destroys the material over time. The average lifespan of a screen is 3 years.
• Deformable canvas. A monolithic wide plate can be “led” – which will lead to its twisting or bending.
• Standard size. Unlike plastic, the size of MDF is not adjustable. Therefore, you should either choose the ideal dimensions, or adjust them to the required parameters, or make a custom order.

Plastic screens

The plastic screen has gained popularity due to a lot of advantages:

• Affordable price. The price in stores starts from 700 rubles.
• A variety of shades and designs. White, plain or with a pattern – you will find whatever you want.
• A large selection of designs. Most often, sliding or solid panels are found.
• Moisture resistance. Plastic is not afraid of steam, humidity and even water – it does not deform or swell.
• Ease of care. The print can be damaged by aggressive chemicals, but water or a soap solution is usually enough to clean the plastic.
• Durability. With proper care, the material will not lose its appearance even after 5-10 years.

In addition, the plastic screen is easy to install yourself. It is often possible to adjust the height using the legs on the frame. But even if there are no legs, a stationery knife is enough to trim the thin plastic.

Among the disadvantages, we note fragility: even a slight blow can cause a dent. The second point in the design itself is that the doors on the cheapest sliding screens under the bathtub get stuck and sometimes fall out of the grooves. And the grooves themselves get clogged with dust and are difficult to clean.

The photo shows a sliding screen made of plastic with a print

Plexiglas or mirror

The screen under the bathtub is made of special glass: it is especially strong and safe. Even if you break it (which is almost impossible), the edges of the fragments will not be sharp.

Other advantages of organic glass:

• Hygienic. Its surface prevents mold and mildew.
• Sun protection. If there is a window opposite the bathtub, do not be afraid of fading and yellowing.
• A large selection of colors and textures. Organic glass can be glossy and matte, transparent and cloudy. When ordering a custom screen, you can choose any shade.
• Durability. The glass panel will not change shape even with prolonged use.
• Environmentally friendly. The material does not emit hazardous substances even when burning.

There are not many negative aspects, including:

• High price. The screen will cost 50% or more compared to MDF.
• Complexity of maintenance. Smudges and stains are visible on the glass, but you can’t wash the coating with alcohol solutions – so you’ll have to look for other high-quality products.
• Danger of mechanical damage. It’s almost impossible to repair a scratch from a sharp object.

A mirror surface will be an excellent choice for the interior of a small bathroom. Reflectivity makes the room larger, and with backlighting you’ll get the effect of a floating floor. Installing a mirror screen is not easy, most likely you will need the help of a specialist.

The photo shows a mirror finish under the bathtub

Aluminum screens

Structures made of lightweight metal – aluminum, are gaining popularity due to:

• Favorable price. They are cheaper than glass, and in terms of quality are not inferior to wooden ones.
• Increased strength. It is impossible to break it under normal operating conditions.
• Large selection of colors. Any image can be applied to the aluminum screen. Moisture resistance. This metal does not rust, mold and bacteria do not form on its surface.
• Ease of cleaning. Just like plastic or MDF, aluminum can be simply wiped with a damp cloth.

This solution has virtually no downsides, except for the difficulty of purchasing. They are not available in all specialized stores, and you will probably have to order and wait for the right size.

Acrylic screens

Such panels are made of plastic and covered with acrylic – they are lightweight and durable. Sold complete with bowls. You can select a screen for your acrylic bathtub after purchase, but to do this you need to know the model name and its parameters.

Advantages of acrylic structures:

• Integrity. The screen is ideal in color and size, forming a single composition with the bathtub.
• Ease of installation. The clamps are sold in a set, they are easy to install, as well as remove when access to the pipes is needed.
• Absence of cracks. This is where unnecessary dirt usually accumulates.
• Ease of maintenance. Wipe with a damp cloth or wash with cleaning agents, like the bowl itself.

Among the disadvantages of acrylic panels are uniformity and impracticality. Most often, the design is blind, which eliminates the possibility of storing under the bathtub.

The photo shows an acrylic design for a square bowl

What to consider when choosing the size of the screen?

How to choose a screen for a bathtub by size? Measure the parameters of the bowl itself:

• height from the floor to the side – usually 500-600 mm;
• length of the bowl – the most popular parameters are 1500-1800 mm;
• width – if you plan to purchase an end wall separately.

The most difficult thing is to purchase solid structures or with hinged doors – their dimensions cannot be changed. Accordingly, the length and height of the screen under the bath should match your figures down to the millimeter.

It is easier to choose a sliding compartment – the discrepancy in length is leveled by layering facades, and the height – by adjustable legs.

Empty space under the bathtub can ruin even an expensive renovation, cover it with a beautiful and functional screen.